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Volume One: The Machines of Zeno

by Nubdug Ensemble

/
  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    4-panel CD wallet with original artwork by JB and additional credits and information.

    Includes unlimited streaming of Volume One: The Machines of Zeno via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 5 days

      $8 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $8 USD  or more

     

1.
Espejo 02:33
If you cut a hole in a net you will find You will have fewer holes than when you began
2.
3.
Don't I look so sweet, stepping down the street In my pimento boots?
4.
Spicy Mango 01:11
5.
Logjammin' 03:12
6.
Trapelo 445 02:18
7.
8.
Move straight ahead Do not stop Cross the Rubicon
9.
Pisas suavecito Cuando Vienes a mi casita

about

The debut album from the Nubdug Ensemble! Vacuum Tree Head co-founder Jason Berry continues onward with this latest endeavor.

"...Jason excels at putting together tight, crisp pieces than usually clock in a very short duration. The melodic variation and rhythmic intricacies that he crams into them always amaze and entertain. Fine examples of this on Volume One include set opener Espejo, driven by great drumming from the one and only G. Calvin Weston and the groovy 5/4 of Alea Iacta Est, with its epic sax/violin harmonies from Jason Bellenkes and John Ettinger respectively. The ways in which these great players, along with those previously mentioned to include guitarist Myles Boisen, reed man Sheldon Brown, bassoonist Paul Hanson, bassist Brett Warren, and keyboard player Amanda Chaudhary, navigate the changes and add to them is just groovy and always sublimely in the pocket. Amy X Neuberg cracks me up with her lyrical delivery on Pimento Boots, and then I just marvel at her range on Alea Iacta Est. Everyone in this ensemble simply cooks."
-Mark Pino, disasteramnesiac.blogspot.com


"So what does it sound like? The arrangements tend toward the orchestral, one might hear the influence of Frank Zappa in many of these grooves, mixed with elements of soundtrack music, very little (if any) improvisation, and the vocals and lyrics tend to be sparse. The whole album clocks in at just shy of twenty minutes, but it’s an album side well spent, with amazing compositions and arrangements."
-Peter Thelen, Expose.org


"Californian band Vacuum Tree Head were something like the Beatles of avantgarde, if only that they were led by two principal song writers: Jason Berry and Michael De La Cuesta. Last year, the band split up after a long history of over thirty years playing together. Jason Berry didn’t lose any time starting a new band. Nubdug Ensemble is essentially not that different from his former band, but there are of course things that set them apart. The similarities start with a certain intersection of musicians. Amy X Neuburg for instance also provides vocals here, although not as many. Guitarist Myles Boisen, who collaborated already with artists like Tom Waits, John Zorn, Fred Frith and many more, can also be heard on this debut album. But there are also some new faces: G. Calvin Weston used to drum for jazz legend Ornette Coleman in the seventies and eighties, Paul Hanson on bassoon has been playing with Terry Riley and Billy Cobham. This huge cast of musicians makes of course for a varied and lush sound. Another similarity is the short running time of not even twenty minutes, divided over nine songs.

Volume One: The Machines Of Zeno begins with Espejo. Amy X Neuburg’s vocals are a link to Vacuum Tree Head, although the music comes with a stronger electro funk flair. Bronze Puppet is a funky instrumental jazz tune that reminds me of gangster movies from the fifties. Pimento Boots with vocals courtesy of Lucy Foley is a short jazz piece with precious few text lines, giving a charming if rather silly impression. Spicy Mango makes it just over a minute and has a sunny Caribbean vibe, before things turn more serious with the abstract Logjammin’, an exercise in modern classical music. Trapelo 445 is a lighter jazz rock fusion piece with a certain Canterbury prog feeling. Prelude to Alea Iacta Est is a strange half minute intro to, of course, Alea Iacta Est, which if I am not mistaken comes in 5/4 time and has strong rhythmic similarities to Dave Brubeck’s Take Five. The concluding Act II from Nancy Luna is another weird tune, rather minimalist although coming with quite a lot of instruments.

