Go
Warner, 2020
8/10
The German trumpet extraordinaire Nils Wülker returns with Go, where the artist dives into electronics, as loops, beats, synth and the arpeggiator populate this exciting 10th album.
“Distorting Time” starts the listen with warm percussion as Wülker’s sublime trumpet glides alongside sophisticate keys in the light jazz/electronica setting, and “Hidden Intentions” follows with a quicker pace of agile melodies amid dynamic interplay between the mature instrumentation.
Halfway through, “Seat 47” buzzes playfully with lively bass synth as nods to ‘80s funk are present, while “Highline” recruits Theo Croker’s trumpet for a bright and adventurous album highlight. “The Frame” then trims the landscape back to cinematic balladry where sublime beauty is present in spades.
Although still anchored by Wülker’s top notch trumpet and a jazz template, Go isn’t a record that’s easy to classify, and that’s certainly part of its charm as many types of synth, flugelhorn, vocoder, and programming are also in attendance and executed with much poise.
Travels well with: Kitt Lyles- Wake Before Dawn; Paul English- Girl In Green