sábado, 29 de novembro de 2014

Blue Rain




CD – Creative Sources Recordings – CS296, Lisbon 2014








1. Blue Rain I - 23'10''
2. Blue Rain II - 08'42''
3. Blue Rain III - 13'23''



Ernesto Rodrigues - Viola
Mazen Kerbaj - Trumpet
Sharif Sehnaoui - Acoustic Guitar
Guilherme Rodrigues - Cello
Carlos Santos - Electronics

Recorded in June 2006, Lisbon


Reviews

[…] Termino com uma pérola do reducionismo que-já-não-o-é-tanto-assim. “Blue Train” é uma gravação de Mazen Kerbaj com os Rodrigues, Carlos Santos e Sharif Sehnaoui em que pouco se reduz. Os silêncios são ainda mais falsos, pois há algo sempre a mexer, o espaço apresenta-se repleto de pequenos e grandes eventos simultâneos e há um bulício constante. Tudo funciona em bloco, com subidas de tensão e volume que farão, certamente, com que Malfatti, se ouvir o presente CD, escreva um manifesto sobre a pureza a preservar do “near silence”. Afinal, foi ele quem repreendeu Thomas Lehn por este se movimentar muito a rodar os botões do seu sintetizador, dizendo-lhe que aquele “histrionismo” não era… silencioso. Rui Eduardo Paes (Jazz.pt)


[…] Et Blue Rain avec Mazen Kerbaj  et Sharif Sehnaoui. Il fut un temps où certaines rencontres sous la houlette d’Ernesto restaient au niveau d’une tentative honorable, mais sans plus. Aujourd’hui, il se fait un point d’honneur à produire des enregistrements tous remarquables, réussis, pleins de sens apportant une nouvelle contribution à une esthétique vécue comme un cul de sac chez d’autres. Jean-Michel van Schouwburg (Orynx)

Followers of free jazz and free improv scenes should be familiar with the name and the sonic art of Lebanese trumpet player and former painter Mazen Kerbaj as well as his long-lasting collaborator, the guitar player Sharif Sehnaoui. He gained some notoriety for "Starry Night", a 40-minutes lasting improvisation on trumpet recorded in Beirut on the night between 16th and 17th July, where he also grabbed the noise of Israeli bombs outside in the middle of the so-called war of 33 days in 2006 that Israel declared against Hezbollah in Lebanon (killing many more civilians than members of Hezbollah actually...). The difficult situation in that area of the world profoundly influenced both the music and the paintings by Mazen: the Picasso-like cover artwork of this release comes from his hand, and the analogy with the political works by Picasso is not casual... and the title "Blue Rain" also seems to be a quotation of the very first cycle of Picasso's painting, the so-called blue period. One of the interesting aspect of this output by Portuguese label Creative Sources is the moment when it got recorded: it comes from an improv session recorded by Diego Tavares at Tcha3 Studio in Lisbon on 23rd June 2006, some days before the Israelian bombing, but when it was clear that a military escalation of the political situation could follow. The sonic painting by Mazen on his beloved trumpet, whose mouthpiece got commonly joined to a yellow tube, and Sharif together with Ernesto Rodrigues (viola), Guilherme Rodrigues (cello) and Carlos Santos (on computer and piezos... the thuds at the end of the first of the three untitled tracks included in this release, as well as other moments you can supposedly catch while listening to it, could sound like a grim foreboding) seems to mirror such a worried whiff. Vito Camarretta (Chain DLK)

Three foreboding tracks of aggressive and open improvisation from long-time collaborators Lebanese trumpet player Mazen Kerbaj and guitarist Sharif Sehnaoui in a quintet with Creative Sources labelmates Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, Guilherme Rodrigues on cello, and Carlos Santos on electronics; a confrontational, at times frightening world of sound; gripping. (Squidco)

sábado, 22 de novembro de 2014

Dracaena draco





CD – Creative Sources Recordings – CS294, Lisbon 2014









CD1. 2012 - 37'11''
CD2. 2014 - 43'57''


IKB ENSEMBLE



CD I

Ernesto Rodrigues - Harp
Guilherme Rodrigues - Cello
Miguel Mira -Double Bass
Bruno Parrinha - Alto Clarinet
Nuno Torres - Alto Saxophone
Rogério Silva - Trumpet
Eduardo Chagas - Trombone
Abdul Moimême - Electric Guitar

Armando Pereira - Accordion
Ricardo Guerreiro - Electronics
Carlos Santos - Electronics
Paulo Raposo - Radio
João Silva - Tibetan Chimes
Nuno Morão - Percussion
Monsieur Trinité - Percussion
José Oliveira - Percussion
Christian Wolfarth - Cymbals


