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Joachim Badenhorst: Forest // Mori

By Mark Corroto
January 25, 2015
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Clarinetist

Joachim Badenhorst

clarinet
b.1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Joachim Badenhorst probably doesn't know who Ray Johnson is, or was. He died 20 years ago. Johnson, the father of Mail Art, created a network of artists and patrons beginning in the1960s through his correspondences. He called them 'correspondances.' His mailings created a worldwide democratic system for art.

Mail Art peaked pre-internet, in the 1980s and early 90s, with thousands of participants creating artwork, zines, and music. Musicians such as the Japanese noise artist Merzbow and theWashington, DC punk band Fugazi spread their music through the mail, as did free jazz player

Jack Wright

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Jack Wright.

Enter Badenhorst with his homemade zine Forest // Mori, a small chapbook of Xerox art, rubber stamp work, unique collage and a CD solo (mostly) performance. His clarinet, saxophone and bass clarinet have been heard lately in

Tony Malaby

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Tony Malaby's Novela,

Han Bennink

drums
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Han Bennink's trio, Baloni, and in various bands with

Thomas Heberer

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Thomas Heberer (including Clarino). His prior release on Klein is a mini- masterpiece Nachtigall (2013) with

John Butcher

saxophone
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">John Butcher and

Paul Lytton

drums
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Lytton.

Like mail art, this music has a homespun feel. His clarinet and bass clarinet work bridge the worlds of jazz, classical, and free improvisation. He can deliver an awe- inspiring, circular breathing piece like "Wormhole," a mesmerizing exercise in microtonal advancements, or abrade a noisy electronic horn on the composition "The Trembling Something." His approach to bass clarinet stands on the shoulders of Eric Dolphy, before advancing the horn. He has a unique approach to vocalizing through his horn and overblowing to create multi-tones that sound not unlike a didgeridoo.

The music and packaging presented feels homemade. But unlike the cassette culture of the 1980s, Badenhorst has access to better technology, making for a crisp sound. Not that there aren't bits of field recordings sprinkled in here. "Handsome Eyebrow" begins in solo, followed by several minutes of silence before a thunderstorm is heard, then a children's song on accordion and recorder appears and is morphed into

Thelonious Monk

piano
1917 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Thelonious Monk's "Well, You Needn't."

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Fabret; The Trembling Something; Zon; Feedbacksessie; Wormhole; Forest // Mori; Een Zondagochtend In Delft; My Left Hand; This Track Is A Duo With Gerard Herman; Handsome Eyebrow.

Personnel

Joachim Badenhorst

clarinet

Joachim Badenhorst: acoustic and amplified clarinet,?bass clarinet; Gerard Herman: reeds (trk. 9); Koudo Wada, Karolina Zaniesienko, Anna Backer, Wuhong, Philip Badenhorst, Walt van Beek, Akiko Ueda, Eric Ikkny, Virginie Gouband, Emilie Ramboz, Jailbeit, Sean Carpio, Nico Roig, Joachim, Gerard Herman, Yayun Teng, Anouk Peeters: Artwork.

Album information

Title: Forest // Mori | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Klein

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