David Bernabo is more mad scientist than composer, a man who huffs the fumes of his incendiary creations only to rocket through a stratosphere of musical possibility, pregnant with terrifying speed and half-crazed laughter.  Bernabo and his faithful Assembly, a rotating 25-piece nano orchestra,  have crafted their latest full length Happener Magicker like one concocts a volatile stew or molds a brilliant, glaring alloy, juxtaposing seemingly disparate musical elements into a heaving, living monster.

The album is a testament to Bernabo’s innate ability to couple succinct composition with outlandish experimentation, as he effortlessly unifies several genres under the umbrella feel of an avant-garde jazz improvisation. The sequencing of Happener Magicker allows each track to exist within its own strange universe while working brilliantly within the mad scientist goals of the entire album. Continue reading →