Compared to his previous band, Jason Berry’s Nubdug Ensemble has a stronger tendency towards jazz, and yet there is also room for other genres, mostly modern classical music and avantgarde, but also (progressive) rock and maybe even a little comedy. For some this might sound more accessible, others might prefer the rawer sound of his previous band. I doubt though that fans of Jason Berry’s body of work will be disappointed by his new band, and we can all hope that Volume One will be followed by many more volumes in the future."
-Pascal, disagreement.net


"Le second CD dans le colis, c’est le nouveau projet de Jason Berry. Un ensemble avec notamment le batteur G. Calvin Weston (John Lurie and the Lounge Lizards, Ornette Coleman et pléthore d’autres collaborations), le bassiste Paul Hanson, Amy X Neuburg et plein d’autres personnes dont les CV te font sentir tout petit. Ce qui n’est strictement pas gage d’une musique renversante. Nubdug Ensemble creuse le sillon et la tombe de Vacuum Tree Head et s’il n’y a pas de bande-son à la clef, cela donne tout autant des envies de meurtres. Dans les pires souffrances. Ça va beaucoup vous intéresser qui disait."
-perteetfracas.org


"Thirty years after their take-off, Vacuum Tree Head (see below in this issue) was 'retired' in 2019, but Jason Berry is continuing his quest through Nubdug Ensemble, using virtually the same array of contributing musicians.

The nine new compositions for group with electronic sounds and occasional voice found on Nubdug's debut release are less extravagant. Some attempts at regular song structures can be found. This is for instance the case in the seductive Trapelo 445 and the opener Espejo, where some delicate violin touches and convincing electronica is shown. This is however negated by the quirky advertisement of Pimento Boots and the free-style jazz improvisations of Bronze Puppet, which sounds like an escaped overture from Jim Carrey's The Mask.

The absence of any narrating artwork makes an experimental song like Logjammin' feel lost and slightly detached, much like the cinematic oddity of Act II From Nancy Luna casting previous Rhizomique visions. The lovely Take Five (Dave Brubeck Quartet) flirtations / marriage proposal (encircle your preference) of Alea Lacta Est does represent a nice touch, and shows the musicality of the ensemble beautifully.

One question keeps on lingering in my mind though: is this to be considered prog? The only way is to find out yourself."
-Jan Buddenberg, DPRP.net


A very well-written review (in Italian) may be viewed here - www.rootsmusic.it/nubdug-ensemble-volume-one-the-machines-of-zeno/


"The sepulchral murmur of the field drum ist noch nicht verhallt, da findet Berrys weirde Kreativität ganz ohne Damnatio Memorae der VTH-Zeit sogleich ihre Fortsetzung als NUB­DUG ENSEMBLE, das gleich mal Volume One: The Machines of Zeno (# 42:NE1) anwirft. Neun neue Kompositionen im Anton-Webern-Format von ½ bis 3 ½ Min., mit Electronic Sounds und Design von Berry, mit Chaudhary, einem kleinen Bläserfächer von Bassklari­nette und Fagott bis Flöte und Soprano, dazu Boisen an Gitarre, John Ettinger, sein Partner in The Miniwatt String Trio, mit Geige, Brett Warren (The Kristen Cardiasmenos Project) am Bass und an den Drums G Calvin Weston mit all der Aura durch James Blood Ulmer, Prime Time, Lounge Lizards, Free Form Funky Frēqs. Kürzer noch als die Stücke, temporeich wie 'Bronze Puppet', hochkomplex wie 'Pimento Boots', mit Geige latinesk wie 'Spicy Mango', sind die Lyrics. Lucy Foley singt Don't I look so sweet, stepping down the street / In my pi­mento boots?, Amy X Neuburg Move straight ahead / Do not stop / Cross the Rubicon oder Pisas suavecito / Cuando / Vienes a mi casita. 'Logjammin'' klopft Beats zu aleatorischem Piano und Elektro-Wizardry, 'Trapelo 445' vereint Violine und Bläser in choreografiertem Unisono. Bevor die Würfel fallen, werden sie verhext, 'Alea Iacta Est' hat im Take Five-Groove das Zeug zur Erkennungsmelodie einer Kult-Serie, mit allerdings indisch rückwärts verkifftem Break. 'Act II from Nancy Luna' verdichtet zu Sekundenschlagbeat und Fagott-vs.-Keys & vs.-Flöte-Arrangierkunst in 3 Min. mehr musikalisches Genie als andere in 30. Von Berry auf EP-Format komprimiert, findet man da einen Esprit und Raffinessen wie an­sonsten bei hochbegabten R.I.O.-Acts wie Bob Drake oder Bryan Woodbury... Als hingen in der Bay Area Aerosole vom Club Foot Orchestra und Motor Totemist Guild in der Luft. [BA 110 rbd]"
-Rigobert Dittmann, Bad Alchemy Magazine


