Milton Man Gogh’s new EP, ‘XXXX Bitter Irony’ – a virtuosic experimental jazz record with hints of prog, metal, deconstructionism and metre all in one.
The follow-up to their previous release Stress to Impress, XXXX Bitter Irony again reinforces the band’s love for Meshuggah, Donny McCaslin, Aphex Twin and Bela Bartok through fusing these influences into their jazz. With the prestige of training with renowned composer and drummer Mark Guiliana, along with a support slot next to USA electronic duo Knower at the Brisbane International Jazz Festival, Milton Man Gogh has rapidly become one of the Australian jazz sphere’s must-see acts.
The titular track XXXX Bitter Irony serves as a masterclass in pacing, mixing breakneck stop-start math-influenced work with smooth jazz, seasoned with a touch of bounding bass and fluttering saxophone.
“As a collective, we’ve always believed that good Jazz is adventurous and challenges both listener and musician while still retaining that catchiness that keeps people wanting more” says saxophonist Andrew Saragossi. “We’ve eschewed the modern image of Jazz, as it has ironically become a bit of an institutionalised sport. We’re using what we learned from that sometimes rigid tradition and trying our best to breathe our own life into it – taking theoretically advanced concepts and mixing them with unconventional influences while still keeping our music relatable to everyone.”
“This new EP is an inebriated Cerberus style exploration of Milton’s heavier side, once again featuring a composition from each member of the band,” explains Saragossi. “Whilst we feel that it compliments of our debut album Stress to Impress, we have taken the overall themes and sounds, given them some Goulburn Gatorade and let them loose in National Tiles.”
“The title track, XXXX Bitter Irony, is the aural journey of the oral journey a certain domestic beer takes from your gob to your gullet. Imagine every share-house party you regretted going to, but the one annoying guy is yelling through a megaphone, the fridge is busted and everyone is fanging for your darts.”
XXXX Bitter Irony’s release comes off the tail end of excellent critical recognition for Milton Man Gogh’s Stress to Impress – earning the band a nomination for Best Young Jazz Artist at the Australian Jazz Awards (the BELLS) and a highly commended nod at the Queensland Music Awards.
Needless to say that whatever wild calculations Australia’s greatest avant-bogan jazz trio are throwing into their music, they’re throwing them in there perfectly. XXXX Bitter Irony is a staunch reinforcement of that.
Milton Man Gogh’s ‘XXXX Bitter Irony’ is out now on Art As Catharsis.
