Nov 1, 2024
Haus der Berliner Festspiele
Goran Kajfeš Tropiques
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Goran Kajfeš. Photo by Fabian Schellhorn
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Goran Kajfeš – trumpet, synthesizer
Alex Zethson – piano, organ, synthesizer
Johan Berthling – double bass
Johan Holmegard – drums
Josefin Runsteen – violin
Leo Svensson Sander – cello
Swedish band Goran Kajfeš Tropiques starts with a 6/4 saunter slowburner.
He’s got a good, broad brimmed hat on, accentuating his indie, folky vibe.
The Moog piano, drum, contrabass, violin, and cello make for a thoughtful
constellation; a nice soft accompaniment for the bright trumpet to stand out
from. Easy on the palette to kick things off. Accessible, passionate, warm,
and pretty. It’s lovely watching the cello and violin in perfect sync,
swaying together.
The show is made up of instantly likeable and memorable compositions. Long
journeys, made up of playful time signatures that, although they are subtly
complex, give the illusion of simple grooves. Goran's reverby trumpet floats
effortlessly over the top of it all adding a dreamy sheen. Towards the end
there is an almost aggressive, arpeggiating solo on violin and piano. When
the cymbals/ride join the trio of piano, violin, and cello, the release is
like a summer rainstorm… and the trumpet is a rainbow.(Multi-talented
violinist Josefin Runsteen also plays a mean drum n’ bass triangle.)
Upon exiting the theatre, vague negativity could be overheard in german:
"I expected more from Goran and his trumpet."
"This is just music to listen to at home."
There is simply no pleasing some people.
I enjoyed it very much.
The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters
Quasimodo
Mariam Rezaei – turntables
Mette Rasmussen – alto saxophone
Gabriele Mitelli – piccolo trumpet, electronics
Lukas König – drums, electronics
The venue permits 100 people and the view from my seat is mainly heads, but
from time to time we get a glimpse of the queen Mette Rasmussen on sax. The
spirit of the band is wild. The electro-acoustic sound is almost primal in
nature while simultaneously hypermodern; frantic and immediate.
The mix and sound in this club is surprisingly clear, despite how loud it
is- there is a lot going on sonically- it's very dense. The textural effects
add a trippy modern twist, immediate and freaky. A distorted vocal adds a
'90s grunge flavour. The crowd is super diverse: chicks with cocktails
rockin' out, long-haired musos swayin', plenty of old boys too but well
balanced with inspired, motivated youth. It’s pleasantly surprising to see
such an enthusiastic, packed-out audience – it seems crazy that a band this
intense would be so popular, but their fame is certainly well earned.
This band is totally psycho – it's just right for the environment. The
sub-bass is visceral and crushing. Berlin was made for this.
--
Nov 2, 2024
Wrens
Quasimodo
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Photo by Lea Hopp
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Ryan Easter – trumpet, electronics, vocals
Elias Stemeseder – piano, synthesizers
Lester St. Louis – cello, sound design
Jason Nazary – drums, synthesizers
An electronic-flavored jazz-hip hop fusion. Spoken-word
improv-poetry vocalist Ryan Easter is rebellious, political, and
justifiably angry. He spoke of all sorts of injustices throughout
history, using examples of jazz having stemmed from a place of
struggle. Even today, playing in these spaces in Berlin, he incites
everyone to come together to recognise and respect the history of
the genre. In response to these spoken-word elements the receptive
crowd cheered along in total support. This lyrical element created a
satisfying mesh and the suitable timbre of Ryan's voice made for an
enjoyable listening experience with a powerful context to boot.
Nazary drumming was virtuosic and very busy. Including him, each
band member had their own electronic set-up. Even Easter’s trumpet
had effects with added electronic elements to its sound, melding it
well in the mix with the other instruments. The cello sound was
slightly buried, but St. Louis also had his own sub-bass electronics
and effects which hit just right. Keyboardist Elias Stemeseder was
completely decked out with an assortment of all different sorts of
synths, a piano, and various effects. He effortlessly danced from
one to the next, creating waves of random glitches and pops,
flittering around his 360 setup like a hummingbird.
The performance had loads of good grooves, with the occasional
freakout, and peppered with original beats that the crowd was able
to get into with ease. Overall, a wonderfully unique, thoroughly
engaging show, from a diverse and exciting new band.
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2024-11-03
Artist Talks - Sylvie Courvoisier, Darius Jones, Otomo Yoshihide
Haus Der Berliner Festspiele
Darius Jones
First up to the panel, Darius told the story about getting to spend some
time staying in the Western Front; a Vancouver non-profit artist-run centre
where he was introduced to Josh Zubot's String Quintet, which left him
“blown away.” He wrote and lived there for one month, watching dancers,
poetry readings, and learning about indigenous, native American culture and
the community. For him, it was a profound experience, getting to connect and
work with “beautiful, precious musicians.”
Compositionally, Jones mixes graphic with standard notation and
improvisational notions to create "a melding within" and a “visual
experience” for the listener, asking himself the question, "How do I
distort… [the] expectation?" For the piece, "fluXkit: Vancouver," Jones
wanted the strings to be "muscular” - aggressive and not simply a support
troupe for the saxophone.
He also dropped a big announcement: "fluXkit: Köln" is officially happening.
It is planned to be centered around a piano, “prepared to the point where
it's destroyed.” They are also seeking funding for this so if you would like
to support the project, do get in touch with Mr Jones!
Sylvie Courvoisier
An essential factor for Sylvie when putting a band together is that the
players are people she just likes to be with. “Patricia [Brennan] is funny
and fun to be around.” Sylvie wants to work with people who are younger than
her, saying that, “If they are younger than me, they are better than me...
