Today, I decided to dive into the new recordings of Beat Love Oracle, and what an adventure it turned out to be! I listened loudly and proudly, just as Frank suggested. And what did I hear? Shades of Morphine, of course, echoes of Zappa, melodic jazz, and thrilling repetitive pieces. The track order is beautifully structured. This is music that could fill a substantial concert hall. “What beats…” sets the tone and grabs you right from the start. “Don’t bump…” would thrive in the jazz clubs of Greenwich Village. What follows are some truly exciting tracks for me. Naturally, I enjoy it when the tempo picks up and the speakers fill the room with sound. “About face…” might be slightly less my preference, but it ends on a strong note with “Neat Beats.”
Of course, this music is infused with Nuyts’ influences and colors that, to my sense, come more from jazz, fusion, and repetitive music. This makes the music very contemporary, but not in the academic sense of ‘contemporary music.’ Academics, after all, completely ignore contemporary music. At times, I wished there were a handful of brass players, five percussionists, a few Fender guitars, and off they go! A bit of a Blood, Sweat, and Tears lineup. I sometimes catch hints of Yes or Emerson, Lake & Palmer, but all blended so skillfully in the mix that a distinct BLO sound emerges. Beat Love Oracle breaks free from the dull crowd. But Beat Love Oracle also goes head-to-head with the young jazz newcomers who are breaking out of this crowd. But the audience loves it. The audience doesn’t wait for the walls to be torn down; for today’s audience, there are no boundaries anymore.
Daan Bauwens
