Now Available

SML
Small Medium Large

Photo by Todd Weaver

IARC0085:

SML
Small Medium Large

Out June 28, 2024

Small Medium Large was engineered and recorded in stereo direct to Nagra by Bryce Gonzales and compiled, arranged, and edited with additional production, recording, and studio composition by SML across their various home studios.

ETA — which closed its doors at the end of 2023 — is perhaps best known outside of LA for Jeff Parker's 2022 album Mondays at the Enfield Tennis Academy. The Highland Park venue was the perfect location for the start of SML, especially given that both bassist Anna Butterss and saxophonist Josh Johnson are part of Parker's quartet that held down a regular gig at ETA since the venue's early days, as documented on Parker's album.

While editing, chopping, and rearranging stereo mixed improvisations is hardly a new idea (Makaya McCraven's output on International Anthem serves as a potent modern example), Small Medium Large reflects a stunning expansion of the Teo Macero / Miles Davis editing concept explored on classics like In a Silent Way, On The Corner, and Get Up With It. Stylistically though, these recordings have more in common with the proto-trance repetitions of Harmonia, and with Holgar Czukay's re-assembly technique used in his work with Can. Throw in a supremely intuitive utilization of polyrhythmic floating patterns (a la Susumu Yokota), and the result is a truly innovative take on time-clocked electronic rhythms augmented with live instrumentation that never loses an elusive human sway.