Younger musicians are faster. They can absorb any sheets.”
When writing for Chimera she was dealing with writing for a horn. On
composing for trumpet, she claims, “You write differently. You have to be
careful.” But when writing for vibraphone she confidently states: "I don't
have to be careful with Patricia!" The audience laughs, and so does
Patricia, who is watching on from the crowd. In their duo, she composed for
two "keyboards," the process made all the more easier as she and Patricia
have “similar phrasing.”
Sylvie is totally nonchalant when addressing her previous work. It’s
refreshingly down to earth to hear her refer to 2023’s exceptional “Chimera”
as “Music for stoners… like, with Fennesz and everything.” But she assures
us that tonight’s performance will be a far cry from this. “Poppy Seeds is
not for stoners – you should be more alert!”
Otomo Yoshihide
"I'm a really bad jazz player. I'm not a skilled guitarist, not much
technique, but electronics! I'm like a technician."
Otomo confessed that before 2000, he almost gave up guitar. After his 1990
band Ground Zero ended, he started thinking about new adventures. When asked
if he would be playing the guitar tonight, his response was a slightly
deflated, but obviously joking: “unfortunately.”
On the influences for his big band project: “I love American free jazz
history. [In the music] You can hear all the development from 1920 to now.”
Beyond his passion for American free jazz, Otomo talked about the experience
of going to Fukushima after the 2011 earthquake. There he worked with
non-musicians, to establish a kind of “community influence.” Traditional
“Bon dance” music was popular in these areas, and the people there wanted
them to play Bon dance music.
"In Europe, not many people know this style of music, but in Japan, it's
well known… If we can make an encore, we will play Bon dance music!"
Otomo’s big band has eighteen members normally, “Tonight… just sixteen.”
This elicits a chuckle from the audience, as the downsizing of eighteen to
sixteen still renders a mighty number of musicians on stage all at once. Not
everyone in Otomo’s band has had experience with European touring before,
but according to Otomo, traveling with a 16-piece Japanese band is still
"really fun!”
---
Darius Jones fLuXkit: Vancouver (i̶t̶s suite but sacred)
Haus der Berliner Festspiele
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Photo by Fabian Schellhorn
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Peggy Lee – cello
Jesse Zubot – violin
Josh Zubot – violin
James Meger – double bass
Gerald Cleaver – drums
Darius Jones – alto saxophone, composition
One has to wonder what the sheet music looks like, after hearing
Darius's Artist Talk. The combination of sax and strings sounds like a
gaggle of wild geese – the drums are tom-heavy and thudding, plodding,
almost militant, and methodical. Occasionally Darius wanders to the back
of the stage entirely, allowing the strings to take centre stage in
focus. He watches on proudly, and confidently. Although the beat is a
continuous pulse, this allows space for the fierce strings to do all the
talking. There is a great deal of control. It’s immediate, frantic,
percussive, commanding, and indeed "aggressive", but not violent. It’s a
statement.
"If you are with your friend tonight- squeeze them tight," is how he
introduces a song about friendship. Darius only occasionally
articulates, watching the strings tell their story of friendship in a
wonky, descending melody. This piece is dedicated to those “friends who
are really there to help you out.” It's not a happy song, but through
this crazy life, we forge our weird paths, and find our ways to work
together. Pushing through, connecting with other weirdos along the way.
Towards the middle, it's a psychotic whirlwind: a massive crescendo like
a chest-tightening panic attack. The crowd is totally engrossed. It’s
like a mayday alert as the plane is going down or some kind of screaming
alarm of danger. But when it's over, there is a soft place to fall.
There are even jovial moments on violin, like little jokes to break the
tension, and start the healing process. The friend is there at the end
to make things seem brighter and better. There is hope and clarity
beyond the most tortuous times in our lives.
And the crowd goes ape.
Negative German comment: "Das ist too much."
"Ich brauche meine 'aus zeit'" - "I need my 'out' time."
“Anstrengend. SEHR anstrengend.” - “Stressful. VERY stressful.”
Sylvie Courvoisier Poppy Seeds
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Photo by Cristina Marx/Photomusix
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Sylvie Courvoisier – piano
Patricia Brennan – vibraphone
Thomas Morgan – double bass
Dan Weiss – drum
So here it comes - “NOT music for stoners” - as Sylvie
described Poppy Seeds in her Artist Talk. Does it live up to
that proclamation? Yes, indeed, it does command attention!
The opening piece is very fast with lots of switch-ups and
sudden changes. Are you paying attention? Be alert!
Sylvie morphs from a rolling wave to a solid triangle in
stance, shifting her pose and changing moods in an instant.
Thomas Morgan plays bass with an otherworldly sensitivity.
Patricia's vibe solo has you wondering, "Who's show is this
anyway?"
And why is every Sylvie show so damn sexy? There is always
at least one song with a sultry allure… It's in her blood.
This piano was unprepared, but only in a metaphorical sense.
Her long back skirt is a glorious statement. She looks and
sounds like an icon, together with commanding song titles:
“Queen of Spades,” and “King of Hearts.”
The speedy playoffs between drummer Dan Weiss and Patricia
are accurate and articulate. Sylvie chimes in with rapid
notes from her highest register, emulating crystal icicles
melting in some secret cave. The women are the standout here
but supported by an outstanding rhythm section - it's the
friendly chemistry that makes it work. Sylvie said she only
works with people she likes to be around. The last song is a
song she wrote for her cat.
(Unfortunately I missed out on seeing Otomo Yoshihide’s big band
but I can confirm that Otomo did earn that encore, and they did
play Bon dance music!)
Part I
