Rhinocerus

CD – Creative Sources Recordings – CS268, Lisbon 2014

1. RHINOCERUS - 39'15''

IKB ENSEMBLE

Ernesto Rodrigues - Baritone Violin

Marian Yanchyk - Violin
Guilherme Rodrigues - Cello
Miguel Mira - Contrabass
Bruno Parrinha - Clarinet & Alto Clarinet
Nuno Torres - Alto Saxophone
Yaw Tembe - Trumpet
Maria Radich - Voice

João Silva - Shruti Box & Tibetan Bell

Armando Pereira - Accordion
António Chaparreiro - Electric Guitar
Carlos Santos - Computer & Speaker
Nuno Morão - Percussion

José Oliveira - Percussion

Recorded in May 2014, Lisbon

Cover design Carlos Santos

https://ernestorodrigues.bandcamp.com/album/rhinocerus

Reviews

A release from the large ensemble named for Yves Klein Blue, recorded in early 2014 with 13-14 musicians including the Rodrigues', Nuno Torres, Carlos Santos and others. One operating ethos of this group is, I take it, to produce a fairly quiet overall sound (an innately enjoyable characteristic of any large configuration); whether the relatively busy level of activity is desired or simply the outcome of the individual predilections of the members, I've no idea. In any case, the result is engaging on this session, with a subtle forward-moving sense imparted, helped along by discrete and lovely single note contributions from pianist Rodrigo Pinheiro and, I think, Ernesto Rodrigues on plucked baritone violin. "Rhinocerus" [sic] is very resonant (perhaps due to the space?), deep tones hanging in the air above the jittery, generally soft skittering below. While both recordings are fine, I enjoy the latter a bit more as it has a mysterious air about it, carrying subtle intimations of ritual. Brian Olewnick (Just Outside)

Référence faite à l’International Klein Blue, l’IKB Ensemble devra, pour qu’on lui reconnaisse une identité, lui aussi jouer de nuances. En faisant, par exemple, changer son personnel – qui voudra s’en convaincre pourra passer d’une page Creative Sources à l’autre : Rhinocerus / Anthropométrie sans titre / Rhinocerus, etc. –, mais pas seulement. Certes, les lentes suspensions que décrivait hier Luc Bouquet sont là encore, comme les précautions collectives et les louvoiements individuels. Mais les mouvements fébriles n’interdisent pas les déplacements. 

Sur Rhinocerus, c’est ainsi le violon d’Ernesto Rodrigues qui est à la manœuvre. Patiemment, l’archet – que double souvent celui de Guilherme – tire à lui les percussions chantantes de Nuno Morão et José Oliveira, l’électronique avaleuse d’aigus de Carlos Santos ou la shruti box de João Silva. De longues minutes passent, et puis vient le moment pour Rodrigues d’échanger le lot de murmures qu’il a collectés contre un rythme délicat. Si délicat qu’il ne peut devancer longtemps l’évanouissement qu’il avait à ses trousses. Guillaume Belhomme (Le Son du Grisli)

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”.
E o que é mais no menos proposto? A miríade de situações e detalhes, contrariando o que encontramos nas obras de reducionistas radicais como Radu Malfatti e Taku Sugimoto. Nos dois últimos lançamentos, um gravado no Panteão Nacional e o outro na St. George’s Church, em Lisboa, os músicos ainda se contêm mais, mas cada pequeno sopro, arcada, raspagem, sinusóide ou batimento que fazem ganha uma maior consequência, graças às ressonâncias daquelas salas de pedra. Nesse aspecto, “Rhinocerus” é uma delícia para os ouvidos. Ouvimos o espaço, a viagem dos sons pelo ar. Rui Eduardo Paes (Jazz.pt)

When I introduced "Monochrome Bleu Sans Titre", the first release by this supergroup of improvisational musicians, I tried to explain the possible conceptual connection with so-called "nouveau realisme", an artistic movement whose co-founder, the Frenck pinter Yves Klein, gave the name to the kind of blue (International Kein Blue) that this ensemble used to name itself. Even if rhino was one of the animal that often appeared on the artistic producetion of painters and sculptors which can be filed under that movement, some aspects of this 40-minutes lasting session that got recorded by Carlos Santos and Nuno Morao at Panteo Nacional during the "Escuta Profunda" festival in Lisbon on 25th May 2014 make me think of the notorious piece by Eugene Ionesco, maybe the most emblematic oevre of the so-called 'theatre of the absurd', where the sudden appearance of a running rhino in the main square of a quiet French town so tha it manages to have an inflence on the conversational matters of a group of friends which was sitting and drinking according to a social ritual that keeps on lasting till our days. Little by little, they will transform into that strange animal till the moment whe the only guest - a metaphor of free thinker - who was not turned into a rhino yet, asks himself if it was better to keep his own semblance or adapt to the absurd metamorphosis of his companions. This metaphor of the cultural homologation by totalitarian monsters becomes the stage where the extremely deep identity crisis is the real main charater of the plot. The connection between that great piece by Ionesco and IKB Ensemble's recording is simple: even if there are a great number of performers, including Ernesto Rodrigues (baritone violin), Marian Yanchyk (violin), Guilherme Rodrigues (cello), Miguel Mira (double bass), Antonio Chaparreiro (electric guitar), Yaw Tembe (trumpet), Bruno Parrinha (clarinet, alto clarinet), Nuno Torres (alto saxophone), Joao Silva (Shruti box, Tibetan bell), Maria Radich (voice), Armando Pereira (accordion), Carlos Santos (computer, speaker), Nuno Morao (percussion, objects) and Jose Olieira (pecussion, objects), each instrument sounds like having lost their identity and cannot be easily distinguished in the elusive and subtly pervasive evanescence of a constant resounding, which seems to annihilate their single voices... Vito Camarretta (Chain DLK)

One of Portugal's most interesting large scale lowercase ensembles led by violist Ernesto Rodrigues, with frequent Creative Sources collaborators including Nuno Torres on alto sax, Carlos Santos on electronics, Guilherme Rodrigues on cello, Miguel Mira on bass, 14 musicians move with subtlety in a tapestry of electroacoustic resonance and mystique. (Squidco)