SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: SUN RA & HIS ARKESTRA – KINGDOM OF DISCIPLINE

SUN RA & HIS ARKESTRA
KINGDOM OF DISCIPLINE
DEAD CURRENCIES

Pressed on a highly limited run of vinyl, as per their modus operandi, Dead Currencies have released Kingdom Of Discipline, a collection of work from Sun Ra & His Arkestra. This goes back to the ‘50s, a time when Sun Ra’s early released were pressed with handmade sleeves in orders of 75 copies through his label, El Saturn. In homage to these early times, Dead Currencies are doing the same with 75 handmade pressings. The compilation consists of rare performances that span from 1971 to a solo piano piece recorded in 1990, just three years before the legendary and mythologized figure’s death.

Kingdom Of Discipline opens with a live recording – either an early take within the studio or a cut recorded at a practice. On “Tone Poem #9”, Sun Ra can be heard walking the Arkestra through the structure of the piece as they are workshopping it. In this sense, through what sounds like a lo-fi basement tape, there is an attempt to demystify Sun Ra, however this achieves the inverse somehow. “Tone Poem #9” is rough around the edges and feels like the skeleton of a work in progress but captures the Arkestra in a collaborative setting ripe with incredible soloing when the opportunity arises. The album continues with “Love In Outer Space”, a song led by polyrhythmic organ lines and some percussion. While the audio quality is certainly better than the previous song, the track feels more like an improvised jam that was never fully intended to actually be released in this form.

Despite my criticisms of the recording quality and intention of the pieces on Kingdom Of Discipline, there are moments of greatness that speak to the brilliance of Sun Ra. The first, comes in the form of “The Schimmel Impromptu”, a solo piano piece that walks the line between classical stylings and improvised jazz rhythms. There is a level of beauty to his work alongside a distinctive approach to the piano that few others possess. Further examples of unique, and often stunning, compositional ability can be heard on “Reel 191 Blues” and “The Kingdom Of Discipline”.

The mythology and artistry surrounding Sun Ra knew no bounds and, even over three decades since his passing, Sun Ra remains a truly otherworldly being of unbridled creativity. Despite this, however, Kingdom Of Discipline struggles to prove its necessity among his vast catalogue and numerous posthumous releases. The album feels like a collection of lo-fi demos, many captured in poor recording quality. While there are a handful of moments of greatness, Kingdom Of Discipline will only seem essential to the most feverous of Sun Ra’s audience.

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