MICHAEL FORMANEK “New Digs”

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ARTIST

Michael Formanek

ALBUM TITLE

“New Digs”

LABEL

Intakt

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Michael Formanek’s new project completely reshapes the configuration in which we have most often seen him perform in recent years, namely the Thumbscrew trio, which has effectively been “absorbed” into this septet as a kind of core unit. The group first performed in 2023 at the Guimarães Festival, where the other members of New Digs, beginning with Hawkins, were added to the Thumbscrew trio. Doxas, moreover, was already a member of the Drome Trio alongside Vinnie Sperrazza and Formanek himself.

Beyond its role as a “bridge” between America and Europe, the project also represents the convergence of two structural models reflecting two distinct approaches to leadership. While Thumbscrew operates as an egalitarian collective with rotating leadership, the new septet – which is not simply an “expanded” version of the trio – has a designated leader, a “guide” (and we have always felt that this role is particularly well suited to Formanek’s abilities), who directs the interplay and designs the structures that are then entrusted to the musicians’ creativity.

Naturally, the radical diversity of the instrumental and timbral configuration, combined with its extensive combinatorial possibilities, also transforms the organisation of the sound material. Built from modular units, it can break down into internal subdivisions that generate multiple dialogic and conversational configurations, interacting with one another while remaining part of a broader framework. At the heart of it all – alongside Hawkins’ ingenious structural use of the organ, creating a continuous harmonic mass and an electrically grooving texture – lies the power of the rhythmic backbone, in constant motion: a pulsating flow capable of being compact and tightly cadenced while also supporting the most angular architectures.

The horns function almost as an additional external percussion section, rich in solos and interactions, propelling the music forward and using their firepower as a direct means of communication, while also helping to thicken the harmonic web. Mary Halvorson’s guitar operates, as usual but perhaps with even greater effectiveness here, through a continuous unravelling of tangled lines, contrasting with the other thematic statements amid her familiar psychedelic textures and rhythmic shifts, while also contributing incisive and highly flavoursome instrumental interventions.

The septet therefore succeeds admirably in functioning as a small orchestra – in terms of colour, layering and the compositional variety made possible by the richness of its resources – while retaining the dynamic and interactive capabilities of the smaller units into which it can divide. This allows adventurous and exploratory approaches to coexist with passages of more immediate impact, characteristic of larger ensembles. As already noted, Formanek’s exceptional abilities as a leader are displayed here to the fullest, from his choice of instrumental configurations to the extraordinary quality of the compositions and arrangements.

This was an eagerly awaited album, and merely scanning the names involved was enough to suggest that the group could hardly fail to deliver. New Digs provides emphatic confirmation: an album not to be missed.

Sandro Cerini

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