This Split-Cassette is yet another entry in the long list of split and collaborative efforts from Germany?s Datashock, this time with Brooklyn?s free jazz unit Owl Xounds (here using the ?Exploding Galaxy? affix).

The Owl Xounds side of this C-40 cassette was recorded this year in Brooklyn. What all the hype about Owl Xounds is, I don?t quite get. What they play is decent, but not outstanding free jazz using two upright bass, two tenor saxophones and drums. Even though their track is ?only? about 15 minutes long, it appears like a whole hour because nothing really exciting is happening. What?s really missing is some unexpected moment. Instead it seems like Owl Xounds don?t have anything to add to the existing canon.

Entirely different, the Datashock side is as good as anything else they?ve recorded. Their side featuring one extended track entitled ?Flying Patient? was recorded with an extended line-up of Pascal Hector, Ruth-Maria Adam, Ronnie Oliveras, Martina Ripplinger, Jan Werner and Aosuke?s Ulf Sch?tte. The music of Datashock is extremely hard to grasp. There are no real melodies, no beats, no breaks, but plenty of other-wordly experiences to be made. This one begins somewhere and ends somewhere, but one forgets everything in between. It?s as good as it?s hard to describe. 6/10 -- Stephan Bauer (12 September, 2007)