Multi-instrumentalist, composer, and genre-bouncing music luminary Daniel Walzer returns with his latest collection, Tripglitch – an album featuring previously unreleased tracks and brand-new material recorded between 1999 and 2023. Hopping freely (but precisely) between jazz fusion, ambient, electronica, and new age, Tripglitch is an expression of smartly crafted, adroitly performed, emotive instrumentation that simultaneously dazzles and relaxes. Don’t believe me? Then let’s hit the highlights.
Wait. Who does what?
Daniel handles it all, capably playing drums, piano, mallets, Fender Rhodes, electric bass, and vocals. Oh, and “all” happens to include recording, mixing, and production. So, if you leave him in a room with the necessary equipment, there’s a 150% chance he’ll have a stunning album to show for it.
Now, about those highlights…..
Tripglitch kicks off with “Solace.” It starts with casual guitar notes and ambient digital air rippling in the background. And then, the track gains momentum with a swerve into mallet-accompanied electronica. There is energy, movement, and restful chiming bits; it’s active, sparse, but perfectly, widely spaced. Excellent opener.
Track #2, “Where Do We Go From Here?,” begins with a low, perhaps distant buzzing – some far off, not quite distinguishable machinery — and trickling cymbals before mallets garner more sonic attention; they plink away underneath a steam engine beat that often delves into floating jazzy phrases. This is a nice second track with a beautifully diminishing fade-out.
“I Close My Eyes and Breathe” begins with a characteristic vinyl bass and higher mallet touches. We’re in a spacious room filled with subtly coloring instruments, including flute and piano. And when the ocean rolls in, a jazzy beat organizes itself with a clean electric guitar riff, and a female vocalist who occasionally opens the door, sings along briefly, and then removes herself until a later section catches her interest.
“Working on Wednesday” asserts itself with a slide guitar, something resembling a distant jet engine, and a distorted, nearly splitting lead guitar (which could, in fact, be responsible for said jet engine). This one seems to fall under jazz fusion, with phasing electric guitar over playful Fender Rhodes chord bumps.
Eponymous track “Tripglitch” is descending chords, airy ambience, and silently hissing cymbals. Mallets claim agile riffs underneath, and a listless but nimble horn manages a respectable effort on top. Delayed guitar notes define the breadth of our sonic landscape, and the song lightly marches to its calm and dignified ending.
The album ends with “Transition.” Gentle acoustic guitar introduces rumbling piano, clean, bending guitar, and tasteful side-of-snare strikes. The beat picks up, the piano chords, now midrange, ring more clearly, the guitar sprints, and synth-string washes describe an audible space above. And when the more acoustic tones return, the more earthy ensemble we began with, they bring the song to a quick but satisfying ending.
Soooooooo, is it good?
Tripglitch is excellent musicianship matching sonic world-building. Tripglitch is quiet but undeniably heard. It’s rural, subtle, and gorgeously spacious. It’s what you should be listening to now, and what I’ll be listening to again (and again). If you like jazz that softly builds a glistening oasis between the ears, you’ll love Daniel Walzer’s latest release. Recommended.
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