"This ensemble is in many aspects a continuation of the genre-crossing operations of Vacuum Tree Head... Their debut album ‘The Machines of Zeno’ consists just like ‘Rhizomique’ of nine short compositions. The contrast between the different genres they exercise is even bigger now. ‘Bronze Puppet’ is a very speedy piece with a throbbing bass reminding of John Zorn’s Film Music projects.‘Spicey Mango’ is a very danceable Caribbean piece with nice guitar work by Boisen. ‘Logjammin’, their try for a piece of modern composed chamber music, follows it. ‘Trapelo 445’ is a jazzy tune like we know from ‘Rhizomique’. ‘Prelude to Alea Lacta Est’ is an ultra-short abstract avant-garde miniature, followed by ‘Alea Lacta Est’ is a very explicit knot to ‘Take Five by the Dave Brubeck Quartet. All the tracks are small entertaining pieces on their own. But interesting is the strategy by which the very different idioms are combined. For sure, they do this from a light-hearted and optimistic attitude what makes both releases very charming and enjoyable."
-Dolf Mulder, vitalweekly.net


"The album continues the ever forward moving momentum and drive towards the unknown, crashing through countless genre boundaries in the process. I think that this album may be even more varied than the last, covering everything from. The jazz elements are still in the forefront, but they have in parts given space for new elements to move towards the foreground. There are a few more purely prog rock focused parts in the mix than before, but do not fret, that beautiful rock/jazz fusion balance is still struck for the most part. The more prominent use of string elements is a nice new addition to the mix and adds some dramatic effect.

You'll find a bunch of new elements on this mix, such as tracks that have a very Caribbean calypso music base, as well as the inclusion of movie/cartoon sound bites and sound effects. There are also some newly added electronic elements that present themselves every so often throughout the release. In addition to that you'll find tracks that are essentially chamber music and take things to a brooding and emotive place. In fact, there are a few brooding and moody tracks on this release, which is another key difference between this album and the last. You'll still find those quirky jazz fusion/funk-based tracks that you know and love from Vacuum Tree Head in the mix, as they will pop up between these new aforementioned songs. I feel almost as if this album is a transition from the music of the previous project into something new."
-James Sweetlove, cavedwellermusic.net


"Vacuum Tree Head co-founder Jason Berry started Nubdug Ensemble following the split of his long-running former band. This is the project’s first release, and it’s a whirlwind avant-jazz-pop romp which says all it needs to say in under 20 minutes and peaces out. Opener “Espejo” is a dazzling psych-groove gem with harpsichord-like synths, some spy film suspense, and understated vocals that guide the ship in the right direction. Then “Bronze Puppet” is screwball jazz with cartoon sound effects sploshing in the mix along with the viciously fuzzy bass, knotty horns, and slashing violin. “Pimento Boots” continues the cartoonish fun, this time with sassy, absurdist vocals from Lucy Foley. “Spicy Mango” is a brief faux-tropical detour. “Logjammin'” is surprisingly abstract and minimalist, considering its title, but “Trapelo 445” brings us back to smooth yet fun side of avant-prog, with plenty of astral synth effects as icing. “Alea Iacta Est” is a jazzy, slightly raga-tinged number that inspires open-armed, moonlit dancing. Finally, “Act II From Nancy Luna” is a sort of angular twist that verges on breaking into a full-fledged song but constantly holds back."
-theanswerisinthebeat.net


"...Nubdug picks up where local weirdo conglomeration Vacuum Tree Head left off a couple of years ago. For this project, ex-VTH maestro Jason Berry recruited ten contributors, many of whom are well-known in the bay area music community, such as Myles Boisen, Amanda Chaudhary, Sheldon Brown, and Amy X Neuburg. Good humor shines throughout, and the playing is exceptionally tight as these very skilled players veer through the intricate arrangements. The ensemble consists of sax, clarinet, flute, bassoon, keyboards, electronics, occasional vocals, violin, and guitar… with a phenomenal fusion-flavored bottom end provided by bassist Brett Warren and drummer G. Calvin Weston (Ornette Coleman, James Blood Ulmer.) Throw this CD on and spend 20 minutes wondering what’s coming next."
-KFJC 89.7 FM


"...Like their former band, Nubdug Ensemble delves into some pretty strange soundscapes and unusual arrangements with a high degree of complexity as well as sparser instrumentation. The album is divided into nine tracks with a twenty minute running time so really you can consider this an EP. That said, this is of high quality, some really cool tracks here with the calypso flavoured “Spicy Mango” and the cool electronic driven “Espejo” where the band include some orchestral nuance with outstanding keys, electronics and violin. The off kilter and slightly weird “Bronze Puppet” and the sparse oddness of “Logjammin” with its spacious arrangement and unusual note choices, demonstrate the band’s creative nature.
Sometimes excellence comes in small packages, such is the case with The Machines of Zeno. I look forward to more of the band’s music and if you dig your music outside the ‘normal’ realm you would best check it out. Recommended. "
-John Neudorf, seaoftranquility.org


