3 Phases (III) Black

CD - Creative Sources – CS539, Lisbon 2018

1. Black - 47'59''

DICEROS

Ernesto Rodrigues - Viola

Miguel Mira - Cello

Guilherme Rodrigues - Zither, Metronome & Objects

João Silva - Trumpet

Eduardo Chagas - Alto trombone

Paulo Curado - Flute

Noel Taylor - Soprano & Bass Clarinets

Miguel Almeida - 10 String Classical Guitar

Andre Holzer - Resonator Guitar

Andre Hencleeday - Piano & Synthesizer

Carlos Santos - Computer

João Valinho - Percussion

Recorded April 2018, Lisbon
Cover design Carlos Santos

https://ernestorodrigues.bandcamp.com/album/3-phases-iii-black

Reviews

"3 Phases", or 3 aspects of the approach that violist Ernesto Rodrigues applies to improvisation, in 3 different groupings over 3 different concerts at O'Culto da Ajuda, in Lisbon, here in an electroacoustic ensemble with Miguel Mira, Guilherme Rodrigues, Joao Silva, Eduardo Chagas, Paulo Curado, Noel Taylor, Miguel Almeida, Andre Holzer, Andre Hencleeday, Carlos Santos, and Joao Valinho. (Squidco)

"Black", lasting over 47 minutes, is the most challenging and the most amazing. It is played by Diceros: the super-twelve-tet. combining string instruments, wind, percussion and electronics. It starts building up the atmosphere in a quiet and gradual way. The beauty of track is encoded in the interplays and interconnections between pair, triples, quadruples, etc. of instruments. There recording is such that individual instruments can be recognized, but with care. It is like visual art: seen from distance without resolution, looks differently. Here, one can hear this track as a continuous flow of alternative sound, or resolve, guess who is playing what... For me this is a combination of intellectual and emotional drug, addicting me more deeply and more profoundly the more I listen to it. Maciej Lewenstein

3 Phases (I) White

CD - Creative Sources – CS537, Lisbon 2018

1. White - 41'43''

Ernesto Rodrigues - Viola

Albert Cirera - Tenor Saxophone

Rodrigo Pinheiro - Piano

Carlos Santos - Field Recordings & Sine Waves

Recorded April 2018, Lisbon
Cover design Carlos Santos

https://ernestorodrigues.bandcamp.com/album/3-phases-i-white

Reviews

"3 Phases", or different aspects of the approach that violist Ernesto Rodrigues applies to improvisation, in three different groupings over three different days, all live at O'Culto da Ajuda, in Lisbon, Portugal in 2018, here in an ea-improv setting with Albert Cirera on tenor saxophone, Rodrigo Pinheiro on piano, & Carlos Santos on field recordings & sine waves. (Squidco)

Na naszą wyimaginowaną scenę powracają Albert Cirera (tym razem tylko saksofon tenorowy) i Rodrigo Pinheiro na fortepianie, a dołączają do nich przedstawiciele starszego pokolenia portugalskich improwizatorów – Ernesto Rodrigues na altówce i Carlos Santos – field recordings i elektronika … fal radiowych. Koncert z O'Culto da Ajuda, kwiecień 2018 roku. Jeden trak, prawie 42 minuty.

Suche frazy zaspanych jeszcze instrumentów, akordy z klawiszy, prychy tuby, liczenie strun w niemal zupełnej ciszy, okruchy świergoczącego field recordings, jakbyśmy odbywali właśnie spacer po wiosennej łące. Skromne preparacje, pojękiwanie naciąganych małym palcem strun, cykady tańczące za oknem – classical silent free improv from Creative Sources! Molekularna, niezwykle skupiona narracja – fale radiowe szeleszczą na wietrze, tuba saksofonu drży, podobnie jak pudło rezonansowe fortepianu. Trzy pięknie brzmiące instrumenty akustyczne i żyjące w stanie ciągłej zmiany field-recordingowe tło, jakże zmysłowa koegzystencja.


