Rotterdam, Netherlands-based jazz artist Ruud Voesten is becoming something of a regular feature on this blog. He first came to our attention in May this year as part of Jane’s Monthly Favourites round up. In August, Jane also shared his track The Crypto Shuffle. Now he’s back with an album for us. A collection of tracks composed for Dante Alighieri’s Inferno, it’s called Ambrosia.
By Graeme Smith
For those not familiar with Inferno, it describes a journey through hell. Ruud Voesten’s modern take does the same, exploring themes of lust, anger, greed and violence. The journey stars with Within A Forest Dark. The atmosphere is suitably mysterious as we are enticed into a foreboding but intriguing world. It’s a welcoming yet unsettling start.
Enter Our Hero is vibrant and triumphant, with a hint of tongue planted in cheek. This Is Fine is slow and sultry before increasing in tempo. Goesting gives us rich, overlapping layers of piano and mournful strings while Empty is atmospherically minimal. The aforementioned The Crypto Shuffle rounds off the first half of the album with a meandering, horn-driven highlight.
Recreational Outrage opens the second half of the album with a sinister march. Heresy is a spooky ethereal wonderland that gives away to some punchy jazz. Wood of Thorns has a touch of the classic about it thanks to its noodling expressive horns. Clickbait Merchants livens up the tempo and has a memorable, looping melody. Brutus Semper Est is a meditative, lingering moment before Antifragile closes the album with a moody, open question of a piece. It’s another highlight.
Featuring on Ambrosia are Mo van der Does on alto saxophone, Wietse Voermans on tenor saxophone, Koen Schalkwijk on grand piano, Tijs Klaassen on double bass, and Ruud Voesten on drums and composition. Recording and mixing is by Micha de Kanter, and mastering by Wessel Oltheten. The studio was Fattoria Musica in Germany.
You can check out Ambrosia below.