Schlingerland is a no-frills solo drum album, recorded in 1972 and appropriately named in reference to the brand name of
Johansson's drum kit. There are no flashy technical displays and very few extended techniques in his playing -- just pure drum and cymbal tones, delivered via two lengthy improvisations (plus a shorter, six-minute bonus track on the Atavistic CD reissue).
Johansson's studied, deliberate performances give listeners a real in-depth chance to hear the fundamental elements -- how he layers different time signatures and tempos on the various parts of his kit to summon up a circular sort of flow that is free of any regular pulse. However, the palette of sounds is limited, and the shifts in volume, density, and overall motion -- the main variants here -- take place very gradually. What this means is that, while
Schlingerland makes it easy to gain a respect for
Johansson's craft and command of his instrument, listeners will have to show an unusual amount of patience and attentiveness to really get much out of this album. For very specialized tastes. ~ William York