DUST MAKES DAMAGE

Due to their innovative way of working, BL!NDMAN probably gets more out of the saxophone than its inventor ever suspected was possible. The four members of the quartet make just as much use of the squeaking springs and tapping mechanisms as of the tonal qualities with which the instrument is blessed.

They mould the sounds of the valves into full notes or let plopping and sucking sounds bubble out in the form of compelling melodies. BL!NDMAN leaves no valve or vibe unturned in the search for a new life for the saxophone. During the eighties Belgian choreographers started to collaborate closely with composers, immediately appreciating the energy to be found in music. Eric Sleichim, who was well experienced in this field as a member and co-founder of the legendary group Maximalist!, presented in 1988 his own BL!NDMAN Quartet. Their programmes have, over the years, grown into intense encounters if different styles with instrumental inventiveness.

The name BL!NDMAN refers to Marcel Duchamp’s magazine The Blindman released in New-York in 1917, and based on the Dadaistic idea of a blind man, guiding the public through exhibitions and commenting on the works of art. This CD was compiled specially for BL!NDMAN’s tenth anniversary, and was an anthology of work both new and from the first 10 years.