SML is the quintet of bassist Anna Butterss, synthesist Jeremiah Chiu, saxophonist Josh Johnson, percussionist Booker Stardrum, and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann. Their second album, 'How You Been', finds the supergroup of prolific composer/producers pushing ever further into the hyperrealist, collectivist approach to music creation nascently explored on their debut 'Small Medium Large', which was lauded as "awe-inspiring" by Glide, "exuberant" by the Los Angeles Times, and "an exciting milestone" by Pitchfork.
'How You Been' represents a breakthrough in the musical language of the group. This new work was crafted via extensive post-production of recorded improvisations from a handful of shows in a similar fashion to their debut, but whereas 'Small Medium Large' was constructed from analog tapes of the band's very first (and very modest) shows at bygone Highland Park LA venue ETA, 'How You Been' was built with a far higher level of self-awareness and a far deeper pool of source material.
As SML has evolved and spread out in space-time, their fluencies, both as an improvising unit in performance and as a production team in the studio, have sharpened. At inception the band inspired disparate but distinctive artist comparisons like Essential Logic, Oval, Herbie Hancock's Sextant, and electric Miles Davis, as well as assorted genre touchpoints like Afrobeat, kosmiche, proto-techno and new-jazz. With 'How You Been' their work manages to both collapse and explode such derivatives, displaying a new, high resolution version of SML, fully-flowered into a new strain of sound, bound to incite its own copycats in due time.
'How You Been' represents a breakthrough in the musical language of the group. This new work was crafted via extensive post-production of recorded improvisations from a handful of shows in a similar fashion to their debut, but whereas 'Small Medium Large' was constructed from analog tapes of the band's very first (and very modest) shows at bygone Highland Park LA venue ETA, 'How You Been' was built with a far higher level of self-awareness and a far deeper pool of source material.
As SML has evolved and spread out in space-time, their fluencies, both as an improvising unit in performance and as a production team in the studio, have sharpened. At inception the band inspired disparate but distinctive artist comparisons like Essential Logic, Oval, Herbie Hancock's Sextant, and electric Miles Davis, as well as assorted genre touchpoints like Afrobeat, kosmiche, proto-techno and new-jazz. With 'How You Been' their work manages to both collapse and explode such derivatives, displaying a new, high resolution version of SML, fully-flowered into a new strain of sound, bound to incite its own copycats in due time.
STAFF COMMENTS
Barry says: I realise the first thing people will think of when they see International Anthem is jazz music, and it kind of is jazz music but only in the same way that tomato is a fruit. For me, this sort of wildly percussive, fluid movement is more reminiscent of weirdo alt-electronic / post-rock like Battles or Errors. Your mileage may vary, either way it's properly fascinating and incredibly dextrous.TRACK LISTING
1. Gutteral Utterance
2. Chicago Four
3. Taking Out The Trash
4. Plankton
5. Chicago Three
6. Daves
7. Old Mytth
8. Stepping In / The Loop
9. Brood Board SHROOM
10. Odd Evens
11. How You Been
12. Moving Walkway
13. Mouth Words