Best albums of 2016 - version audiendi.com

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Fogh Depot - TURMALINTURM



Fogh Depot
FOGH DEPOT - TURMALINTURM
FOGH DEPOT - TURMALINTURM
FOGH DEPOT - TURMALINTURM

Released: November 21, 2016
Label: Denovali Records, DEN 268CD

This album imparts a new, architectural dimension to Fogh Depot's music. A fortress named 'Turmalinturm' rises from a solid foundation of jazz, neoclassical minimalism, and experimental electronica. But the sophistication of the fortress' towers makes one suspect that each had its own architect. 'Quicksilver Spoon' is virtually flawless in geometric form. 'Who The Last Says No' is so fragile and delicate that it is a miracle it does not collapse. 'Oscar' is perhaps the most complex and substantial tower of the ensemble. 'Alice, Bob & Cypher' has a secret of its own in the old vaulted underground crypt. One of the structures is topped with a Gorgoneion, a stone head of Medusa. Another houses a bell tower borrowed straight from Rachmaninoff's Suite No. 1.

Fogh Depot is a trio from Moscow, Russia, who makes music that incorporates elements of nu jazz, hip-hop, doom jazz and live-electronic. Baritone sax, double bass, drums, samplers and a whole lot of stomp boxes and effects.



THE EYE OF TIME - MYTH I : A LAST DANCE FOR THE THINGS WE LOVE



THE EYE OF TIME
THE EYE OF TIME - MYTH I : A LAST DANCE FOR THE THINGS WE LOVE
THE EYE OF TIME - MYTH I : A LAST DANCE FOR THE THINGS WE LOVE
THE EYE OF TIME - MYTH I : A LAST DANCE FOR THE THINGS WE LOVE

Released: October 21, 2016
Label: Denovali Records 2017

THE EYE OF TIME is the solo-project of French musician Marc Euvrie. Euvrie's musical development is deeply connected with the French DIY punk and hardcore scene, though he has been classically trained as well.
MYTH is a word with ambiguous meanings in the dictionary, but all these lead to the same conclusion. The Eye of Time's MYTH trilogy is about the path that humanity took over the ages and about how we could tell this epic story. We could decide to see things on the bright side, or to a have a more dramatical (in the literal sense) look on it. Like if one species is looking at another, and in a different era. MYTH is a feedback to the tragical events of our time, to what people have to endure nowadays in order to survive, as well as the refugees travels, and the resistance against capitalism that is growing all over the world. MYTH is also a particular way to see things, to take sides with history. When we talk about ancient political activists and revolutionaries, resistances to the established order, we make the choice to transform it into a myth, a history full of heroes. But the past is the present. And our present will be the past again. It is on us to take action in order to avoid our inevitable end.
Marc Euvrie recorded “MYTH I : A last dance for the things we love" completely on his own. Being away from home, dealing with family issues, his music served him as deep introspection about himself and the world. An introspection impregnated with minimalistic moments, where piano and cello write the story of loneliness and calm. At the same time evolving dramaturgies emerge, driven by rumbling beats, accompanied by both grim and hopeful melodies; just to be aware that irrationality gives birth to our myths and that myths, in turn, affect our very own existence.



Tilman Robinson - Deer Heart



Tilman Robinson
Tilman Robinson - Deer Heart
Tilman Robinson - Deer Heart
Tilman Robinson - Deer Heart

Released: October 14, 2016
Label: Hobbledehoy Record Co.

Tilman Robinson is a composer, producer and sound designer based in Melbourne.

Composed and produced by Tilman Robinson
Violin: Una Sveinbjarnardóttir
Viola: Þórunn Ósk Marinósdóttir
Cello: Júlía Mogensen
Bass: Borgar Magnason
Clarinet/Bass Clarinet: Jóel Pálsson
Percussion: Frank Aarnink
Ondes Martenot on 'Orison': Jacob Abela
All other instruments, field recordings and body sounds: Tilman Robinson


Aleksandra Vrebalov & Kronos Quartet - The Sea Ranch Songs



Kronos Quartet
Aleksandra Vrebalov & Kronos Quartet - The Sea Ranch Songs
Aleksandra Vrebalov & Kronos Quartet - The Sea Ranch Songs
Aleksandra Vrebalov & Kronos Quartet - The Sea Ranch Songs

Released: September 30, 2016.

