Since their inception in 2014 and the release of debut single “Setting Out”, Swiss post-rock quartet GLASTON made it clear that they are not yet another dull take on the exhausted genre. Aiming for a more emotive and cinematic approach paired with experimental outbursts, the four-piece whose members are stationed in Basel and Zürich kept on expanding their sonic vocabulary over the years, ultimately leading to a full-length “Inhale / Exhale.”
Setting the tone for the album’s ten tracks is a 7-minute “Game of Tones,” an intricate piece full of twists. And somewhere between them lies GLASTON’s strongest side. Following in the footsteps of GRAILS, whose experimentation with string instruments is on display here, as well as the Norwegian school of jazz fusion pianists, “Inhale / Exhale” is greater than the sums of its parts. It is evident how pianist Selina Maisch and guitarist Michael Jake Gutzwiller encourage each other to have more energy. Joining them are bassist Timo Beeler and drummer David Preissel, creating synergy that is above all unique.
The passionate delivery on pieces such “Sunnar,” “Noir” and “Ritou” accentuate the group’s side for saying more with fewer notes. Building upon the similar repetitive approach present in the music of their compatriots, SONAR, “Inhale / Exhale” is a forward-thinking effort by a band that may as well just be a precedent for the post-rock genre.
“Inhale / Exhale” is available now from Bandcamp here.
