A compulsory ingredient in the development of any musical creation is a thorough understanding of the relationship between chaos and order, the most important aspect being their relation as opposing forces. Even if one is to look at them as polar opposites, they must bear some kind of relation to be in opposition of one another, thus the medium between the two is open to manipulation by the human mind.

It is music, perhaps, that best exemplifies this play on chaos versus order, as it is omnipresent in all its forms, one way or another. Particularly in jazz, musicians seem to have a firm grasp of the concept, with the blaring, rampant trumpet sections of Miles Davis that can slow to a croon, but also rush to a resounding halt. Though knowledge of this ideal seems strongest within jazz, there are of course exceptions, which is where The Naked Future come in.

With 2009’s Gigantomachia, the Portland quartet has produced a highly complex free jazz work, drawing on a myriad of influences; ranging from the smooth, improvisational style of John Coltrane to the deafening, avant-garde tendencies of King Crimson. Interestingly, the album opens with its longest song, “We Binge on a Bloodthirsty God”, and closes with its shortest song, “We Sleep in a Rabbit Hole”, with each consecutive song since the opener being shorter than its predecessor. Also, though it may be naïve to assume, it seems to play on some sort of hierarchical theme with its song titles – particularly the difference between “We Binge on a Bloodthirsty God” and “We Sleep in a Rabbit Hole”, with the association of oneself with a being of higher form, to a being of lower form. Musically, the album is highly impressive throughout, showcasing impressive time changes, and virtuosic playing ability, particularly with Arrington de Dionyso’s clarinet parts, that seem to guide the other instruments, with an eccentric style and phrasing that define the music.

Thematic elements and technicality aside, however, The Naked Future compose such chaotic music, that it seems to lack any relation to order whatsoever. In fact, the music is so muddled from all that is going on, and the rate at which it is happening, that it is truly difficult to listen to, let alone analyze. Even if one was to listen to the album as a whole, rather than consider each song individually, the album is so aurally overwhelming that even a dolphin attempting to tolerate the frequencies would be sent plummeting to its death. One could say that, perhaps free jazz isn’t for everyone, but even with artists such as Sun Ra and Albert Ayler, who quite clearly influence the band, there is some form of design to the chaos.

If anything, the sound that The Naked Future seem to be going for seems unsuited to jazz overall, and would be much more appropriate if they were a metal band – perhaps in the vein of The Dillinger Escape Plan. Gigantomachia also doesn’t do much that hasn’t been done already, as the band doesn’t stray too far from their jazz roots, but rather play a much more unrefined rendition of it (to an extreme). Humanity would have a better chance of understanding this album if it was to somehow evolve to a higher form, but as things stand, it is practically inaudible.

(3.9/10)