Commissioned for the Kronos Quartet by the community of The Sea Ranch in celebration of the famed California seaside retreat’s 50th birthday, composer Aleksandra Vrebalov’s The Sea Ranch Songs connects with the spirit, nature, and architecture of this magical place — a grand experiment in environmental stewardship, land development and intentional community planning...
“The Sea Ranch idea on a global scale might be utopian,” Vrebalov writes in her liner notes, “but through music, we praise its beauty and affirm its urgent relevance in our wounded world, so much in need of healing.”

Bugge Wesseltoft - Somewhere In Between



Bugge Wesseltoft
Bugge Wesseltoft - Somewhere In Between
Bugge Wesseltoft - Somewhere In Between
Bugge Wesseltoft - Somewhere In Between

Released: September 30, 2016.
Label: Jazzland Recordings

New Conception of Jazz: 12 years of work starting to fuse my jazz background with newly discovered electronic clubmusic.
Endresen/Wesseltoft: Working my way into the musical world of Sidsel Endresen. What a journey! OkWorld!: about inspiration from other musical sources. World music. A lovely place to be. Bugge and Friends: Mixing great artists and friends from different worlds.
Kraggerud/Wesseltoft: both of us wanted to improvise with classical and folk music. Wesseltoft/Schwarz: Learning from a master in electronic music.



Kimmo Pohjonen - Sensitive Skin



Kimmo Pohjonen
Kimmo Pohjonen - Sensitive Skin
Kimmo Pohjonen - Sensitive Skin

Released: September 29,.2016.
Label: Ondine Octopus ‎– OCTO 413-2

With Sensitive Skin, Pohjonen continues to push boundaries, exploring and creating innovative and inimitable compositions. To bring the album to life, Pohjonen invited a stellar cast of guests to lend a hand including Kronos Quartet (string quartet), Tuomas Norvio (electronics), Samuli Kosminen (drums, percussion), Timo Kämäräinen (guitar, bouzouki), Sami Kuoppamäki (drums), Arto Järvelä (nyckelharpa), Inka and Saana Pohjonen (vocals), Ismo Alanko (vocals) and Lauri Porra (bass).
SENSITIVE SKIN #1 ON WMCE FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE MONTH - Kimmo Pohjonen’s new album Sensitive Skin (Octopus / Ondine), remains in the top position, #1 on the February WMCE world music chart, the second consecutive month.

Jan Swerts - Schaduwland



Jan Swerts
Jan Swerts - Schaduwland
Jan Swerts - Schaduwland

Released: September 23, 2016.
Label: Universal Music LLC.

Jan Swerts hat Tragisches erlebt: Erst verließ er seine Familie nach einer Reihe gesundheitlicher Schicksalsschläge, bei seiner Rückkehr erfuhr er dann, dass seine Mutter gestorben war. Aus dieser schmerzlichen Erfahrung bezog der Künstler die Inspiration und das Material für sein drittes Album Schaduwland. – ein Album, das er selbst als „neoklassischen, trostlosen Soundtrack einer nach der großen Katastrophe zum Zombie gewordenen Existenz“ bezeichnet. Read more.
Musicians: Jan Swerts: piano & voice; Kevin Imbrechts (Illuminine): guitar & elektronics; Gianni Marzo (Marble Sounds, Isbells): guitaar; Karen Willems (Inwolves, Yuko): drum; Beatrijs De Klerck (Illuminine): violin; Cedric Murrath (Hooverphonic): violin; Sam Faes: cello; Joeri Vaerendonck: contrabass

Jan Swerts Live at AB - Ancienne Belgique (79 min)

Dhafer Youssef - Diwan of Beauty and Odd



Dhafer Youssef
Dhafer Youssef - Diwan of Beauty and Odd
Dhafer Youssef - Diwan of Beauty and Odd

Released: September 20, 2016 br> Label: Okeh Records

Oud, Vocal – Dhafer Youssef
Bass – Ben Williams
Drums – Mark Guiliana
Piano – Aaron Parks
Trumpet – Ambrose Akinmusire

The Tunisian singer and oud-player Dhafer Youssef once said quite spontaneously “There is no prototype for beauty”. This disarmingly unconditional statement is in fact sufficient to sum up the motivation and sound of his new album Diwan Of Beauty & Odd.

