A Sense of Space: the Catalyst of Creativity

Alan Kwan, band leader of Invisible Architecture, engaged in a dialogue with Mitsutaka Yanagura, the editor-in-chief of "Jazz The New Chapter" during his tour in Tokyo.  The liner notes are based on the interview content between Mitsutaka Yanagura and Alan, delving into the inception of Invisible Architecture and the creative inspiration behind "Between Now and Never."

Since 2010, the jazz scene has become more interesting around the world, especially in Japan, where jazz is frequently covered in the media. New players are rapidly emerging, ranging from Takuya Kuroda, BIGYUKI, Miho Hasama, and Shun Ishiwaka. This phenomenon is not limited to Japan alone, but extends across Asia. Allow me to introduce a young jazz talent from Hong Kong.

Alan Kwan, is a jazz guitarist born and raised in Hong Kong. From this point forward, I will be quoting him as I go.

Alan and Mitsutaka Yanagura at KAKULULU in Ikebukuro, Tokyo

In 2009, Alan moved abroad to study at the University of North Texas. The jazz department of the University of North Texas is renowned for its outstanding quality and has produced outstanding figures such as Nora Jones and Snarky Puppy band member Michael League. Alan gained admitted to this university with excellent grades and studied under various esteemed masters, including Fred Hamilton, a well-known guitarist and teacher; Stefan Carlson, who was also the pianist in Eddie Gomez's trio, and drummer Ed Soff. Learning from guitarist Richard McClure, among others, was an extremely rewarding experience. ‘He used to ask me to look at him instead of the sheet while I was playing with him, that it was okay not to be bound by the rules and further break free from them,’ he said, when reflecting on his two years of private sessions with Richard. ‘I discovered how to play with my own character and attitude.’ He considered it to be an important element of the experience.

After graduating from North Texas, Alan pursued graduate school at Queens College in New York. He was active in the New York live music scene while still in school, learning from Michael Mossman, a master arranger noted for his work “Michel Camilo”, and Dave Berkman, author of the instructional book “The Jazz Harmony Book”. ‘Back then in New York, it could be Jonathan Kreisberg performing after me today, and Mike Moreno playing after me another day. Teachers at Queens College, such as guitarist Paul Bollenback, were also practising musicians. Rather than instructing me, he dragged me out to his gigs, where I was occasionally forced to perform.’ He engaged with musicians surrounding the Jazz Gallery while playing throughout New York, which influenced his later works.

From here, I will talk about Alan's favourite and studied music.

In terms of guitarists, ‘Mike Moreno, Lage Lund, and Kurt Rosenwinkel. Pat Metheny as well, of course.’ said Alan. ‘While Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Tal Farlow, and Bernie Kessel were other favourites of mine, Bernie Kessel has a particular place in my heart.’ He added that, in addition to studying guitarists in the context of contemporary jazz, he also explores the works of traditional masters and tries to apply what he has learned from the greats of the past in a modern and personal approach. Not only the smooth legato playing like Moreno, Lage, and Kurt, a sense of floating can also be heard in Alan’s performance.

Alan also mentioned Kurt Rosenwinkel, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock when it comes to composers. ‘A special song for me is “Brooklyn Sometimes”, from Kurt's first album, Deep Song. When I first heard Brad Mehldau's chords in the beginning, I thought to myself, “I've never heard music like this before,” and it immediately changed my mind. Kurt's music taught me that modern jazz compositions are based on structure rather than solo lines.’

Alan went on to perform alongside Billy Childs, Dayna Stephens, Fabian Almazan, Linda Mae Oh, Jonathan Blake, Orlando Le Fleming, and Glenn Zalesky, among others, in New York's contemporary jazz scene. His first album, Petrichor, released in 2019, was the culmination of his New York endeavours, and was produced just before his return to Hong Kong. The work featured New York leading virtuosos Dayna Stephens, Fabian Almazan, Linda May Oh, and Jonathan Blake.

‘I was attempting to put out everything I had done in that year up to that point’ with all original tunes. It's a diary, also a report.’ As though I were finishing a novel, I applied the tunes to each chapter. “Montauk” started out at a faster tempo, but I toned it down to fit the album’s concept. By the way, it had been raining nonstop in New York for a week when we recorded this CD. A friend named the album Petrichor, which refers to the scent that rises from the soil after a long dry spell. I believed it speaks perfectly about my situation then - living in the United States for so long and trying to alter my surroundings.’

The beauty of this album lies in its a coherent worldview and mood, allowing the listener to experience it as a single story, coherent story while leaving room for their own imagination. Aside from its relaxing tempo and light, transparent tone and texture, the performance carries a sense of tension and focus, but the music is never crammed, always leaving a sense of spaciousness. This is achieved by Alan’s deliberate choice not to overplay. ‘I wanted to create an album that people would appreciate as a whole, rather than one that focuses solely on the guitar,’ he explained, and his work reflects that sentiment. This album exemplifies Alan's ability to be an well-rounded artist rather than just a guitarist. In Taiwan, this record is nominated for three Golden Melody Awards.

Shortly after returning to Hong Kong, the world was engulfed in the pandemic, bringing everything to a halt. Alan had planned to collaborate with the Japanese pianist Masaki Hayashi on recordings and other projects, but unfortunately, they had to postpone. Faced with such a circumstance, Alan groped for a remote production and created this album, "Between Now and Never."

With three core members, they named themselves "Invisible Architecture."
Originally, it was intended as a project with Matt Young, a classmate at the University of North Texas who was the greatest drummer in the department. Since Alan had no choice but to produce amidst the epidemic, he conceived the idea of incorporating electronics and adding ambient components. He contacted Jordan Gheen, an expert in synthesisers, to embark on that path together.

