Leszek Kułakowski | Eurofonia | Not Two Records

At the 4th Komeda Jazz Festival in 1998 Leszek Kulakowski presented his project and symphonic score called EUROFONIA. This is not his first attempt to combine symphony music with jazz. The compositions “Chopin And Other Songs” are examples of such combinations. EUROFONIA is the pure invention of Leszek. This is a very colourful composition in which a refined symphonic orchestra is the background for a swinging jazz band accompanied by a soprano singer. This is a victory for the universal values of music and most of all a great victory for Leszek Kulakowski. — Anna & Carlos Sanchez Continue reading

Simple Acoustic Trio | Habanera | Not Two Records

It wasn’t long before Wasilewski formed Simple Acoustic Trio, a group that, with the exception of one personnel change early on when Michal Miskiewicz joined, remains unchanged to this day. “We started the group when we were in school,” Wasilewski explains, “and created the name in the playground. People have asked us if the name means anything, but it doesn’t really — we just wanted to have an English name because, for us, jazz was an American music. — John Kelman Continue reading

Illàchime Quartet | I’m Normal, My Heart Still Works | fratto 9

Illàchime Quartet is an instrumental ensemble based in Naples (Italy) that joins electronics and acoustic instruments. It gathers sounds and noises from the surroundings as well as scattered fragments of acoustic memories, which form the texture for the interventions of the musicians along rough and terse lines, often improvised. Final target: to intrigue and to seduce the audience by means of an unconventional, highly kinematic sonic experience. This new album contains six tracks and a ghost track. Continue reading

I/O | Polytone | fratto 9

The band has played with different artist like Liars, Ovo, Anatrofobia, Damo Suzuki, Giuseppe Ielasi, Rosolina Mar and many others. I/O defined itself as “Minimalistic Rhythmic Improvisation” and “Poytone” is characterized by a focus on the rhythmic aspects of the songs (referring in particular to the idea of “pulse” meant in the minimalistic way), which are built and de-constructed in the 8 tracks of the cd. Continue reading

Jealousy Party | Live | fratto 9

Jealousy party, active Florentine ensemble from 1995, rape the suggestions of the free music (jazz and not only), avant-rock , the disturbed and unsociable electronics, squirts of songs, saxs, laptop and CDs in flames and histrionic vocal manipulations. The mutant project expresses with delirium and de-structured transparency the synthesis among creative abstract-ism, expressive urgency, mad avant-gardist, theatricality and punk attitude. Continue reading

Karmel & Xabier Iriondo | Gianni Mimmo | Cristiano Calcagnile’s Nibiru Ensemble | Airchamber 3+4 | Claudio Fasoli & Mario Zara | Pierfrancesco Mucari | Angelo Contini & Federico Cumar | Francesco Cusa & Shirin Demma | NovoTono | ON WAR | Amirani Records

Asked by amirani records, many musicians, each one with their own project, are here involved in the conceptual investigation of the confictual relationship among human beings. All tracks are original compositions for this goal. Amirani’s intent is to moove or provoke artists to compose and perform around social issues. Relationships and communication with all muscians involved in this adventure has been excellent and Amirani is thinking about a second volume for the next year. Each artist/composer/performer has been requested to explain his piece, to introduce his proceeding, to describe his way to approach to concept “War”. So in the booklet one can find an explanation for each piece directly from the musician. To extend the communication, to enhance the perspective, to create more possibilities of relations each piece has been completed with a marvellous photo by Elda Papa. So be confident to find here a nice, fresh, intense Amirani style work. Continue reading

EAR & NOW | Eclipse | Amirani Records

Eclipse is a wind, opening and moving the pages of a book, hidden to our attention because too important, too inexorable. It’s a music that soon leaves its first aesthetical dimension to begin to dig up, as a drop, as a bedded narration,a choir. A same story we pass through, we listen as told in different places, with different shadings, from different sides. As if the possibility to come across a time, through scenes that freeze themselves in a sort of tableau vivant, animated by dense symbols. Great and overwhelming, ritual and evocative, the Eclpise still retains the power of admonition, of calling to re-consider our single perspectives as parts of a pulsing complexity, we can’t properly describe.

EAR&NOW delivers a perfected work where it is easier to feel the harshness of lives moving there, like sharpnesses of a tide, darkened by a lunar Eclipse. Eclipse is each one’s other side. Continue reading