Dhafer Youssef à l’Olympia

Jóhann Jóhannsson - Orphee



Jóhann Jóhannsson
Jóhann Jóhannsson - Orphee
Jóhann Jóhannsson - Orphee

Released: September 16, 2016
Label: Deutsche Grammophon.

Jóhann Jóhannsson, Anthony Weeden and Air Lyndhurst String Orchestra – By the Roes, and by the Hinds of the Field – Contemporary Classical Music – Orphée
Orphée shows the full range of the Icelandic composer’s remarkable invention and uncanny feeling for atmosphere. The music of the entire album is tied together structurally by recurring harmonic and melodic elements, yet each track sounds fresh, evocative and unique.
Composer: Jóhann Jóhannsson

Preview, download or stream: https://dg.lnk.to/JohannssonOrphee

Sven Helbig - I EAT the SUN and DRINK the RAIN



Sven Helbig
Sven Helbig - I EAT the SUN and DRINK the RAIN
Sven Helbig - I EAT the SUN and DRINK the RAIN
Sven Helbig - I EAT the SUN and DRINK the RAIN

Released: September 09, 2016
Label: Neue Meister.

Sven Helbig
Kristjan Järvi Vocalconsort Berlin

I Eat The Sun And Drink The Rain is a work for choir and live electronics. Sven Helbig has created a concept album in which he appears both as composer and as author of almost all the song texts. Over the course of ten pieces he weaves a loose narrative that addresses pressing questions of the present day.
The powerfully resonant work suspends delicate choral passages above pulsating synthesizers. Sublime a cappella chords spread out above digitally created sounds, in perfect balance between choir and electronics.

Sven Helbig - I Eat the Sun and Drink the Rain - Trailer

Philip Clemo - Dream Maps



Philip Clemo
Philip Clemo - Dream Maps
Philip Clemo - Dream Maps
Philip Clemo - Dream Maps

Released: September 09, 2016
Label: All Colours Arts.

Philip Clemo w. Arve Henriksen, Evi Vine & band - 'Dream Maps' launch
Band:
Philip Clemo (guitar, voice, soundscapes, keys, theremin); Arve Henriksen (trumpet, voice); Evi Vine (voice); Sarah Homer (clarinet, bass clarinet); Emily Burridge (cello); Steven Hill (guitar); Simon Edwards (bass); Martyn Barker (drums).
Visuals from Philip Clemo's Breath Project, produced by perfectmotion and Animal Monday.


Philip Clemo w. Arve Henriksen, Evi Vine & band - 'Dream Maps' launch
jazzahead! 2018 - Philip Clemo 'Dream Maps'

TIGRAN HAMASYAN, ARVE HENRIKSEN, EIVIND AARSET, JAN BANG - ATMOSPHÈRES



TIGRAN HAMASYAN
ARVE HENRIKSEN
EIVIND AARSET
JAN BANG
TIGRAN HAMASYAN, ARVE HENRIKSEN, EIVIND AARSET, JAN BANG - ATMOSPHÈRES
TIGRAN HAMASYAN, ARVE HENRIKSEN, EIVIND AARSET, JAN BANG - ATMOSPHÈRES

Released: September 02, 2016
Label: ECM, ECM 2414/15

FEATURED ARTISTS:
Tigran Hamasyan Piano
Arve Henriksen Trumpet
Eivind Aarset Guitar
Jan Bang Samples, Live Sampling

This far-reaching double album, recorded and mixed in three days in Lugano, introduces a new group with Tigran Hamasyan, Arve Henriksen, Eivind Aarset and Jan Bang. The Norwegians had played in diverse configurations on ECM - Jan Bang on Eivind Aarset’s Dream Logic, for instance, and Bang and Aarset on Arve Henriksen’s Cartography - but with Hamasyan at the centre of the sound, bringing with him ancient folk melodies transfigured in the compositions of Komitas, other inspirations come into play. All four players are at a creative peak here, whether freely reflecting upon Armenian themes or spontaneously shaping atmospheric soundscapes together.

