Altered
Altered
Reviews by Kai Horsthemke / March 2006 - South African Bass Players Collective
‘Altered’ are a trio of equals, consisting of John Flitcraft - bass, guitarist Jeff Miley and Steve Holmes - drums. An appropriately monikered outfit (think altered scales, think ‘made different’), their style reminiscent of the Allan Holdsworth, Wayne Johnson and Steve Khan trios (and also Melbourne’s ‘Tip’), ‘Altered’ nonetheless have their own, individual identity. The bassist’s Absotively kicks off the eponymously titled debut album: underpinned by sinewy bass, it moves along with a unique kind of nervous energy. Freaky like that, again penned by Flitcraft, is a notch up, a frisky vehicle for Miley and the bassist - who turns in a bouncy, tongue-firmly-in-cheek solo before taking it right down, with Miley and Holmes riding the tune out. The guitarist’s I must have been mistaken sports a Methenyish title and, indeed, the latter’s feeling for space. A vehicle for Flitcraft, too, it features Miley’s cataclysmic guitars (realization of mistake - denial - anger - acceptance: these stages are beautifully captured here). Scatter is an uptempo neo-bop composition by Flitcraft, featuring a melodic bass solo, and the bassist’s Dysfunctional is, appropriately enough, angular and jerky. Giant Steps offers a fairly straight-forward reading of the Trane tune, while 7 Chickens/The Chicken is an arrangement of that perennial Pastorian favourite - in 7 time, courtesy of Holmes, which makes excellent musical sense. The last tune here, Flitcraft’s Sinister, is - well - sinister indeed: dark and snaky, an antidote to easy listening.
Reviews by Kai Horsthemke / March 2006 - South African Bass Players Collective
‘Altered’ are a trio of equals, consisting of John Flitcraft - bass, guitarist Jeff Miley and Steve Holmes - drums. An appropriately monikered outfit (think altered scales, think ‘made different’), their style reminiscent of the Allan Holdsworth, Wayne Johnson and Steve Khan trios (and also Melbourne’s ‘Tip’), ‘Altered’ nonetheless have their own, individual identity. The bassist’s Absotively kicks off the eponymously titled debut album: underpinned by sinewy bass, it moves along with a unique kind of nervous energy. Freaky like that, again penned by Flitcraft, is a notch up, a frisky vehicle for Miley and the bassist - who turns in a bouncy, tongue-firmly-in-cheek solo before taking it right down, with Miley and Holmes riding the tune out. The guitarist’s I must have been mistaken sports a Methenyish title and, indeed, the latter’s feeling for space. A vehicle for Flitcraft, too, it features Miley’s cataclysmic guitars (realization of mistake - denial - anger - acceptance: these stages are beautifully captured here). Scatter is an uptempo neo-bop composition by Flitcraft, featuring a melodic bass solo, and the bassist’s Dysfunctional is, appropriately enough, angular and jerky. Giant Steps offers a fairly straight-forward reading of the Trane tune, while 7 Chickens/The Chicken is an arrangement of that perennial Pastorian favourite - in 7 time, courtesy of Holmes, which makes excellent musical sense. The last tune here, Flitcraft’s Sinister, is - well - sinister indeed: dark and snaky, an antidote to easy listening.