FDF is the high-octane, free improvising trio featuring British drummer Nicolas Field, American sax player John Dikeman (who recorded before a trio album with Field and Hungarian bassist Péter Ajtai, The Throes, Orbit577, 2022) and Swiss pianist Thomas Florin (who has worked before with Field as the re-Ghoster trio and both are the artistic directors of the Konnekt label). This trio was founded in 2022 and Possibility and prejudices from within a cup is its sophomore album, recorded at Tortion Studio in Switzerland in March 2022, at the same time the trio recorded its debut album, Drag it to the Bottom (Doek, 2023). This trio has toured the USA and Japan and worked with guests including Akira Sakata, Tetuzi Akiyama, and Jeb Bishop.
FDF Trio is an adventurous unit, always eager to explore the unexpected and the unpredictable throughout its intense and powerful, swirling sonic textures, extreme and dense dynamics, and the sharp contours of complex rhythmic cells. It relies on the extensive experiences of Field, Dikeman, and Florin, camaraderie, fast instincts, and deep listening abilities.
The trio’s debut album was a tribute to the sport of boxing, but not just any boxing, an absurdist kind of boxing «where the gloves are made of jelly and the ring is floating on a sea of jello». The new album expands this vibe. «You take a punch, soft as a sock at the end of a jog, but that isn’t the real point here. Even poorly brewed fuel can become a cherished experience when shared in good company, highlighting that at its core, the communal experience lies not in the quality of the beverage, but in the connections it fosters».
It does not take long for Possibility and prejudices from within a cup to spiral fast into a dense and intense stratosphere. Dikeman is blowing his lungs out in manic, Brötzmann-esque mode already on the opening piece «Understand It», while Field and Florin intensify the volatile, full-blast dynamics, with their powerful rhythmic punches. Florin opens the second piece «Don’t Cry» with a lyrical tone, pushing the trio to explore the timbral spectrum of their instruments, using extended breathing and percussive techniques, within an abstract, conversational interplay. The last piece, the aptly titled, 23-minute «Free It» is introduced, again, by Florin but soon the FDF trio is already in full steam mode and gravitates toward an explosive, cathartic display of energy, power and volition, with a few, brief sparse stops to gain more energy and push even further as this is the only way to win this game.
Eyal Hareuveni
Nicolas Field (drums), John Dikeman (saxophone), Thomas Florin (piano)
