Roji (露地) means in Japanese a dewy garden, which one passes through to enter a tea house for a tea ceremony. The power trio Roji does not entangle itself with such refined, delicate rituals. Its fourth album, and its second as a trio, is not for the faint of heart. The aptly titled Tsunami Deluxe features German, Hückelhoven-based drummer Jörg A. Schneider, prolific Portuguese bassist Gonçalo Almeida, and fellow Portuguese trumpeter João Almeida as intrepid samurai with a sacred mission: to create an intense, explosive synergy that is more than just challenging the boundaries of sound; they obliterate them. The album was recorded at Schneider’s home studio, the Laundry Room, in July 2024, and released by him.
The double disc Tsunami Deluxe with its almost two hours long, mighty twelve pieces lets ROJI flex its testosterone-filled muscles and thrust the listener into a wild, tormenting and voltaile inferno where Almeida’s guttural roar of distorted bass lines collides with Schneider’s thunderous drums and with second Almeida’s trumprt cry, as its dense sonic storm cuts through the noise like lightning through a blackened sky. There is no break for contemplation, but there are some fleeting melodies, often articulated by João Almeida (check «Impaled Unicorn» and «Grilled Chicken Mouse»), allowing the merciless brutality to be spiced with some touches of common beauty. The distorted, noisy sonic storms of Tsunami Deluxe demand full surrender to their unpredictable, intense, and chaotic energy. Beware, if your blood pressure is not regular or you fear other ailments, you had better reserve your place at some tranquil sanatorium after experiencing Roji.
Albatre is another power trio of Gonçalo Almeida, based in Rotterdam and featuring Almeida, who adds keyboards and electronics to his bass, fellow Portuguese alto and baritone sax player Hugo Costa, and German drummer Philipp Ernsting. Like Roki, it revels in a joyously harrowing mix of free-improv, noise rock, metal, and free jazz. Bruxas is the fourth official album of the trio (two more EPs are offered on the trio’s Bandcamp Page). Bruxas offers six pieces, where Albatre focuses on killer riffs that gravitate into a massive, fast, and deafening grind until it exhausts itself. It is offered in a few distinct attacks, and with more space for Costa’s concise, soaring sax solos, nuanced rhythmic interplay with math-rock interludes, and some psychedelic layers of keyboards, all stress the almost telepathic interplay of Albatre. The last, title piece captures Albatre at its best, with focused, exhilarating energy.
Eyal Hareuveni
Jörg A. Schneider (drums), Gonçalo Almeida (bass, keyboards, electronics), João Almeida (trumpet), Hugo Costa (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, effects), Philipp Ernsting (drums, electronics)
