Ryan Saranich is a renowned saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer who has captivated global audiences. He tours internationally with Brit Floyd and has released five solo projects, contributing to over 100 recordings as a sideman. His work is featured on Emmy-nominated (2022) and Grammy-nominated (2023) recordings of Randy Rainbow — and on his latest project, “Exceptional Chaos”, he brings his excellent sound to the fore — keep reading for my thoughts!
“Exceptional Chaos” presents influences from jazz, blues, and experimental elements with its cosmic sounding synths and textures, starting off strong with the two-part “Like-Minded Tyrant” — and as we segue from the first part into the second, we’re left spellbound amidst the warm pianos and the smooth, flowing jazz drumming that immediately conquer your senses. With the brass instruments playing excellent with the drumming as they move in congregation, dallying from meter change to meter change, the motifs solidify themselves rather gracefully, as the energetic, enthused nature of the track makes itself known. Couple with this an absolutely electric saxophone solo towards the latter part of the track, and you’re reassured, time and again, that you’re in for a solid ride.
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High spirits reign as “Escape Plan” comes on your speakers, with the simple arpeggiated piano sounding deceptively minimalistic — mind you, this track grows into something much beyond that, and does it fast. As the melodic line slowly makes its way into chord progression territory, the saxophones gently rest atop the ensemble, as the drumming settles you into a pushing, grooving five-count — replete with polyrhythmic elements that further accentuate the experimental, exceptionally chaotic nature of this recording, for its grand ten minutes.
As Ryan himself puts it, “Exceptional Chaos” is more than just about its tracks — the silences between the cymbal hits, the gentle transitions between each piece tell just as much a story as the animated pianos, the lifelike brasses, and the utterly complex drumming do, too. As each track fits in like that final jigsaw piece with the rest of the album, we’re reminded rather gently that this may have been the Devil himself at the piano; while I mean that well, there’s very few people who can pull something like this off — and Ryan’s one of the two people I know.
As we move into “Outerspace Outerference”, the drumming and basses hold this track together as it blossoms into energy, with each element introducing itself with flair, and utter delicacy; the synths in the background, while barely palpable, contribute a quality of interest, a certain quirkiness to this album that really pays off. “Destination Unknown” is our next guest on “Exceptional Chaos”, as the energy begins to somewhat settle. The job’s been done, the virtuosity in this album’s made the headlines — and it’s almost as if there’s a fiesta in the air, a whiskey in the hand, and a sense of satisfaction deep within. As we bring an end to this album with a journey “To The Center Of The Galaxy”, we’re strapped in for the ride, one last time on this album; with its ethereal, infinite sounding pads and its warm melodies, this track is a fitting end to “Exceptional Chaos”.
With an intricate, delicately balanced mix that nails the energy of this album, there’s constant bits of ear candy you’re picking up on; with par excellence in the separation and arrangement, there’s much to tell you about the characters that these instruments play; while the drums bring the precision and the pulse, the pianos, and basses bring the foundation — while the saxes just weave magic on top. The master (the mastering?) is bold and proud about this — and I couldn’t be any happier.
Take a listen to “Exceptional Chaos” by Ryan Saranich here!
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