GTM (Syntax) 2017

GTM (Syntax) 2017 represents a pinnacle of Anthony Braxton's late-period Ghost Trance Music (GTM) phase, specifically focusing on the 'Syntax' vocal component. Recorded in 2017 and released as a massive 12-CD set, the album features the Tri-Centric Vocal Ensemble performing twelve distinct compositions, each nearly an hour in length. The GTM system is designed to provide a 'melody that never ends,' acting as a gateway for performers to enter different 'logic tracks' of improvisation. Unlike Braxton's more famous saxophone-led works, this album is almost entirely vocal, utilizing a specialized phonetic language developed by the composer. It sits as a bridge between the traditions of experimental choral music and the rigorous structuralism of the AACM. Critically, it is viewed as one of Braxton's most ambitious and uncompromising documents, challenging the boundaries of duration and the role of the voice in contemporary jazz.