Pierwsza próba wyjścia ze strefy ciszy ma miejsce w 11 minucie, czyniona jest z inicjatywy pianisty, z akcentami klasycznego piękna brzmienia altówki. Pod koniec pierwszego kwadransa muzyka rozbrzmiewa pełnią niemal filharmoniczną (świetna akustyka pomieszczenia!), by po ułamku sekundy powrócić do tłumionego minimalizmu, zdobionego partycją fake sounds – saksofon brzmi jak perkusja, altówka jak huragan chrząszczy, klawisze fortepianu niczym rozstrojona gitara, a wokół śpiewają ptaki elektroniki. W kolejnym etapie, znów odrobina żwawszej narracji, tu za przyczyną Cirery i Pinheiro, którzy sieją nieustanny ferment. Po 27 minucie na chwilę opowieść robi się naprawdę głośna! Nawet Ernesto, zwykle chłodny w reakcjach scenicznych, tryska emocjami! Po 33 minucie każdy z muzyków dokłada coś nowego do palety dźwiękowej - kreacja muzyków buzuje, a nasze uszy tańczą z radości. Preparacje, stylizacje, emanacje – nie ma chwili nudy w tym strumieniu dźwiękowym! Pod koniec nagrania, na moment, elektronika przejmuje władanie sceną, śląc posuwiste pulsary energii. Po 40 minucie wszyscy jednak, z należytą pieczołowitością, przystępują do gaszenia płomienia opowieści. Czynią to po mistrzowsku, aż do ostatniego dźwięku. Andrzej Nowak (Trybuna Muzyki Spontanicznej)

"Three Phases (I) WHITE" contain live material, recorded by Miguel Azguime in April 2018 at O'Culto da Ajuda, only a couple of months later. This time the set includes one track that lasts 42 minutes, and the album deserves not only four, but five starts: it is simply outstanding. Albert is phenomenal: he shows all his qualities and techniques of alternative sounds and effects, keeping an unbelievable emotional and expressive content in his playing. Carlos Santos provides discrete electronics, sine wave and field recordings (cicadas!). Rodrigo and Ernesto add to this electro-acoustic symbiosis infinite dimensions and infinite sound space. Everything is abstract, yet delicate, subtle and tender. Also, melancholic in some sense... Beautiful album, one of my favorite achievements of Albert with Ernesto and the Lisbon's gang! Comparable in beauty with the best of Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble! Maciej Lewenstein

3 Phasis (II) Grey

CD - Creative Sources – CS538, Lisbon 2018

1. Grey - 36'18''

Ernesto Rodrigues - Viola

Bruno Parrinha - Soprano Saxophone

Nuno Torres - Alto Saxophone

Paulo Galão - Tenor Saxophone

Recorded April 2018, Lisbon
Cover design Carlos Santos

https://ernestorodrigues.bandcamp.com/album/3-phases-ii-grey

Reviews

"3 Phases", or different aspects of the approach that violist Ernesto Rodrigues applies to improvisation, in three different groupings over three different days, all live at O'Culto da Ajuda, in Lisbon, Portugal in 2018, here in an acoustic sax trio with strings, with Bruno Parrinha on soprano, Nuno Torres on alto, Paulo Galao on tenor sax. (Squidco)

The series of three-color albums was recorded with different personnel in April 2018 at O'Culto de Ayuda. "WHITE" is reported in Albert Cirera with others entry. They represent, as Squidco reviewer stressed, "different aspects of the approach that violist Ernesto Rodrigues applies to improvisation, in three different groupings over three different days, all live in Lisbon. "WHITE" is reported in Albert Cirera's entry.


"GREY" is very different: viola is accompanied here by the three wind instruments, three saxophones. The only track of the album lasts over 36 minutes and is truly fascinating. It starts quietly with "fake" and alternative sounds, followed by long tones played by the viola and the winds, creating a kind of free improvised minimal music. Indeed, these repetitive sounds continue, reminding me of Terry Riley's "In C" or even more "A Rainbow in the Curved Air". But, associaitons are of secondary importance: it is simply very beautiful, free improvised music, with plenty of "melodic" motifs and themes. In the middle of the track, a more abstract part begins, with effects created by mouthpieces etc. Here, there is plenty of allusions to the contemporary chamber music, not necessarily minimal one. In contrast, after another quiet fragment come sthe final part, rooted in... ancient music. Fantastic stuff!!! Maciej Lewenstein