"Nubdug Ensemble is the new music project of Jason Berry, co-founder of the band Vacuum Tree Head. The genre proposed by this band is oriented on experimental sounds, forays into Jazz and cinematic music, characterized by very short pieces mainly instrumental with few vocal parts. The first album titled “Volume One: The Machines of Zeno” was released on December 10, 2020 via Pest Colors Music and contains 9 tracks for a total of about 20 minutes. The “Espejo” opener is a mix of hypnotic synth sounds, orchestral carpets reminiscent of 80s soundtracks and sporadic vocal inserts. A song that summarizes the sound concept expressed by the band, intricate and often difficult at first approach. “Bronze Puppet” is tighter and closer to Jazz sounds with the presence of winds and an elaborate rhythmic session. Remember the pieces of jazz improvisation, full of experimental sounds and solo virtuosity. “Pimento Boots” like the previous one, the duration is just over one minute, with intricate plots, winds and voice and experimentalism that intertwine throughout the track. “Spicy Mango” is also very short, with a rhythmic session reminiscent of Caribbean music, enriched with positive melodies that almost make you want to dance. “Logjammin‘” despite just over 3 minutes, is one of the longest sections of the record, starting with dark percussive sounds that intertwine with the piano. With a very slow cadence, it is a complex and articulated piece, which perhaps needs more listening to really grasp its essence, perhaps too complex. Closer to the Jazz sound, “Trapelo 445” has a more direct structure, although it is always very elaborate and the phrasing between the instruments is very articulated. Interesting are the violin and wind inserts as well as the bass lines, resulting in bearing and at the center of the sound. “Prelude to Alea Iacta Est” is the intro of the next track, with an effected vocal and a very elaborate piano. “Alea Iacta Est” is the longest of the album, the intro of which recalls the turn of chords of Take 5, then developing on the initial melody a song halfway between a soundtrack and a Jazz song with a pleasant vocal. maybe it will be for the duration that allows you to hear something more than the other tracks, but I find it the best section of the disc. The album closes with “Act II from Nancy Luna” which begins with phrasing between winds and piano, and then develops plots always permeated with Jazz and with a strong experimental connotation. The continuous tempo changes are an added value, the drum parts are also interesting, sometimes rhythmic that add sparkle. A complex album, difficult to catalog, touching several styles and genres, with a very particular duration. It certainly requires different listening and an ear trained in certain sounds, the short sometimes very short duration of the tracks prevents the band from developing the themes and expressing their full potential. An album that will be appreciated by those who are familiar with such an intricate and particular genre, while it will be more difficult for lovers of classic or symphonic Progressive sounds."
-Jacopo Vigezzi, progrockjournal.com


"If this item whets your appetite for more by the band, you might be disappointed to learn it’s their last – Berry and de la Cuesta have now “retired” Vacuum Tree Head. However, the other record Volume One: The Machines Of Zeno (PEST COLORS MUSIC #42-NE1) by Nubdug Ensemble includes many of the same players and singers, and since the music is very much a continuation of what we hear on Rhizomique it’s probably fair to assume this represents the general musical direction of Jason Berry. Besides Boisen, Chaudhary, Bellenkes, and Neuburg, we also have the drummer G Calvin Weston who’s played with Ornette, John Lurie, and James Blood Ulmer, and the violinist John Ettiner, plus Paul Hanson on bassoon on a couple of tracks. Again, short and snappy jazz-tinged tracks are the order of the day, though ‘Spicy Mango’ has a flavour of African guitar music in its lilting beat, and ‘Pimento Boots’ has a whimsical lyric and arrangements to match. ‘Logjammin’ might appeal to fans of late-late Frank Zappa, its odd dynamics and dissonances performed so flawlessly it’s as if the band had turned themselves into a human Synclavier. Mostly though The Machines Of Zeno contains luscious instrumentals with much melodic content and invention and watertight arrangements, all composed by Berry sometimes with help from Chaudhary or Boisen. Sometimes West Coast jazz-art music (Gino Robair, Surplus 1980, Club Foot Orchestra) can get a little too clever and wacky for me, but both of these records have found the sweet spot."
-Ed Pinset, thesoundprojector.com

credits

released December 10, 2020

Jason Bellenkes - saxophones, clarinet, flute / Jason Berry - programming, sound design, additional instrumentation / Myles Boisen - guitars / Sheldon Brown - flutes and bass clarinet / Amanda Chaudhary - synths, keyboards, electronics / John Ettinger - violin / Lucy Foley - voice / Paul Hanson - bassoon / Amy X Neuburg - voice / Brett Warren - bass guitars / G Calvin Weston - drums and percussion

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Nubdug Ensemble San Francisco, California

Nubdug Ensemble is the "band name and brand name" of Jason Berry, co-founder of the band Vacuum Tree Head.

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