Tri_an_gle trio EPK

tri_an_gle trio

 

Maria Kalnars: piano
Ian Robinson: double bass
Hervé Perez: alto saxophone

 

 

 

contact:
Maria – mariakalnarsart’at’gmail.com
Hervé – sndsukinspook’at’live.com

 

 

 

A recently formed trio of improvising musicians, double bass, sax, piano.  The music ranges from intense sparsity to blasting phrases and ethereal noise. Long, haunting melodic material is developed with interplay amongst the musicians, who gently push each other to extend their expression.  The trio move together in the musical journey, which crosses from abstraction to rhythmic episodes and develops jazz-influenced rhythms and harmony. Each player’s long experience of improvising allows for deep listening, and more exploratory soundscapes involving extended techniques, vocals and electronic treatment.

 

 

 

 

biography

Maria Kalnars

Piano, melodica, viola, voice. Maria had a classical training, including post-graduate study and musicological analysis.  She plays jazz and improvised music, and also has long experience of working in community and educational projects in London and elsewhere. She has a broad and varied range of influences from Theolonius Monk to Morton Feldman. Maria also develops graphic scores for tri_an_gle and  ifitisn’t – an improvising electronic duo with Ian Robinson. She has also produced the artwork for the mini CD cover of ifitisn’t: colophon (focused silence records), and for several other artists’ recordings.

https://ifitisnt.bandcamp.com/

Ian Robinson

Double-bass, Eurorack modular, guitars, sonic sundries. Works in jazz, improvised and experimental electronic music (ifitisn’t).  A self-taught player, his influences include electronic pioneers such as Henri Pousseur and Luc Ferrari, as well as the many great jazz bass players (Wilbur Ware to Henry Grimes and Charlie Haden) and the improvising guitarist Roger Smith (SME), long-time mentor. Current practice influenced by the philosophy and methods of the late John Stevens.

Gigs – London: fringe theatre, (Finborough Arms, Portlands). Regular performances in jazz quartet/quintet. City Lit band. Sheffield: improvised music work with Adam Woolf (as, cl), John Jasnoch (gtr), Derek Saw (tpt). Jazz and improvising duo with Maria Kalnars.

Airplay (ifitisn’t): Resonance FM, A Duck in a Tree, FSK 93.00 Hamburg, Zoviet France

https://ifitisnt.bandcamp.com/

Hervé Perez

improviser, sound and visual artist, hervé performs spontaneous compositions with saxophones and laptop, using processed field recordings. his work is influenced by practices such as jazz, electro-acoustic, contemporary music, experimental electronics, free improvisation, immersive sound art and techniques of sound therapy.

https://nexttime.bandcamp.com/

full bio – ‘about’

 

 

for bookings, please see contact above.

 

technical details

maria performs on an acoustic piano; a grand piano with access to strings prefered.

stereo PA for the use of electronics prefered, although we also play acoustic music – tbc

Sounding Out EPK

sounding out

is the practice of deep listening, a connection with the spirit of a place.

in a series of solo saxophone recordings, i connect with and explore outdoor acoustics and sacred sites, investigating the nature of space and architecture, natural topography.

drawing inspiration from the location, its environment and soundscape as well as its acoustics, the improvisations move freely between lyrical, harmonic and the more abstracted gestures of contemporary music.

both melody and extended techniques explore the way sounds resonate the space. in turn, the character of the space itself becomes instrumental in shaping the music.

more importantly, the space affects the musical content, as it were, whispering its history into the spontaneous compositions, expressing itself through my instrument.

the recordings made in-situ are documents of a point in time. they are not meant to be perfect studio recordings. they incorporate external sonic events, location sounds, interventions both outside and within the performance. the focus of this project is more on a spiritual connection with a location, and using this deep experience as a very rich catalyst for creativity.

while the music will appeal on the emotional level, the concept of the project offers many levels that will stand up to analysis. acoustics, soundscape, musical contents, the nature of the performance, the voice of the space made manifest and various interactions between all the elements make these recordings a deeply interesting and touching listening experience.

the practice of meditation has become an integral part of the process. it is a means to strengthen the connection to a sense of place, through deep listening. but also, exploring those very creative psychological dimensions, the use of meditative state, becomes an approach to performance.

links:

you will find short extracts that give a survey of the varied acoustics of many locations, where i have recorded, on soundcloud:

if you would like to listen to full tracks, this wordpress site has a section called sounding out. here, the recordings are compiled together in posts relating to specific locations or areas visited over a period of time.

my website also has a page in the field recordings section that catalogues all the spaces where i have recorded over the years.

biography:

Hervé Perez is a sound artist/composer from France, now based in Sheffield, UK.