ECM 2414/15

Murcof / Vanessa Wagner - Statea



Murcof
Vanessa Wagner
Murcof / Vanessa Wagner - Statea
Murcof / Vanessa Wagner - Statea
Murcof / Vanessa Wagner - Statea

Released: September. 2016
Label: InFiné

Ambient and Modern Classical | Murcof: electronics; Vanessa Wagner: piano

Appearing unusual at first, this collaboration between Mexican Ambient figurehead Fernando Corona (better known as Murcof) and multi-award winning French classical pianist Vanessa Wagner surrenders a sublime logic. Both classically trained, their career paths took different trajectories, but converged toward the same enthusiasm when it comes to minimalism. While the sounds are new, Statea features interpretations of work from John Cage, Philip Glass, Arvo Pärt, Erik Satie & Aphex Twin. Now while most of you will know the odd tune here and there, the true beauty of this LP is how it translates these classic compositions and shoots them through a glass prism to produce entirely new versions of much loved classics.


Eple Trio - Live in Kulturkirken, Jakob



Eple Trio
Eple Trio - Live in Kulturkirken, Jakob

Released: August 31, 2016
Label: Shipwreckords

Live in Kulturkirken Jakob (Oslo, NO) 2011
Andreas Ulvo - pno
Sigurd Hole - bs
Jonas Howden Sjøvaag - drs


Eple Trio - Live in Sendesaal Bremen



Eple Trio
Eple Trio - Live in Sendesaal Bremen

Released: August 31, 2016
Label: Shipwreckords

Jonas Sjøvaag - drums,
Andreas Ulvo - piano,
Sigurd Hole - bass

Eple trio is a Norwegian contemporary jazz trio playing their own original music. The group have been playing together for several years, slowly developing musical interaction and expanding the soundscape and possibilities of the modern trio.

Marc Buronfosse ÆGN - ÆGN Aigaio



Marc Buronfosse - ÆGN
Marc Buronfosse ÆGN - ÆGN Aigaio
Marc Buronfosse ÆGN - ÆGN Aigaio

Released: August 26, 2016
Label: Abalone Productions

Andreas Polyzogopoulos - trompette & electronics
Marc-Antoine Perrio - guitare & electronics
Stéphane Tsapis - claviers & electronics
Arnaud Biscay - batterie & voix
Marc Buronfosse - Fender VI bass & electronics
+ Guests: Jean-Philippe Carlot - voix; Spiros Balios - voix & violon; Jean-Charles Richard - soprano saxophone.

On le sait Ulysse ne voulait pas partir. S'il n'avait tenu qu'à lui, il serait resté à Ithaque, aux pieds de Pénélope, à voir grandir Télémaque et à cultiver son champ. Il serait resté là, devant l'eau et le petit vent, à contempler le temps. Son voyage aurait été tout autre, essentiellement intérieur, mais sans doute aussi poignant. Il se serait conformé à cet éternel recommencement qui caractérise l'Ulysse de l'écrivain-voyageur Nicolas Bouvier : Chaque soir tu regardes la timbale du soleil plonger en hurlant dans la mer pommelée. ... more.


Marina Baranova - Hypersuites



Marina Baranova
Marina Baranova - Hypersuites
Marina Baranova - Hypersuites

Released: August 26, 2016
Label: Berlin Classics.
Genre: Baroque, Piano Music

The original idea of combining different pieces into suites came from my close friendship with some great DJs. I like the way the pieces flow into one another, as they do on a mix tape, and create a new context. My Hypersuites are acoustic remixes of great Baroque composers,” says pianist and composer Marina Baranova of her new album. And what makes her Hypersuites sound the way they do is their use of stylistic devices borrowed from the Baroque. After all, improvisation and variation were an integral part of music-making in the Baroque era. Composers like François Couperin, Johann Sebastian Bach, Jean-Philippe Rameau and George Frideric Handel made frequent use of these techniques.

Estas Tonne - MOTHER OF SOULS soundscape of life ONE Heart Family



Estas Tonne
Estas Tonne - MOTHER OF SOULS soundscape of life ONE Heart Family
Estas Tonne - MOTHER OF SOULS soundscape of life ONE Heart Family
Estas Tonne - MOTHER OF SOULS soundscape of life ONE Heart Family

Released: August 11, 2016
Soundscape of life

Mother of Souls is a Soundtrack of Life that was recorded LIVE as a Sound Journey and expanded into countless mirrors of emotions and rebirths.
A Soundtrack of Life which has been originally recorded LIVE as a SOUND JOURNEY.
With 24 artists from all over the world adding their flavours of Sound, Word and Voices to this Exquisite Experience.
With Liat Zion, Estas Tonne, Joseph Pepe Danza, Peter Moore, Dimitri Artemenko, Neptune Chapotin, Zola Dubnikova, Shacham Zacharin, Artur Krasnobaev, Elyasaf Bashari, Andris Grunte, Alexander Ostapenko, Ilya Bobrovsky, Roy Brosh, Réka Fodor, Dana Indane, Liron Meyuhas, Yonatan Bar Rashi, Michael Shulman, Vishni Devi, Martin Etcheverry, Ezequel Etcheverry, Joe Sha Shaty, Leon Galperin.
(C) All this music intended for a personal experience and sharing!

