Review by rA Kooler (PK 08/103) by Pete Namlook and Robert Sattler

I'm sure a lot of you will know that this piece can now be voted for as one of the 'worst' FAX discs. This comes as no ending source of surprise to me that it should arouse such strongly negative feelings - Ive always valued this disc as a real grower and as holding some classic qualities which keep me returning to it for its isolationist and distinctly urban feel.

Kooler crosses the boundaries between ambient and a subtle hybrid of pared-down jazz. Urban Isolationism, the first track, gives a distinct mental image of a large city square, empty save for a lone figure playing meditative short stabs and sequences of gentle notes on the saxophone. Added colours come from Cacciatore's understated use of trumpet with twittering and breathy scales given huge amounts of echo that trail off down the streets. Namlook fills out this sound with an aether of gentle washes of sounds which shift from a vague feeling of threat to a glowing warmth. Like Urban Myth this disc is likely to be only an occasional player but all the more fulfilling for that. Listening to the opening movement while watching ragged clouds pass across a bright moon above my flight was transporting to say the least. I'm a huge fan of Namlook's use of guitar and its barely noticeable entrance resembles that found on his Summer playing out the 'beat' for the early part of the piece. Static distorted phone messages spoken in French by a female voice add a further curious atmosphere to the music.

Metro brightens our day with Gabarek inspired use of the warmer tones from Sattler's sax; still subtle but more active than the previous isolationist excursion. This is essentially a solo piece with more layered atmospheres and echo making us feel like we are hearing a soundcheck for a later concert in a European music hall or just a lonely voice in a large space.

Rather than being one of the worst discs I would suggest that this may be a minority taste for FAX heads and a different direction from much of the other material. The disc is likely to be rewarding for those who like to cross the borders between isolationism, jazz and ambient.