Country : Canada Label : independent Genres and styles : Contemporary / Contemporary Jazz Year : 2024

Doug Wilde – The Sixth Dimension

· by Frédéric Cardin

In contemporary music, we’re often looking for new ways to make music. Sometimes this sounds forced, artificially “original”, avant-garde/experimental as a principle rather than a real inspiration. Other times, someone takes a simple principle, applies it sincerely and ends up creating music that’s pleasant to listen to without being too predictable. The Sixth Dimension by Toronto’s Doug Wilde (Manteca) falls into the second category, jazz-style, as Wilde leaves space for his partners to improvise. Wilde uses six-note scales (hexachords), a different one for each piece in the album, to create sonic panoramas whose elusive tonality remains pleasing to the ears, supple and mellow, thanks to the whole nature of the notes chosen, as if one were playing only with the white notes of the piano. Thus, despite the deviant aspect of the harmonic center, a Wilde piece conceals no real grating dissonance. The result is an impression of lightness and airy floating in the melodies, a characteristic also supported by the delicate, even impressionistic writing of the Canadian composer and keyboardist. With Wilde on keyboards, Colleen Allen on woodwinds, Henry Heillig and Paul Novotny on bass, Charlie Cooley on drums and James Ervin on trumpet, the quality of the music is equalled by the excellence of the playing. Wilde is no stranger to writing for the big and small screens, and the evocative quality of his scores is clear proof of this. Nothing absolutely stunning in terms of sonic novelty, but a very fine sensory and aesthetic voyage into an intriguing yet welcoming Sixth Dimension. Recommended.

Latest 360 Content

A party with post-punk Brooklynites TVOD

A party with post-punk Brooklynites TVOD

FIRE! Orchestra at FIMAV: Power Trio Meets Canadian Community of Avant-Garde Players

FIRE! Orchestra at FIMAV: Power Trio Meets Canadian Community of Avant-Garde Players

Blondshell – If You Asked For a Picture

Blondshell – If You Asked For a Picture

Hitting a Fever Pitch at the Ribbon Skirt LP Launch 

Hitting a Fever Pitch at the Ribbon Skirt LP Launch 

Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics – Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman.

Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics – Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman.

Dalit Hadass Warshaw, Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose – Sirens

Dalit Hadass Warshaw, Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose – Sirens

Howard Shore/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France – Shore : Anthology

Howard Shore/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France – Shore : Anthology

Quatuor Diotima – Boulez : Livre pour quatuor

Quatuor Diotima – Boulez : Livre pour quatuor

LMNL – Rainbow

LMNL – Rainbow

Strat Andriotis – Exits

Strat Andriotis – Exits

Richard Reed Parry – The Actor

Richard Reed Parry – The Actor

Tamara Stefanovich – Organised Delirium

Tamara Stefanovich – Organised Delirium

Galan Trio – Embrace

Galan Trio – Embrace

Jack Van Zandt – A Chaos of Light and Motion

Jack Van Zandt – A Chaos of Light and Motion

Tommy Crane – Reality Curated: Live at Ursa

Tommy Crane – Reality Curated: Live at Ursa

Thomas DeLio – Anti-paysage

Thomas DeLio – Anti-paysage

No Hay Banda – Steven Kazuo Takasugi : Il Teatro Rosso

No Hay Banda – Steven Kazuo Takasugi : Il Teatro Rosso

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Hypercube – The Force for Good

Hypercube – The Force for Good

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

Duo AYA – Cycles

Duo AYA – Cycles

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Subscribe to our newsletter