A late evening in the future

CD - Creative Sources – CS601, Lisbon 2019

1. A late evening in the future - 04'28''
2. Being - or remaining? - 27'58''
3. The earth might be uninhabited - 09'05''
4. The tape runs on in silence - 04'16''

Ernesto Rodrigues - Viola & Zither

Miriam den Boer Sálmon - Violin

Fredrik Rasten - Acoustic Guitar

Guilherme Rodrigues - Cello & Percussion

Recorded October 2018, Berlin
Cover design Carlos Santos

https://ernestorodrigues.bandcamp.com/album/a-late-evening-in-the-future

Reviews

Rounding out this rather oblique survey of recent (& otherwise) Rodrigues releases, let me also mention A late evening in the future more specifically: It was recorded by a quartet in Berlin (with Rodrigues himself also on zither) in October 2018, and likewise (per Sitsa) projects an affective calming, there focusing more on central figures (rather than counterpoint or generalized spanning): The feel of A late evening in the future thus recalls the similarly string-based Dethick (as discussed here last month) rather closely for me, whereas its sparse focus can recall Golden towers and electric frictions (among many Rodrigues albums) per above. Finally, as also mentioned in a summary last month, larger productions from CreativeFest #12 are appearing, most recently a new String Theory album (of eighteen musicians), Krypton(as another rather singular, surging wave), as well as a new Suspensão nonet, Rayon Blanc — again reaffirming a focus on quiet (& the tension within or between notes, in an ongoing interrogation of musical continuity per above) & even fragility (perhaps akin to that of the latest IKB, there via biological figuration). So although Rodrigues has been producing albums with more presence lately — & a variety of weaponry largely (or at least sometimes) depends upon audibility — he's also reasserting an emphasis on ambivalent articulation, quietness & restraint — i.e. affirming the fragility of so many relations in our world. (And I expect to be discussing some other smaller, perhaps more intimate, releases soon.) Todd McComb's Jazz Thoughts

A subtle album of acoustic interaction recorded at Berlin's Noiseberg from the quartet of Miriam den Boer Salmon on violin, Ernesto Rodrigues on viola & zither, Fredrik Rasten on acoustic guitar, and Guilherme Rodrigues on cello & percussion, sounding almost electronic in their frictional technique and harmonic overtones, ebbing and flowing from active interaction to tranquil discourse. Squidco

A quartet of strings with occasional percussion supplying mostly quiet, sound-based (as opposed to melodic or rhythmic based) improvisations. As is the usual case with releases on Creative Sources, the beautiful recordings bring out the detailed nuances and frequent harmonic ghosts. The brief title track lets us know what we're in for, as massed bowing congeals into a thick block of hiss and sing, growing slightly louder and heavier over its 4 and a half minute running time, with faint beating skirting the edges; succinct. "Being — Or Remaining" features a more pointillistic approach at first, plucks and knocks and very quiet string bounce with high-pitched chords and sporadic strums. Ebbing into near silence and what could possibly be chair creaks, before starting off again with drum-head patter and pizzicato strings building to near full-throated all-in; a bell sounds.


I can imagine that many people nowadays engage in this sort of collective improvising as a thing in itself to do. A way to pass time pleasurably in the company of friends. The playing here is however of a very high caliber, engaged in by folks with heightened listening abilities. The flow of the pieces makes perfect sense, and rewards close attention. Jeph Jerman (The Squid's Ear)

"A Late Evening in the Future" was recorded in October 2018 at Noiseberg studio in Berlin. This time  Ernesto and Guilherme are joined by the old collaborator, Fredrik Rasten on acoustic guitar and Mirian den Boer Sálmon. The quartet plays four songs, combining the sound of bowed string instruments with the acoustic guitar. Ernesto additionally plays zither, while Guilherme -- percussion. "Being - Or Remaining?",  lasting over 28 minutes, is the highlight, combining as expected free minimal music, with improvise contemporary chamber music. I like also "The Earth Might Be Uninhabited", a piece with an Oriental touch. Maciej Lewenstein