Septendecim by Saccata Quartet

A storm approaches, causing a small stir in the highest branches before swiftly descending, wreaking havoc on every untethered object. Observing this energetic swell in nature, Septendecim by Saccata Quartet crafts the human analogue to these outbursts, spinning up droney, noisy free jazz into an unstoppable cyclone. Like the onset of a storm, the dynamic swells of the album follow an organic logic, an approach that sidesteps most conventions of rhythm, tone, harmony, melody, and production yet still feels alive and deeply relatable. Silence becomes pure potential energy, playing an active role in increasing tension as we await the onset of yet another band of hurricane-force noise. Finally, at the climax, all corners of the frequency spectrum, from ultraviolet squeals to infrared roars, fill with fluid energy, stopping short of choking out space with pointy synths to instead accumulate a mountain of deeply human, gradually undulating layers. Inside us, the winds dampen, satiated by the sympathy held within the music, discharged through this rare, indescribable cathartic channel.