Since the late 1990s, I have been searching for ways to extend my saxophone sound using an array of effect pedals and the Lyricon, a 70s-era wind synthesizer. I found that embracing the somewhat uncontrollable element of analog electronics provides me an aleatoric framework for improvising. I always use the effects live so the electronics behave like quirky shadows with their own personalities. This is my second album of solo work. Many of these tracks were overdubbed, taking inspiration from Julius Hemphill’s seminal album Blue Boyé. I improvised the first layer and, without listening back, immediately improvised second and sometimes third layers on top – giving the impression that multiple musicians with 100% compatible improvisational minds are interacting. Other tracks I recorded in one take, using a loop machine or delay patch in my modular synthesizer as a form of live overdubbing. I have tried to form textural connections between the electronics and the acoustic sounds: can I make the synth sound acoustic and the saxophone sound electronic? By pushing my saxophone sound into extremes with the electronic processors, exploiting the Lyricon’s extraordinary possibilities of control, and using very direct recording and mixing techniques, I have tried to create an intimate sonic experience where every detail holds meaning. “Ear Piercing” is a reflection on the discovery of my tinnitus. “Talking Pads” and “Spit Pads,” both recorded with a microphone inside the saxophone bell, are inspired by the raw, amplified kalimbas of Congotronics. “Pong” is an improvisation over a recording of a beginner ping pong game with my daughter and “The Gaps” is an improvisation with the microtones in between the 12 pitches of the chromatic scale. The title track “Never Odd Or Even” is a selection from a 10-minute recording of a Eurorack synth patch that generates random signals. “Tickly” and “More Tickly” are experiments in intensely capturing the threshold between wind noise and pitch on the saxophone. Jorrit Dijkstra, June 2015