Retail Locations

  • Amsterdam, NL - Rush Hour
    Asheville, NC - Harvest Records
    Atlanta, GA - Criminal Records
    Austin, TX - End of An Ear
    Baltimore, MD - Sound Garden
    Bari, IT - New Records
    Berkeley, CA - Amoeba Music
    Berlin, DE - A&O Medien
    Berlin, DE - decks records
    Berlin, DE - Dussmann
    Berlin, DE - HHV
    Berlin, DE - Marleen Schallplatten
    Berlin, DE - Michelle
    Berlin, DE - Morr Music
    Berlin, DE - Parallel Schallplatten
    Berlin, DE - Rough Trade Germany
    Biarritz, France - Aberdeen Records
    Bloomington, IN - Landlocked Music
    Bolagna, IT - Disco D’oro
    Brescia, IT - Kandinski
    Brest, France - Bad Seeds Record Shop
    Brighton, UK - Family Store Records
    Bristol, UK - Rough Trade
    Brunswick, ME - Deep Groove Records
    Calgary, Alberta - Blackbyrd Myoozik
    Catania, IT - Rock 86
    Chalon-sur-Saône, France - Sympathy for the Vinyl
    Charlotte, NC - Lunchbox Records
    Chattanooga, TN - Yellow Racket Records
    Cheltenham, UK - Badlands Records
    Chicago, IL - 606 Records
    Chicago, IL - Laurie's Planet of Sound
    Chicago, IL - Reckless Records (Belmont)
    Chicago, IL - Reckless Records (Loop)
    Chicago, IL - Reckless Records (Wicker Park)
    Cincinnati, OH - Shake It
    Davenport, IA - Ragged Records
    Dearborn, MI - Dearborn Music
    Denver, CO - Twist & Shout
    Denver, CO - Wax Trax
    Dublin, Ireland - Freebird Records
    Dublin, Ireland - Tower Records
    Durham, NC - Carolina Soul Records
    Edmonton, AB - Listen Records
    Encinitas, CA - Lou's Records
    Éragny, France - Le Grand Cercle
    Faenza, IT - Casa del Disco
    Florence, IT - B-Side
    Florence, IT - Contempo Records
    Frankfurt, DE - Schall & Rausch Tonträger
    Genova, IT - Disco Club 65
    Georgsmarienhütte, DE - JPC
    Glasgow, UK - Monorail Music
    Glasgow, UK - Some Great Reward
    Grand Rapids, MI - Vertigo Music
    Groningen, NL - Underworld Records
    Guadalajara, Mexico - Tea Recs
    Hillsborough, NC - Volume Hillsborough
    Houston, TX - Cactus Music
    Iowa City, IA - Record Collector
    Jerome, AZ - Puscifer
    Kansas City, MO - Mills Record Company
    Karlsruhe, DE - Flight 13 Records
    Kingston, ON - Something Else Records
    Lawrence, KS - Love Garden Sounds
    Le Mans, France - Unik Music
    Lille, France - Besides Records
    Lisbon, PT - ranamusica
    Little Canada, MN - Cheapo Discs
    Little Rock, AR - Control
    Liverpool, UK - Rough Trade
    London, UK - Level Crossing Records
    London, UK - Phonica Records
    London, UK - Quiet Storm Records
    London, UK - Sounds of the Universe
    London, UK - Stranger Than Paraside
    London, UK - World of Echo
    Los Angeles, CA - Amoeba Music
    Los Angeles, CA - In Sheep's Clothing
    Lyon, France - Sofa Records
    Madison, WI - B-Side Records
    Madison, WI - Strictly Discs
    Manchester, UK - Piccadilly Records
    Medford, OR - Biscuits & Vinyl
    Milan, IT - Serendeepity
    Milwaukee, WI - Lilliput Records
    Minneapolis, MN - Electric Fetus
    Montpellier, France - Le Discopathe
    Montreal, QC - Atom Heart
    Montreal, QC - Phonopolis
    Montréal, QC - Sonorama Disques
    Montreal, Quebec - Le Vacarme
    Mulhouse, France - Le DéTour
    Munich, DE - Echt Optimal! Schallplatten
    Munich, DE - mono-Ton
    Nashville, TN - Grimey's
    New London, CT - The Telegraph
    New York, NY - Rough Trade
    Norridge, IL - Rolling Stones Record Store
    Nottingham, UK - Rough Trade
    Oak Park, MI - Street Corner Music
    Olympia, WA - Rainy Day Records
    Orlando, FL - Park Ave. CD's
    Osnabrück, DE - Bahlo Records
    Ottawa, Ontario - Birdman Sound
    Paris, France - Bar Italia Records
    Paris, France - FNAC Forum des Halles
    Paris, France - Gibert Joseph
    Paris, France - Le Silence de la Rue
    Paris, France - Pop Culture Shop
    Phoenix, AZ - Stinkweeds
    Phoenix, AZ - Zia Records
    Piacenza, IT - Master Music
    Pittsburgh, PA - The Government Center
    Portland, OR - Passenger Seat Records
    Portland, OR - Everyday Music
    Portland, OR - Music Millennium
    Portland, OR - Speck's Records & Tapes
    Portland, OR - Mississippi Records
    Portland, OR - Clinton St. Records
    Princeton, NJ - Princeton Record Exchange
    Rennes, France - Blind Spot
    Rio de Janeiro, BR - Dig It! recordstore
    Rome, IT - Culture Lab
    Rome, IT - Radiation Records
    Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC - Le Noise
    San Francisco, CA - Amoeba Music
    San Francisco, CA - Stranded Music
    San Luis Obispo, CA - Boo Boo Records
    Portland, OR - Passenger Seat Records
    Seattle, WA - Silver Platters
    Seattle, WA - Sonic Boom Records
    Solerno, IT - Disclan
    St. Louis, MO - Euclid Records
    Stuttgart, DE - Hauptsache Musik
    Torino, IT - Les Hyper Sound
    Toronto, ON - Sonic Boom
    Totnes, UK - Drift Records
    Troy, NY - Sound House Records
    Vancouver, BC - Audiopile Records
    Ventura, CA - Salzer's
    Wallingford, CT - Redscroll Records
    West Lafayette, IN - Von's Records
    Wheeling, WV - Nail City Record
    Whitstable, UK - Gatefield Sounds
    Wilmington, NC - Yellow Dog Discs
    Winooski, VT - Autumn Records

Notes

Composed by Anna Butterss, Jeremiah Chiu, Josh Johnson, Booker Stardrum, Gregory Uhlmann.

Performed live by SML.

Engineered and recorded in stereo direct to Nagra by Bryce Gonzales at ETA, Los Angeles

(October 12–13 2022 & April 8–9 2023). Overdubs by SML (2024).

Produced by Jeremiah Chiu & SML.
Mixed by Dave Vettraino & SML.
Mastered by David Allen.
Track Sequencing by Scott McNiece & SML.

Cover art by Miranda Javid.
Insert photos by Brian Guido.
Layout by Jeremiah Chiu.

About SML

SML is a new quintet composed of luminaries from Los Angeles’s thriving jazz, improvised, and indie music scenes: bassist Anna Butterss, synthesist Jeremiah Chiu, saxophonist Josh Johnson, percussionist Booker Stardrum, and guitarist Gregory Uhlmann.

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