Mother of Souls (FULL ALBUM) Estas Tonne & One Heart Family


The Magical Forest | Sinikka Langeland, Arve Henriksen, Trygve Seim, Anders Jormin, Markku Ounaskari, Trio Mediaeval



Arve Henriksen
Trygve Seim
Sinikka Langeland
The Magical Forest | Sinikka Langeland, Arve Henriksen, Trygve Seim, Anders Jormin, Markku Ounaskari, Trio Mediaeval
The Magical Forest | Sinikka Langeland, Arve Henriksen, Trygve Seim, Anders Jormin, Markku Ounaskari, Trio Mediaeval
The Magical Forest | Sinikka Langeland, Arve Henriksen, Trygve Seim, Anders Jormin, Markku Ounaskari, Trio Mediaeval

Released: July 29, 2016
Label: ECM, ECM 2448

FEATURED ARTISTS:
Sinikka Langeland Kantele, Vocals; Arve Henriksen Trumpet; Trygve Seim Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone; Anders Jormin Double Bass; Markku Ounaskari Percussion
Trio Mediaeval: Anna Maria Friman Vocals; Berit Opheim Vocals; Linn Andrea Fuglseth Vocals

The colours of The Magical Forest glow in this remarkable recording which brings together Sinikka Langeland’s Norwegian-Finnish-Swedish Starflowers quintet with the singers of the Trio Mediӕval. It’s an inspired concept: the Trio Mediӕval, with their affinity for folk music and their unique vocal blend, adapt themselves ideally to Sinikka’s sound-world, which is once archaic, timeless and contemporary. The quintet members, all bandleaders in their own right, are amongst the most characterful players in Scandinavia today, and Sinikka sets them free to improvise around her cycle of songs, built upon myths and legends of the world tree. The Magical Forest was recorded at Oslo’s Rainbow Studio in February 2015, and produced by Manfred Eicher.

Arve Henriksen, Hilmar Jensson, Skúli Sverrisson ‎– Saumur



Arve Henriksen
Arve Henriksen, Hilmar Jensson, Skúli Sverrisson ‎– Saumur
Arve Henriksen, Hilmar Jensson, Skúli Sverrisson ‎– Saumur

Released: July 2016
Label: Mengi

Arve Henriksen: Trumpet, voice, electronics
Hilmar Jensson: Guitar
Skúli Sverrisson: Bass
Music by Arve Henriksen, Hilmar Jensson and Skúli Sverrisson

Nominated ‘Record of the Year’ in Jazz and Blues category at The Iceland Music Awards 2016.
Nominated ‘Performer of the Year’ in Jazz and Blues category at The Iceland Music Awards 2016.
Nominated for The Nordic Music Prize in 2016. Got an honorable mention at Nordic Music Prize.
”A very emotive, ambient-laden experimental jazz album. A spiritual and beautiful piece, evoking the spirits of Talk Talk and David Sylvian. Skúli and Hilmar are long standing members of the international “outer limits” jazz world, with roots in the 90’s NY downtown scene. Here they are joined by Norwegian trumpeter and singer Arve Henriksen in a truly nordic mood”. Phonofile Nordic Music Prize Nordic jury.

Sven Helbig - "Pocket Symphonies [Electronica]



Sven Helbig
Sven Helbig - "Pocket Symphonies [Electronica]
Sven Helbig - "Pocket Symphonies [Electronica]
Sven Helbig - "Pocket Symphonies [Electronica]

Released: June 17, 2016
Label: Neue Meister

Sven Helbig writes symphonies for the here and now: Orchestra meets Electronics in Song format The Pocket Symphonies are a coherent cycle of 12 compositions for orchestra and piano quartet in which the composer Sven Helbig pursues the idea of creating symphonic pearls in the form of songs: short, catchy and yet possessing the impact and depth of great classical symphonies. The Pocket Symphonies were recorded by the MDR Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Kristjan Järvi and with the Fauré Quartet as soloists. A purely acoustic production of the Pocket Symphonies was released back in 2012 on the Deutsche Grammophon label, though Sven Helbig has radically adapted the recordings for his solo concerts.


