Let's begin with the bad news for a change: no, for the time being you won't be seeing Tab Two in the customary form any more. The artistic break the pioneering German acid jazz group are taking has been set for an indefinite period of time. And now the good news: yes, Hellmut Hattler has assembled a new band around him, and it's simply called "Hattler". It's a project that sees the bass guitarist unfolding his huge stylistic spectrum to levels seldom reached before, without him forsaking the merits of the hip jazz which made Tab Two so popular. Those who revel in experimentation, which has always been the hallmark of the legendary bass player, are really in for a treat with the album "No Eats Yes". The very first Hattler concerts were enthusiastically received: "If this music is Hattler's statement of his musical creativity, then it is ready for being quoted on the stock exchange", remarked the German newspaper "Hannoversche Allgemeine". The review in another national newspaper, the "Stuttgarter Zeitung", was in similarly laudatory tones: "Controlled ecstasy, subdued echoes of hip hop, and an intense groove: the exciting start of a band that should fetch a good price for the innocence they have taken to market."
The innocence referred to here is above all the uncompromising curiosity with which Hattler approaches each musical adventure. And "No Eats Yes" is a decidedly adventurous jaunt, replete with stylistic zigzags that make sure the remarkable music on this album masterfully eludes any attempt to pigeonhole it. The musical labyrinth Hellmut Hattler takes his listeners through simply covers too wide an area. The stylistic diversity of the 16 tracks ranges from electronically slanted jazz, to elaborate jazz-funk fusions ("New I.D."), right up to the elevated levels of programmed muzak. Some songs, on the other hand, such as the ethereally skipping "Sunny Jay", or "Don't Bother", a dreamy duet performed by the two singers Sandie Wollasch and Nkechi Mbakwe, have got enough soul and vitality to achieve success as a very good pop single as well. The trumpet artistry of Tab Two partner Joo Kraus also makes a reappearance on some of the tracks, and a couple of Hellmut Hattler's old companions do the honours again - the "Kraan" musicians Peter Wolbrandt (guitar) and Ingo Bischof (keyboards). The old competitive spirit flashes up in "Uhrenvergleich", reminiscent of those playful instrumental battles which were such a feature of Kraan, and which drove them on to greater artistic heights.
But "No Eats Yes" certainly doesn't confine itself to past achievements. "Eccentricity" serves up heavy big-beat funk to dramatic and stunning effect, and "Bassment 101" gives the impression of being an intricate finger exercise in the realms of world music. And while "Chip Jazz" ingeniously and unostentatiously builds on drum'n'bass patterns, "Nachtmaschine" sets the loneliness of a Miles Davis (created here by the trumpeter Stud) against the backdrop of abstract breakbeats. The way the two lead singers work together and sublimely complement each other produces rich rewards, lending the album lyrical contours and a pleasantly warm temperature.
Hellmut Hattler has without doubt appreciably enriched
the story of German rock music, and the stages in his career, which have included
"Kraan", "Bassball", "Fehlfarben" and "Tab
Two", have left us with an impressive oeuvre. The blond bass player has
always been well ahead of his time, and his latest musical hobby horse likewise
amply testifies to this. This jack of all trades is of course continuing down
the paths of innovation in the year 2001 as well - dedicated to experimenting,
his curiosity unbroken. "No Eats Yes" underlines this in a way that
is just as much impressive as it is exciting. For the coming live concerts,
where Hellmut Hattler will be drawing on some Tab Two tunes as well, he has
enlarged his oeuvre with enticingly avant-garde charm and appeal - which nonetheless
always leave the way to the dance floor open. The album won the highest European
music decoration: the "ECHO" award (category "jazz international").
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