Hervé has been composing music and performing live around Europe for over 20 years. Playing solo and in various groups, he draws from jazz, electro-acoustic, contemporary music, experimental electronics, free improvisation, immersive sound art and ancient techniques of sound therapy alike.

Hervé plays the saxophones, shakuhachi and laptop in several groups and many collaborations.

Live performances incl. Huddersfield Week of Speakers, Mantis festival in Manchester, insubordinations microfestival in Switzerland, Sheffield festival of the Mind, Mopomoso at the Vortex London, Megapolis and Dumbo Arts Festivals in New York, Jazz à Luz, Manchester Jazz festival, Marsden Jazz Festival, Out Front, etc.

Following training as a professional photographer, he completed a fine arts degree (Sheffield Hallam University) where he worked on video and sound installations.

Hervé’s research approaches sound as vibration, the relation between sound and objects or spaces, architecture and the body.

His use of field recordings and sound design is concerned with frequencies and harmonic relationships found in nature, how they relate to the physical world, and how the sounds of natural elements connect to our own resonances.

He has developed a very personal way to process and sculpt location recordings to reveal their musical features and maximise resonance with the listener and their experience of sound.

With a focus on collaboration and the immediacy of live work, Hervé has performed with artists whose practice is immersed in free improvisation and jazz, closely working with Mick Beck (sax, bassoon), Martin Archer (winds, el.), Peter Fairclough (drums), Philip Thomas (piano), Jez Riley-French (el.), Ian Simpson (el.), Charlie Collins (drums), Walt Shaw (el, perc), Constantin Popp (live processing, diffusion), Shaun Blezzard (electro), etc. in the UK

And also Michel Doneda (sop sax), Jonas Kocher (accordion), Simon Berz (dr, el.), Rodolphe Loubatiere (dr), d’Incise (el, objects), Cyril Bondi (dr), Heddy Boubaker (sax), Cia Barbet (dance), Joe Formanek (dr, el), Roger Mills (trumpet, el), Henri Herteman (p, trombone), Guy Bayssac (dr), Marin Beranger (p), Mark Alban Lotz (fl) etc. in Europe.

On acoustic instruments, hervé moves freely between abstract sounds and harmonic work, influenced by contemporary music, minimalism, noise, jazz and the practice of free improvisation.

He currently practices creative ways to develop musical narratives in improvisation. looking at both theoretical and practical approaches to music and performance, he has developed a method to weave melodic or harmonic paths in order to navigate outside of established structures, while maintaining a sense of evolving melody.

photographs for promoters:

Mirror Shards EPK

mirror shards:

joe formanek – drums, laptop
hervé perez – alto saxophone

contact:

sndsukinspook_at_live.com
info_at_latermusic.com

Mirror Shards is the project of Joe Formanek, multi-tasking on drums, live processing, electroacoustic techniques and DJing to perform a fluent orchestration of improvisation and composition.

Hervé Perez features on alto saxophone bringing a highly individualised style of jazz melody, extended techniques and contemporary harmonic rhythms in a single honed voice.

The group balances the use of technology and interfaces into the exciting movements of live spontaneous composition. The two strong voices of multidisciplinary artists and powerful improvisers performing with laptops keep alive the performative aspect of playing acoustic instruments.

Drawing from both traditional and non-traditional backgrounds, and a long experience of both composition and performance, Mirror Shards is an exciting reflection of new directions in jazz.

