P:Y:G is a trio of highly inventive, young Austrian improvisers who suggest a fresh, bold and quite often even ironic perspective of the European school of free-improvisation. The trio began experimenting with its own kind of totally spontaneous interplay, open textures and eccentric vocabularies on the end of 2015, patiently shaped its unique identity as a working band and recorded its debut album in April 2018, live, before an audience, at the legendary Amman studio in Vienna.
The P corner in the P:Y:G triangle stands for guitarist Robert Pockfuß, composer for vocal ensembles, theater and film. The Y angle belongs to drummer Alexander Yannilos, leader of the experimental fusion-club collective Motherdrum, and also a producer and owner of the label that released P:Y:G album. He was in charge of the mixing, mastering and the cover art of this album. Tenor sax player Jakob Gnigler owns the G spot. He is the leader of his own sextet and collaborates with Pockfuß in another group, Pneuma,
P:Y:G self-titled debut album offers six free-improvisations, all titled after colors. All improvisations begin with a chaotic, sometimes even an absurdist sonic events. Then P:Y:G allow their rich and colorful vocabularies lead these events forward until the flow of weird sounds finds its common ground, inner logic and loose order. In this experimental process all shapes and forms of rhythms and sounds are welcome. Most of these rhythms and sounds are even celebrated.
P:Y:G adventurous journey begins with «White» that sketches an imaginary, dramatic ritual that introduces the listener to P:Y:G anarchistic, friendly universe. «Green» strips the common fiery and muscular free jazz improvisation from its self-importance with subversive rhythmic stunts and eccentric guitar voicings. «Blue» suggests a cinematic texture where a hyperactive percussionist attempts to escape from a resolute but cautious sax player and his evil-sounding assistant-guitarist. «Black» creates a surrealist, dreamy atmosphere where all sounds spiral inside labyrinthine sonic tunnels. On «Yellow» and even more so on the last improvisation «Red», drummer Yannilos employs assorted toys that charge the extended breathing techniques and effects-laden sounds of his comrades with necessary doses of humor and transforms P:Y:G interplay into a series of restless, fascinating games.
Eyal Hareuveni
Robert Pockfuß (g), Alexander Yannilos (prep dr), Jakob Gnigler (ts)
