When youยve pushed the boundaries of music as far as they can go, whatยs next? Pushing the boundaries of noise. Experimental improvisational trio Konk Pack have been performing together since the late ย90s, creating a marvelously virtuosic racket that can best be described to the uninitiated as free jazz, hold the jazz. Cofounder of legendary experimental rock pioneers Henry Cow, Tim Hodgkinson plays a variety of instruments ranging from saxophone to a specially constructed tabletop guitar, playing off of fellow Englishman Roger Turnerยs intricate, versatile drumming and German Thomas Lehnยs analogue synth work to create a thrillingly unpredictable unified front thatยs just as notable for its ferocious chaos as its technical precision. Those whose exposure to the avant garde is limited to ยRevolution #9ย will probably find themselves lost in a fog of percussive clatter and random bursts of skronk, but for anyone looking for more from improvised music than noodly jazz combos and jam band wankery, Konk Pack will scratch your itch and then some.
Sat., Oct. 6, 8 p.m., 2007
This article appears in Oct 4-10, 2007.