Mirror Shards started with Hawaiian composer / improviser Joe Formanek’s creation of two unique innovations: What he calls “Percussionist 2.0” and improvising with history using a database.  Percussionist 2.0 was the result of an attempt to create an instrument in which a percussionist could fluently express himself acoustically and digitally via DSP.  However, while doing the acoustic input and the digital output is usually done by two as common practice, the Mirror Shards apparatus is an attempt to do both actions simultaneously.  This new instrument proved to be more than just an instrument but a new way to play percussion. It now seems like the natural step in the evolution of percussion, as doing these functions at the same time -instrumental and digital manipulation – feels percussive.  After several layered improvisations a database of recordings came about, and within it an organized recorded history of all the improvisations which have been all based on older improvisations.  With it a sense of time, mood, and a progression of wisdom seem to all mix and blend with each new play, resulting in a constantly improving richness of the myriad of the Self.

Biography:

Joe Formanek

Improviser and composer, Joe Formanek employs an electro-acoustic apparatus, Mirror Shards, which is at once a drumset-laptop using digital signal processing and a history-database DJ station.

A large collection of recorded material are at a fingers touch during a performance. Central to the concept of Mirror Shards is a layering of samples and digital processing which confront the live sound with past events.

The experience of “driving” the apparatus is a surreal encounter with one’s previous stages of artistic development, forcing a critical reflection and interaction with one’s past.

Joe Formanek has been involved with Francisco Lopez (composer), Chris Formanek (composer), François Ducat (film director), Kouta (composer), and Hervé Perez (sax, composer).

Hervé Perez

sound artist/composer/performer from France, now based in Sheffield, UK.

Hervé has been composing music and performing live around europe for 20 years. Playing solo and in various groups, he draws from jazz, electro-acoustic, contemporary music, experimental electronics, free improvisation, immersive sound art and ancient techniques of sound therapy alike.

His research approaches sound as vibration, the relation between sound and objects or spaces, architecture and the body.

On the soprano saxophone, Hervé focuses on extended techniques and abstract peripheral sounds structural to the instrument as a physical resonant object. His work on alto merges traditional and jazz harmonic approaches with extended techniques and multiphonics.

Sounding out, one of his current projects, is an exploration of architecture, outdoor acoustics and sacred sites. Documents of in situ improvisations, inspired by the spirit and the special characteristics of a location.

With a focus on collaboration and interaction, Hervé has performed with artists whose practice is immersed in free improvisation, closely working with Mick Beck (sax, bassoon), Martin Archer (winds, el.), Philip Thomas (piano), Jez Riley-French (el.), Ian Simpson (el.), Charlie Collins (drums), Constantin Popp (live processing, diffusion), etc. in the UK and also Michel Doneda (sop sax), Jonas Kocher (accordion), Simon Berz (dr, el.), Rodolphe Loubatiere (dr), d’Incise (el, objects), Cyril Bondi (dr), Heddy Boubaker (sax), Cia Barbet (dance), Joe Formanek (dr, el) in Europe.

current projects:
sounding out – explorations of outdoor acoustics, sacred sites with the soprano saxophone, investigating the nature of space and architecture, natural topography.
room harmonics – experimental recording technique using sound to represent architecture and spatial relationships
”The quartet”, contemporary jazz improvisation
“inclusion principle”, duo with martin archer (discus label) – electroacoustic improvisations with laptops, winds, objects
“Mirror Shards” EAi to melodic jazz with Joe Formanek (drums and live processing)
“weave/unravel”, duo with constantin popp – soprano sax, processing, multi-speaker diffusion
“WHM” minimal improv/free jazz trio.
“kipple”, free jazz/improv sextet
“Ethernet Orchestra” networked improvisations by Roger Mills
“Graphic Ships” generative graphic score for networked improvisations by Jesse Ricke

technical details / requirements:

drums – 2/3 mikes+stands
electronics – 2 channels stereo out
sax – 1/2 mikes+stands
optional: feed from saxophone into electronic setup via 1/4 inch jack

further links:

joe

http://latermusic.com/

.

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hervé

main website:
http://www.spacers.lowtech.org/herve

electroacoustic music:

acoustic sax:

further documentation of collaborative work:

other site with audio, visual and text work:
https://nexttimestudio.wordpress.com