Ben Vida, Will Epstein and Booker Stardrum; three Hudson Valley-based musicians whose individual CVs associate Nicolas Jaar, Darkside, Tyondai Braxton and Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, though Play Time sounds like no collaboration they’ve ever done so far. Forming through mutual habit, passion and convenience, Epstein and Stardrum relocated to the Hudson Valley in 2020-21, began playing at Vida’s house, and developed a residency at Tubby’s in Kingston. The new LP was recorded over two days in a converted wooden barn, live in one room, with no separation, resulting in a “polymetric pulse” minimalism more than the sum of its parts. Magic Object is really one such, its traditional scales and vintage textures climbing and flourishing like vines against a trellis of live drums from Stardrum, especially on our favourites ‘Q&A’ and ‘Waves Within Waves’. “Magic Object” is a polymetric blend of improvisation and pulse minimalism for saxophone, drums, and Moog.

listen