Within several tracks, Alan enlisted the talents of his former classmates Mike Luzecky on bass and Dayna Stephens on saxophone. From recording to mixing to mastering, the album was completed in a continuous two-weeks stretch with these musicians. Interestingly, when Alan and Matt Young were in college, they collaborated on a project in which they performed songs from Aaron Parks' album “Invisible Cinema.” Drawing inspiration from the shared word “Invisible” and the evocative nature of the project, it's possible that Aaron Parks may have influenced this new endeavour in some way.

Musically speaking, while there is some improvisation that only jazz players can do, this album also carries a significant proportion of electronic sounds, particularly synths, accompanied by bold editing, overdubs, and post-production. This may come as a surprise for a jazz musician, but Alan's previous album, Petrichor also displays a clear dedication to sound design, featuring minimalist elements and prominent reverb in certain sections. Above all, the album itself encompasses elements that can be from a broader perspective beyond the realm of “jazz.” This record undoubtedly brings surprise, but the signs were present all along.

When asked about the source of the ambient and electronic influences, Alan gave an intriguing answer.

‘I was inspired by the ambient-like elements of Masaki Hayashi's solo piano works “Pendulum” and “Lull”. Since I couldn’t work with Mr. Hayashi as planned just yet, I wondered if I could do anything else for the time being. Hayashi's music is melodic, and I appreciate how the electronic elements come in. Whilst Kneebody’s music is not electronic, it is conceptually similar. The UK's Three Trapped Tigers (a group that has also been compared to Battles), and Sky Window, Jordan Gheen's project with Matt Young and Mike Luzecky, are further sources of influence. That kind of music corresponds to what I intended to achieve. Although their music is not ambient, they all share a special space within. They don't, however, employ guitars in their music. Even though a guitar should be able to do all sorts of things with effect pedals, people that make electronic stuff don't hire guitarists, so I decided to do it myself.’

Each of the artists Alan mentioned provided insights for interpreting "Between Now and Never," but Sky Window's ". Liftoff" is particularly intriguing. Whilst it may even be considered a sonic reference for some parts in "Between Now and Never," what makes it interesting is how different it can sound with the addition of Alan's guitar and thoughts. Alan also listed Ryuichi Sakamoto's cinema music, “out of noise”, and the soundtrack of “Gone Girl” (composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) as sources of the influence that extend beyond the confines of this album.

The fact that songs like “Gateway” and “Threshold” do not have Alan on guitar adds to the album's uniqueness. He is going for a broad sound, and he knows that once the guitar starts ringing, every aspect of sound will be altered. With a striking combination of city sounds recorded on the streets of Hong Kong, edited, and then mixed with synths, the production's details should not be overlooked.

It is "Pulse" that I highly recommend if you want to hear Alan's prowess as a guitarist.

‘The song begins with a drum loop that drummer Matt came up with. It starts out as a minimal loop of a rather simple pattern, with my guitar playing being fairly subdued in the first half. From there I wanted to do more with it, so I copied and layered the drum tracks, and when I played it to keyboardist Jordan, he remarked something along the lines of “how about laying some more crazy melodies on top of this?” It then evolved into something completely different from what I had initially imagined. After that, we decided to add guitar as well, and despite the fact that it was difficult to keep repeating the same phrase, we double-layered the guitar and added synths to the mix, and that's how it came to be.’

The acoustic texture of “Lilac”, which is one of the album’s standout tracks, also has a captivating arrangement.

'The basis of this song comes from a demo Matt sent me that didn't include any guitar, saxophone, or drums. We imagined it as a chill ballad with an overall acoustic tone. The atmosphere is calm, with a creek running through a little town in the countryside. I knew right away that acoustic guitar was the way to go after picturing the image of the demo. Because I wanted the melody to be clearly audible, I played the guitar in a way that avoided frequencies that might clash with it, and since I had the bass clarinet play the low end, it took over the bass range, resulting in the bass part being eliminated.'

After talking to Alan, it became apparent "Between Now and Never" was written with a remarkable sense of freedom. Despite the various constraints such as remote collaboration, limited production time, and budgetary limitations these factors are hardly noticeable. Rather, you can hear how they transformed these circumstances into a catalyst for creativity. As the record was created in a short stretch of time, all fresh ideas were intertwined on the spot, giving it a jazz-like rawness that works like a charm. With a background in techniques and theories of New York contemporary jazz, Alan skillfully  incorporates senses and ideas that are distinct from those of American jazz to create this kind of hybrid music, which speaks volumes of his individuality. This is the first time I have heard music like this from a jazz performer. But, reflecting on it, I believe that “Petrichor” would never have emerged from the American jazz scene by itself, even if it was performed in a traditional jazz format with New York jazz musicians.

Whether it is "Petrichor" or "Between Now and Never", I can discern a kind of philosophy and aesthetic sense that permeates through Alan's expressions. I have no doubts that these elements will also resonate in his upcoming album, further showcasing his unique musical perspective.

Mitsutaka Yanagura 柳樂光隆
Born in 1979. Music critic, supervising the mook series "Jazz The New Chapter" (Shinko-Music), which compiles jazz since the 21st century. Co-author of "Listening to 100 Years of Jazz" (Shinko- Music, 2017), a collection of trilogies with Masahiro Goto and Koji Murai, and "10 Viewpoints on Pop Music" (Artes Publishing, 2020), edited by Toshiyuki Owada.

Translated by Scottie Chantelle