CD II

Ernesto Rodrigues - Viola
Marian Yanchyk - Violin
Guilherme Rodrigues - Cello
Miguel Mira - Double Bass
Jose Oliveira - Acoustic Guitar
Maria Radich - Voice
Paulo Curado - Flute
Bruno Parrinha - Alto Clarinet
Nuno Torres - Alto Saxophone
Yaw Tembe - Trumpet
Eduardo Chagas - Trombone
Gil Gonçalves - Tuba & Flugabone
Abdul Moimême - Electric Guitar
Armando Pereira - Accordion
Rodrigo Pinheiro - Church Organ
Carlos Santos - Electronics
João Silva - Tibetan Bell & Seng Gong
Nuno Morão - Percussion

 

Recorded in 2012 & 2014 at St. George's Church, Lisbon


Reviews

Uma das fórmulas a que Ernesto Rodrigues deu mais atenção nos últimos tempos foi a do agrupamento de grande número. A sua VGO (ou Variable Geometry Orchestra) tem estado parada, devido às dificuldades logísticas envolvidas, ou seja, ao problema que é acertar as disponibilidades de tantos músicos, mas no seu lugar surgiu o IKB Ensemble. A premissa é interessante: como é que uma formação deste tamanho pode realizar o princípio de que “menos é mais”, reduzindo cada intervenção ao mínimo? Os resultados estão em três discos saídos quase de seguida, “Anthropometrie sans Titre”, “Rhinocerus” e “Dracaena Draco”. Rui Eduardo Paes (Jazz.pt)

Creative Sources ne se tarissent point.

IKB Dracaena Draco Creative Sources CSCD 294
Pochette cartonnée bleue foncé couleur déposée Yves Klein Blue. Double cédé contenant chacun un enregistrement live de l’orchestre l IKB réuni à l’initiative d’Ernesto Rodrigues, ici à la harpe le 13 octobre 2012 et au violoncelle le 9 novembre 2014 à Lisbonne. 
Deux morceaux : 2012 pour le CD 1 et 2014 pour le CD 2. Minutage non indiqué, mais, avec cette musique, le temps est suspendu.
J’énumère : Ernesto, harpe, Guilherme Rodrigues, cello , Miguel Mirra, double bass, Bruno Parinnha, clarinet & alto clarinet, Nuno Torres, sax alto, Rogério Silva, trumpet, Eduardo Chagas, trombone, Abdul Moi-Même, electric guitar, Armando Pereira, accordion, Carlos Santos, computer, Ricardo Guerreiro, computer, Paulo Raposo, radio, João Silva, feng gong & tibetan bells, Nuno Morão, percussion, José Oliveira, percussion, Monsieur Trinité, percussion, Christian Wolfarth, cymbales pour le 13/10 et Ernesto, cello, Marian Yanchyk violin, José Oliveira, acoustic guitar, Maria Radich, voice, Paulo Curado, flute, Yaw Tembe, trumpet, Gil Gonçalves, tuba flugabone, Rodrigo Pinheiro, organ, complètent le groupe où se retrouvent G Rodrigues, M Mirra, B Parinnha, N Torres, E Chagas, A Moi-Même, A Pereira, C Santos, J Silva et N Morão du concert précédent. 
De prime abord, je trouve cela épatant, enthousiasmant que 17 ou 18 musiciens improvisateurs se rassemblent pour un concert où la musique jouée est éminemment collective. Ils le font par plaisir, par idéal, par amitié, parce qu’ils aiment partager des instants d’écoute et d’attention pour créer un univers sonore toujours en mouvement.

2012 a une dimension plus électronique et sans doute 2014 est plus acoustique. Une caractéristique fondamentale est qu’il n’y a pas de soliste, chacun est libre d’intervenir à sa guise dans une dynamique partagée de sons en suspensions, d’effleurements, de souffles, grattements, frottements, petits chocs, d’interventions dosées, d’extrêmes de l’instrument, bruits blancs, … L’atmosphère est feutrée, le paysage sonore est transparent ou légèrement voilé. L’auditeur semble faire partie de l’orchestre dont chaque membre intervient à bon escient participant à la dynamique globale à tour de rôle de manière aléatoire. Les sons se complètent selon leurs qualités intrinsèques et souvent sans qu’on devine tout-à-fait ou presque pas qui joue et de quel instrument. Il n’y a pas de discours instrumental individualisé à part un ou deux égrènements de notes de la harpe. On reconnaît ici un souffle de trombone ou un froissement de cymbales. Ils peuvent être trois, quatre, sept ou dix à  jouer ensemble, ce la devient difficile à déceler. Une véritable mise en commun des sons. Cette dimension collective, ce glissement perpétuel, tel un nuage qui évolue et transforme insensiblement dans le ciel, révèle une véritable fascination. Moi, je suis preneur ! J’avais déjà chroniqué ce groupe par le passé pour leur premier cédé et je réitère mon enthousiasme. CS dont Ernesto et Carlos sont les têtes pensantes, est plus qu’un label, il y a autour d’eux une véritable communauté agissante et lucide. Une très belle initiative en matière d’improvisation contemporaine. Jean-Michel van Schouwburg (Orynx)

