By definition, the black void serves as a place of translucence and purity – a concept and space so vast as to encapsulate the dark spaces and moments in between our dreams each night or, on the other end of the scale, to reflect the vast space of nothingness before life was created.
As a creative space to dabble in however – as is the case for the Chicago-based quartet Mxmrys – it’s a space for boundless exploration. But perhaps a space that means different things to different people – while those elements of stillness and clarity can be moments to relish – moments of infinite possibilities and the proverbial darkness before the dawn – they can also serve as unnerving reminders of a destiny that awaits us all when our time has come.
Great art motivates and inspires and that’s exactly what Mxmrys have given us with the release of their debut EP. A stunning five-track exploration that asks these questions as platforms for both celebration and lament.
Initially making their names as session and backing musicians, the allure of creating music that would convey their own statements and stories ultimately unified the four friends inspiring the release of ‘Black Void Theory’. For drummer Josh Ross, guitarist Elijah Bradford, bassist Kurt Shelby and Christian Swan on keys, the quartet’s open-minded and all-encompassing approach to contemporary jazz would always have delivered an unhindered and invaluable perspective which would serve as a culmination of each of their journeys to date.
Musically, the compositions are as intricate and introspective as the project’s over-arching concept, as established from the EP’s lead singles – notably the kaleidoscopic ‘Brother’s Keeper’. A spectacular introduction to the group and the EP with its slightly trippy, but no less sublime, presentation. It’s ‘Dark Prism’ that officially opens ‘Black Void Theory’ however with a subtle groove that seemingly undergoes its own transformation mid-way into the track becoming more confident and self-assured as it progresses.
The consistently brilliant Blue Note recording artist, vibraphonist Joel Ross, adds his indelible touch to ‘Is It Worth Holding?’ introducing an exquisite dimension to another of the EP’s high points.
Through the release of ‘Black Void Theory’, Mxmrys deliver a fascinating introduction to an innovative quartet that are barely at the outset of their journey. As mentioned earlier, great art is designed to inspire discussion and be open to interpretation so it’s for each of us – as listeners – to decide what that black void means to us. Is it something as a new dawn or something you fear as a inescapable end?
Since immersing myself in ‘Black Void Theory’, I’ve been consumed with the brilliant spoken word of Michael Franti whose verse on ‘The End’ by the SugaRush Beat Company in 2008 concluded with the riveting yet eerie words, “the huddled masses all huddled together, the whole world pushed down by the weight of one gentle feather; In the end, all insanity will seem reasonable; all dissenting voices will seem treasonable; In the end there will be no losing or no winning; In the end all there will be left… is a beginning”.
