Dead Stock
More evidence that some records are just born in the wrong time. Torso, an until now pretty much unknown (at least certainly unheralded) Japanese outfit, released this debut record in 2019 via their own Ozato label, seemingly to little fanfare outside of their own small milieu. Five years down the line, the world appears to be catching up with them. Well, a very specific part of the world at least (where would we be without the Internet Seekers...). For it's part, Set Out certainly feels relevant in the context of 2024, broadly operating in a similar space to our much loved Blue Lake, Salenta + Topu, M. Sage et al, uniting as it does the overlapping elements of jazz, modern composition, neo-classical and the Chicago School of post-rock. Because Torso are Japanese it's more than tempting to make some connections to the romantic mystery world of Maher Shalal Hash Baz, though more instructive might be to understand these very pretty arrangements of cello, flute, piano and tape as a superlative meeting of Arthur Russell's Instrumentals with the lopsided anti-rock arrangements of Gastr Del Sol (think 'The Sea Incertain') or the Sea and Cake, all touchstones once underappreciated that now are rarely short of acclaim. Set Out shows Torso are worthy of similar re-evaluation. More so, we should be grateful that the records are still kicking around at an accessible price (though knowing how these things work, I'd not assume that to be the case for too much longer).