I finally managed to listen to the missing item of a sort of trilogy/tetralogy that IKB Ensemble, a copious ensemble of improvisers grouped by Ernesto Rodrigues, performed between 2012 and 2014. This one, named after the so-called dragon-tree (many of you maybe saw them in the Canary Islands), includes two sessions held in the same place - St.George's Church in Lisbon, the only Anglican one in the Portuguese capital city - in two different moments. Each CD includes the recording of those improv sessions - the first occurring on 13th October 2012, the second on 9th November 2014 -, performed by slightly different musicians. As for the releases I already introduced signed by IKB ("Monochrome Bleu Sans Titre" and "Rhinoceros"), it's better to highlight the fact that the number of involved musicians could be a somehow misleading piece of information, as their sound is other than a bulky instrumental condensate. The line-up somehow affects the sound of each session, as you'll notice the one recorded in 2014 tend to be more electroacoustic (featuring in details and in no particular order: Maria Radich's voice, Armando Pereira on accordion, Paulo Curado on flute, Eduardo Chagas on trombone, Yaw Tembe on trumpet, Nuno Torres on alto saxophone, Guilherme Rodrigues on cello, Bruno Parrinha on alto clarinet, Rodrigo Pinheiro on organ, Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, Miguel Mira on double bass, Jose Oliveira on acoustic guitar, Nuno Morao on percussions, Gil Goncalves on tuba and flugabone, Carlos Santos manoeuvring a computer, Abdul Moimeme on electric guitar, Marian Yanchyk on violin and Joao Silva on a Feng Gong and Tibetan bells), while the blend of piercing pure radio frequencies and the dizzying dissonances of the session recorded in 2012 has a more "electronic" approach (there were more or less the same musicians involved in that session, but there were also Paulo Raposo on radio-driven electronics, Christian Wolfarth on cymbals, a wider set of percussions and percussionists, Ricardo Guerreiro siding Carlos Santos on computers and Ernesto Rodrigues performed on harp instead of viola). There could be some analogy with the mentioned tree: both the session seems to proceed very slowly (just like the growth of a Dracaena Draco or only drago -!-), the instrumental elements appears to group in a seemingly nervous tangle (close to the intricate web of lower branches of that tree) and the general atmosphere of the sessions evokes something in between mysterious and sinister (many alchemists and magicians looked for that tree, whose red sticky resin was so red and dense that was apparently referred as "the blood of a dragon"!). Vito Camarretta (Chain DLK)

Two CDs representing two extended improvisations of the IKB Ensemble with slightly different personnel, with each ensemble slowly unfolding an amazingly textured work of acoustics and electronics with strong intent and incredible technique, balanced by close listening and attention to detail; an excellent 21st century improvisation orchestra captured live. (Squidco)

quarta-feira, 12 de novembro de 2014

La vérité des Pierres


CD – Creative Sources Recordings – CS293, Lisbon 2014






Maintenant c'est al pluie qui succède aux rayons de soleil
Il semble que nous habitons la même ville
Un jardin éphémère où les corps font des caresses
J'espère partager avec toi le cri de l'océan


1. La Vérité des Pierres I - 06'41''
2. La Vérité des Pierres II - 26'17''
3. La Vérité des Pierres III - 19'47''
4. La Vérité des Pierres IV - 08'44''



Ernesto Rodrigues - Viola
Louis Laurain - Trumpet
Bruno Parrinha - Clarinet & Alto Clarinet
Guilherme Rodrigues - Cello
Carlos Santos - Electronics

Recorded in October 2014, Lisbon
Cover design Carlos Santos



Reviews

 […] Também em “La Verité des Pierres” o patrão da Creative Sources é fiel à filosofia reducionista, na companhia de Louis Laurain, Bruno Parrinha, Guilherme Rodrigues e Carlos Santos. Os “drones” e sustenidos são explícitos, porém, quanto ao alinhamento com o experimentalismo electrónico e electroacústico. Os instrumentos convencionais fazem o que faz o computador de Santos, mediante a utilização de técnicas extensivas. Por vezes, é mesmo difícil distingui-los. Só as respirações e os manuseamentos identificam a humanidade das proveniências. Rui Eduardo Paes (Jazz.pt)