An exercise in chaos

Intensive jazz has always been an exercise in patience, whether it be the sporadic squealing of Sun Ra or the directionless madness of Captain Beefheart. Music without true melody has long tormented and intrigued the more curious. Bitchin Bajas have always found themselves occupying a middle space between order and chaos, constantly fluctuating between off tune instruments and achingly beautiful melodies. On their latest album Bajas Fresh they play host to a combination of ambient electronic and cacophonous jazz.

First, and perhaps most importantly to note regarding this record, is that it is not for beginners. The opening track “Jammu” is long, but deceptively straightforward, in no way preparing the listener for the madness that lurks in later offerings. “Jammu” attempts to fiddle with the constructs of electronic music over various hand played instruments. The track intersperses keyboard and saxophone, all over a flickering layer that rises and falls throughout the back end of the track. The center of the track is slightly more indicative of what this album has to offer, but still it leaves the true surprises for the center of the record.

The first song to truly inundate the listener is “Circles on Circles.” The whole track is a little slice of insanity. Comprised mostly of electronic dashes repeating furiously upon each other, it quickly drains the patience of any who listen to it. It is a mercifully short track by the standards of the album, which is all for the better as its length and repetitiveness will no doubt begin to wear on all but the most battle-weathered of listeners. A few tracks after “Circles on Circles” the true meat of the record kicks in with “2303.” “2303” is by far the longest track on the record (predictably coming in at 23:03) but it is also the track that is most likely to slip by the listener. While each track before it has been a marathon sprint through battling synth notes, “2303” is a leisurely cruise through space. The track is rather ambient, consisting of long, slow swells that crest and glide effortlessly throughout the run time. This track is actually the saving grace of the record, by breaking up the frantic pace of the previous songs it allows the listener a brief reprieve from the madness, allowing them a moments piece before being thrown back into the battle.

Bitchin Bajas have always pushed boundaries, whether it be through intentionally obtuse time signatures or the unorthodox tuning of their instruments, they always seem to be looking for a new way to confound and frustrate listeners. With their aggressive push into the electronic elements of production as of late, they seem destined to command the puzzlement of whole new generations of music lovers. Luckily for them, the Bajas seem to have dialed it back, if ever so slightly. As a way to allow the mere mortals who walk the Earth alongside them to have, at the very least, a fighting chance at understanding the perplexing nature of their maddening creations.