Review: Ivan The Tolerable Quintet ‘Vertigo’
The musical journey of Oli Heffernan, the experimental multi-instrumentalist from Middlesbrough, UK who performs under the moniker Ivan The Tolerable, has been anything but straightforward since the beginnings of his career in the mid-2000s. Rather than treading a well-worn path, Heffernan has navigated a winding, meandering course that has gradually smoothed out over the years, culminating in an impressive body of work spanning over sixty-four albums to date.
Some of these releases have been self-issued on a variety of lo-fi cassette formats like C12, C15, and C30, while others have seen the light of day through an array of independent record labels, including Heffernan‘s own Ack! Ack! Ack! as well as Stolen Body and Library Of The Occult, just to mention a few. Interestingly, Heffernan has also recorded under the guises of casual made-up bands such as Ivan & Friends, Ivan The Tolerable & The Holiday Band, Ivan The Tolerable Trio, and Ivan The Tolerable’s Self-Isolation Orchestra, further demonstrating his penchant for experimentation and his refusal to be pigeonholed. Not to forget the recordings he made under the moniker of Detective Instinct whose Black Floral album saw the collaboration of luminary musicians such as Mike Watt (Minutemen/Firehose), Jad Fair (Half Japanese) and Kevin Branstetter of Trumans Water.
Throughout this prolific and unconventional career, Heffernan‘s musical wanderings have taken him down roads less travelled, resulting in a diverse and captivating discography that showcases his boundless creativity and his willingness to challenge both himself and his listeners. During his long musical journey, the artist’s sound has been characterized by a visceral, distorted, and deafening punk noise aesthetic, typical of the lo-fi bedroom recordings produced with his trusty Tascam 8-track.
Imagine taking the raw, unhinged emotional outpouring of a Daniel Johnston, then subjecting it to a psychedelic acid trip, and blending it with the dazed, experimental tendencies of Pere Ubu and the bizarrely captivating sound of Red Crayola. The resulting sonic tapestry is one of primal screams, disorienting distortions, and a palpable sense of anxiety and unease that permeates the music. This abrasive, confrontational approach persisted for years until a period of remarkable transformation begins in 2014.
It’s as if the artist, like a chameleon, sheds his skin and emerges in a completely new guise. The ‘discovery’ of German kosmische music, with its blaring yet strangely alluring rendition of Faust’s classic It’s A Rainy Day (Sunshine Girl), opens up a whole new creative avenue. Heffernan‘s work becomes increasingly eccentric, eclectic, and experimentally magnetic, seamlessly blending elements of jazz, cinematic soundscapes, psychedelia, krautrock, and even ethnic musical influences.
With his latest album Vertigo, the renowned musician has once again pushed the boundaries of his craft, delivering an extraordinary work that showcases his infinite musical evolution. This time, he has assembled a quintet that also features the talented John Pope of Ponyland on double bass, further enriching the sonic landscape. The album’s musical expression is characterized by an improvised, experimental, and extemporaneous free jazz style that captivates the listener from the very first note.
the renowned musician has once again pushed the boundaries of his craft, delivering an extraordinary work that showcases his infinite musical evolution…
Even the album’s Picasso-inspired cover art has a profound connection to the music, serving as a visual representation of the album’s overall aesthetic. The six tracks on Vertigo are a true testament to the artist’s mastery, as they ‘sing his electric body’ and give life to mystical atmospheres that seamlessly blend the calm of a tropical forest with the smoky ambience of late 1950s American jazz clubs.
The harrowing beauty of the cosmic storm that is New World On Earth paints the air with ethereal, floating, and jazzy sounds that evoke the extraterrestrial musical state of Weather Report and Sun Ra, as if the two legendary acts were taking a stroll through an Amazonian rainforest, with the serenade of birds and the gentle flow of rivers infusing the music with a profound sense of otherworldly wonder.
This ethereal and captivating piece leads seamlessly into Salon Muzik, a track that sweeps the listener away with its visceral, sensory and eerie jazz, transporting them into the translucent and vibrant sound of Liquid Voices, where Pope‘s double bass work is worthy of the great Charlie Mingus while Ben Hopkinson keyboards echo the pioneering spirit of Soft Machine’s Mike Ratledge.
This is pure, visceral, and experimental free jazz that takes the listener back to the most superb and groundbreaking works of Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, and the outrageously experimental phase of Miles Davis. Swimming envelops the listener in its soft, captivating, almost theatrical atmospheres, akin to the cinematic qualities of classical chamber music. At times, the album evokes the collaborative work of Motorpsycho and Jaga Jazzist Horns, immersing the audience in a dreamlike sonic landscape.
The album reaches its climactic conclusion with A Hitch, A Scratch, where the mind is already deeply immersed in a celestial state of chaotic yet delightfully dissonant sounds. This final track seamlessly ties together the entire listening experience, which flows quite smoothly and quietly without any jarring interruptions. It is a truly explosive finale that guides the listener’s body and soul into a world of earthy, incandescent sounds.
Vertigo, as an album, celebrates our planetary existence in a unique and captivating way. It is the work of an artist who deserves recognition for the sheer brilliance with which he produces records that embrace a broad spectrum of the history of rock music. The album’s ability to transport the listener to alternate sonic realms, while maintaining a cohesive and immersive atmosphere, is a testament to Heffernan‘s masterful command of his craft. The second musical chapter as a quintet will follow with Water Music, also on Riot Season.
Label: Riot Season
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Domenico ‘Mimmo’ Caccamo
