Arachnirithmitic - Sami Calamity (Album Review)

In the years since moving to Detroit, Sami Blosser has only continued to blossom as she spent time getting more integrated into the scene, especially post-2020 quarantine. As an educator, she has done her own clinics that center around mental health advocacy, fundamental and extended techniques on saxophone and in performance settings, and important tools for navigating the music industry as a woman. Her compositional work has been well received by audiences around the state, with pieces like “Castles” even receiving the 2022 International Alliance for Women in Music award. Now in 2024, Sami Calamity has rocketed into the Detroit scene with a collection of powerful, expressive, freeing moments exploring “fears not based in reality” while being a “celebration of freedom from these fears.” With this projects debut album, Arachirithmitic, Pandora’s box has flung wide open and the deep, cathartic energy that comes from harnessing your trauma and wielding it through the lens of a group rooted in jazz, boosted by the surging sound of modern metal, while delighting in the groups like The Mars Volta to inspire their genre fluid apocalypse.

From the first, haunting melody from Sami Blosser’s voice on “mE mAnIa,” listeners are treated to a one of a kind experience born out of a vision so calamitous it serves to shake the foundations of any genre, stage, or assumption that comes her way. Swirling metal, funk, and fusion music textures offer a spacious bedrock to support her wailing vocals saturated in effects that amplify her manic delivery. Meaty 8-string guitar riffs from Rob Kokochak, solid lead guitar playing from John Raleeh, powerful bass commanded by Caelin Amin, and surging drumming from David Zwolinski energy all move about free-jazz fluidity that is accented by thunderous hits. On “Dmizia,” there is a surge of dark, gritty energy that is almost theatrical in how steeped the musicians are in the free, expressive moments after kicking off the tune with riffs in the style of doom metal. After a very intense moment of chaotic improvisations washed in effects, the track ends with one final groove that instantly snaps you back into focus. Blosser’s voice on this track cuts through the heavens with a fiery flurry of notes that descend destructively onto the listening masses below, unafraid to dig into the range of her language on the instrument and commune with the spirits.

“Little Miss Misanthrope” is as playful and devious as the name suggests, with each instrument playing off of different, interlocking motifs accented beautifully by Zwolinski’s fearless groove on the kit. After a couple of tongue-and-cheek twangy rock hits, the beefiest breakdown on the album smashes through with a powerful surge of effected saxophone that almost sounds like Blosser has now harnessed the spirit’s energy from the track before and is wielding it with such ease. Benjamin Bourlier materializes with a solid synth solo to add a beautifully chaotic cherry on top. With one last fizzle, the track ends abruptly to make way for the final number, “Aelurec,” to groove over a dissonant, mixed meter experience that shows Blosser’s unapologetic incorporation of motivic, jazz rooted vocal lines over this ostinato. The track builds in rage to the final moment on the record to conclude a firestorm of a listening experience.

Having known Sami Blosser since our shared time at WMU, it is inspiring to see how tall she stands on the shoulders of her own giant ambitions. Sure, she was writing great music for her recitals (one that I participated in) and was already known as a great person to collaborate with, but Sami Calamity is an entirely new expression that flows so effortlessly from her. Somewhere between Esperanza Spalding’s Emily’s D-Evolution album character and Shiva, the Goddess of Destruction, this artistic vision exudes creativity and oozes personality in a market saturated with playing it safe. Arachirithmitic is a beautiful collage of feminine energy radiating fury against the aesthetics of a male-dominated industry through fierce cunning and fearless exploration while navigating a ship that is expertly supported by the musicians she works with in this project. Even within the swirling chaos, their intent behind every expression is clear and the command of their craft speaks volumes for the execution of the music. They are unafraid to explore range, dissonance, morphing between characters/moods, all while delivering gritty, interstellar sonic asteroid collisions at light speed into your solar plexus. This record is not just “jazz students turning on distortion and calling it something groundbreaking,” this music showcases a deep love for expression through a confluence of genre, instrumentation, and shared training/influences as artists in the Detroit scene. This group is primed for future collaborations and for Sami Blosser to confidently stride through the doors of her artistic presence in Detroit, and whether or not you’re aware, Sami Calamity will make her presence known.

Album Credits:
Sami Blosser - Sax, Vox, Lyrics, Composer
John Raleeh - Guitar
Rob Kokochak - 8 string guitar
Caelin Amin - Bass
David Zwolinksi - Drums

Benjamin Bourlier - Synth Solo on “Little Miss Misanthrope”
Chris Koltay (High Bias Recordings) - engineer and mixing
Warren Defever (Third Man Mastering) - mastering

Support Sami Calamity!
Website: https://samiblosser.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559565412271
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sami_calamity/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sami_calamity
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sami_calamity
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2iT94vJ0kvEuvcI74x5RWf
Bandcamp: https://samicalamity.bandcamp.com/album/

Dutcher Snedeker

Arachnirithmitic - Sami Calamity (Album Review)