Reviews RCD2069

The departure of Mats Eilersten (bass) and Arve Henriksen (trumpet) has left Iain Ballamy (sax) and Thomas Strønen (drums/electronics) in a dialogue for two, and the space suits them. "Khymos" is an elegant, spare piece, with Strønen responding to Ballamy´s refracting tones with understated electronic burbles. Ballamy also builds a neat miniature with alto flute for "Lato", tipping between two notes and overdubbing himself into plangent chords. Strønen´s drum patterns are generally crisp but unfussy, as though to leave plenty of room for Ballamy to unfold his long melody lines.
The Wire (UK)

A batch of cooly elegant, yet nimble and witty free-jazz explorations, whose occasionally groovily propulsive underpinnings (as on "Apparatus" should appeal to mavericks of all stylistic persuasions. 4/5.
Uncut (UK) 

Tracks such as "Apparatus" and "Lota" are so logical and crafted with such symmetry that they are wonderful creations in the moment. This says much for Ballamy´s rounded playing, where restraint and meaning take precedence over prolixity. Strønen is the kind of drummer who would run a mile at the sight of a cliché, and he´s more than content here to settle perfectly into the electronic ambience of whirls, peeps and thuds of Kannegaard and Slater that swim through this elegant music.
Jazzwise (UK)

By the serpentine grooves of "Nature´s Recipe" you´ll be locked into Molecular Gastronomy´s gentle charms. Iain Ballamy and Thomas Strønen unsettle with glacial tones and itchy rhythms, tiptoeing tension, while Maria Kannegaard and Ashley Slater on Rhodes and electronics provide that signature Rune Grammofon ring-modulated synth sound.
Plan B (UK)

Listening to the fifth, largely improvised album from post-jazzers Food (now just a duo) is like hearing nuts ricochet around you in slow motion, a thousand tiny moments amplified. It´s ambient as hell, but we´ve never listened more closely.
Time Out (UK)

Harmonic stasis and/or electronic or electronic-influenced beats are the norm, and Ballamy builds his spare melodic fragments into a compelling musical landscape.
Jazz Review (UK)

Techtelmechtel zwischen analoger Improvisationskunst und digitalem Soundkalkül enden oft in ästhetischen Nullsummenspielen. Die anglo-norwegische Formation Food beweist jedoch nachdrücklich, dass es ihn tatsächlich gibt, den elektroakustischen Jazz...
Frankfurter Allgemeine (DE)

Bei Food trifft das getragene Saxophon von Ian Ballamy auf das virtuose Schlagzeugspiel von Thomas Strønen, das er noch mit Electronics ergänzt. ”Molecular Gastronony” ist elegisch und funky zugleich und erinnert etwas an den Electronica-Jazz von Anthony Braxton aus den frühen 70ern.
Choices (DE)

Molecular Gastronomy is the most relaxes and in the beginning quite suprisingly cool fifth album of the duo Ian Bellamy (Saxophon, Alto Flute) and Thomas Strønen (drums and electronics). Togther they call themselves Food. This is Jazz in the furthest sense, very playful, but nevertheless structures, meaning, if you like it loud and crazy then this is not the record for you. While Strønen cares for rhythm, and plinks, clanks and whirrs, Bellamy is binding a very emotional red thread around the blocks placed by Strønen. As if somebody walks into a kindergarten, disturbs the kid’s play and tells them the most beautiful tales about sunsets in far away countries. I am excited. Only the beginning is somewhat wrong, because the break from the first to the second track is so harsh that it almost sounds unintentional. As soon as you have recovered from the first shock, Molecular Gastronomy flows in its own course continually, and it is fun to cruise along. Of the records mentioned here, Molecular Gastronomy is the most personal, joyful, freshest and honest.
Monochrom (AT)

http://music.guardian.co.uk

http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk

http://www.almostcool.org

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk

http://www.allaboutjazz.com

http://www.popmatters.com

http://www.digitalisindustries.com

http://www.earplug.cc

http://www.tinymixtapes.com

http://www.boomkat.com

http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk

http://www.side2.no

http://www.bt.no

http://www.vg.no

http://www.dagbladet.no

http://www.dagsavisen.no

http://oslopuls.no

http://eriks-food-ucation.blogspot.com

http://www.bloom.de   (german) 

http://www.musicberlin.com   (german) 

http://www.jazzdimensions.de  (german)

http://www.eigenarbeit.org   (german) 

http://www.ox-fanzine.de   (german)