Ornithorhynchus anatinus

CD – Creative Sources Recordings – CS416, Lisbon 2017

1. I - 29'44''
2. II - 10'03''
3. III - 20'16''

Ernesto Rodrigues - Viola

Maria do Mar - Violin

Guilherme Rodrigues - Cello
Miguel Mira - Double Bass

Andre Hencleeday - Tenor Psaltery

Miguel Almeida - Classical Guitar

Maria Radich - Voice

Paulo Curado - Flute
Paulo Chagas - Oboe

Bruno Parrinha - Soprano & Bass Clarinet
Nuno Torres - Alto Saxophone
Fernando Simões - Trumpet
Eduardo Chagas - Trombone
Abdul Moimême - Electric Guitar

Carlos Santos - Electronics

Monsieur Trinité - Percussion

Recorded in December 2016, Lisbon

Cover design Carlos Santos

https://ernestorodrigues.bandcamp.com/album/ornithorhynchus-anatinus

Reviews

São também dois os álbuns saídos recentemente do projecto IKB (iniciais de Ives Klein Blue), “Ornithorhynchus Anatinus” e “Chelonoidis Nigra”. A primeira diferença relativamente à VGO está no menor número de participantes, 16 em ambos, se bem que com algumas alterações de nomes e de instrumentação. Há outras, destacando-se o propósito de que os instrumentos acústicos sejam tocados como se fossem electrónicos, por meio de uma sistemática utilização de técnicas extensivas e até de recursos próprios da electroacústica, como a manutenção de “drones”. Há um ainda maior minimalismo na geração de materiais, conduzindo à articulação de transparências, com o silêncio a ganhar propriedades musicais. Ouvimos os sons nascerem, viverem e morrerem com um pormenor assombroso, mesmo que, de novo, seja difícil discernir a sua origem. Dos dois títulos, “Ornithorhynchus Anatines” será, talvez, o mais camerístico, muito devido à associação de um oboé (Paulo Chagas) à flauta de Paulo Curado e aos clarinetes de José Bruno Parrinha, bem como às presenças de uma guitarra clássica (Miguel Almeida), de um saltério (André Hencleeday) e de um percussionista extra (Nuno Morão). Rui Eduardo Paes (Jazz.pt)

Portugal's IKB Ensemble is an electracoustic improvising ensemble with a strong string and wind section, balanced with electric guitar, electronics, and percussion, each album focusing on an object--an art work, Dracaena Draco (Dragon Tree), Chelonoidis Nigra (Giant Tortoise)--and here taking on the Ornithorhynchus Anatinus, or platypus, in 3 fascinating movements. (Squidco)

One of the most amazing Lisboa's specialities are extended ensembles such as IKB Ensemble that made the first release of Creative Sources in 2012, and until the Covid19 era recorded 9 albums. Unfortunately, the seven early ones are missing in my collection, but I report here

on the last four. The titles of all albums correspond to Latin names of "exotic" and strange animals.

Due to courtesy of Ernesto and Guilherme, I got in the middle of the covid-era a gift packet with maybe ten recent albums of the family, and in particular tow earlier records of the IKB Ensemble: "Ornithorhynchus anatinus" and "Apteryx Mantelli". The first one is a masterpiece, recorded in Galeria Monumental in Lisbon. It contains over an hour of music, but only one track: a suite "Ornithorhynchus anatinus" in three parts. The main idea of this music is to combine the abstract, alternative or even fake sounds of strings with electronics

and reed. The end effect is a monumental spacial sound that I could associate with XXIst century response to György Ligeti's cosmic music, contemporary string music of Giacinto Scelsi or Helmut Lachenmann, or Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble. After 30 minutes of the "Part I", a 10 minutes long "Part II" provides an excursion toward the lands of free improvised minimal music, with long tones and repetitive phrases. In the final the mood

changes and includes plenty of fragmented rhythmic patterns generated by... who knows which instruments? Finally, the magisterial "Part III" combining dialectically the thesis of "Part I" with anti-thesis of "Part II", into a synthesis. 20 minutes of absolute delight and nirvana. Maciej Lewenstein