Christine Ott - ONLY SILENCE REMAINS



Christine Ott
Christine Ott - ONLY SILENCE REMAINS
Christine Ott - ONLY SILENCE REMAINS
Christine Ott - ONLY SILENCE REMAINS

Released: May, 2016
Label: Gizeh records

Christine Ott: Piano, Ondes Martenot, harmonic tubes, harmonium, percussion, vocals, Jupiter8, timpani, tubular bells. Disaster lyrics by Christine Ott.
Additional musicians:
Justine Charlet - Harpsichord (1) / Jerome Fohrer - Double bass (1,4) / Anil Eraslan - Cello (2,7) / Olivier Maurel - Vibraphone (2) / Francesco Rees - Drums (4) /Servovalve - Soundscapes (8) / Casey Brown - Spoken voice (8)

Christine Ott - Szczecin (session solo)


Régis Huby 4tet - Equal Crossing



Régis Huby
Régis Huby 4tet - Equal Crossing

Released: May 27, 2016

Régis Huby 4tet:
Régis Huby: Violins, Electronics, Compositions
Marc Ducret: Guitars
Bruno Angelini: Piano, Fender Rhodes, Little Phatty, Electronics
Michele Rabbia: Percussions, Electronics

La suite Equal Crossing, en trois mouvements, scindés eux-même en deux ou trois parties, est au croisement entre musique classique, musique contemporaine, jazz et rock progressif dans ses aspects les plus électriques: une musique qui jette des "ponts imaginaires" (Imaginary Bridges est le titre du Mouvement III, Part 1)...


Ceeys - THE GRUNEWALD CHURCH SESSION



Ceeys
Ceeys - THE GRUNEWALD CHURCH SESSION
Ceeys - THE GRUNEWALD CHURCH SESSION
Ceeys - THE GRUNEWALD CHURCH SESSION

Released: April 22, 2016
Label: 1631 Recordings.

CEEYS are the brothers Sebastian and Daniel Selke, an instrumental duo from Berlin, performing experimental but accessible compositions and improvisations. Their sound is primarily defined by the interplay of cello and piano infused with authentic electronic gear and instruments from the Cold War period especially from the former GDR. They create handmade percussive noise from the instrument’s acoustic material potential and process it with numerous live effects. Classically trained, they take more influences from jazz, minimal, ambient and pop.
Their debut, THE GRUNEWALD CHURCH SESSION, stays true to this idea and is a first recording of the duo’s live setup in a church. Cello and a Boesendorfer Imperial are the main components.
CEEYS - Hover, Over, Me

Ceeys - THE GRUNEWALD CHURCH SESSION

Pulsar Trio – Cäthes Traum



Pulsar Trio
Pulsar Trio – Cäthes Traum

Released: April 08, 2016
Label: T3 Records

Beate Wein - piano
Matyas Wolter - sitar & surbahar (bass sitar)
Aaron Christ - drums

Pulsar Trio - Broklegs Fall

Emil Brandqvist Trio - Falling Crystals



Emil Brandqvist Trio
Emil Brandqvist Trio - Falling Crystals
Emil Brandqvist Trio - Falling Crystals
Emil Brandqvist Trio - Falling Crystals

Released: April 01, 2016
Label: Skip Records

Emil Brandqvist Trio:
Emil Brandqvist - drums, composition
Tuomas Turunen - piano
Max Thornberg - bass

Since the release of the debut album Breathe Out (2013), Emil Brandqvist Tio have established a position as one of Europe’s most exciting jazz trios. The group’s records have been hailed; Seascapes (2015) was nominated for an Echo award in Germany and Falling Crystals (2016) was listed at number 7 on the German jazz list. The 2018 release of Within a Dream was met with raving reviews and peaked at no. 3 on the German jazz list.

Falling Crystals - Emil Brandqvist Trio

Per Oddvar Johansen - Let's Dance



Per Oddvar Johansen
Per Oddvar Johansen - Let's Dance
Per Oddvar Johansen - Let's Dance
Per Oddvar Johansen - Let's Dance

Released: March 25, 2016
Label: Edition Records

Per Oddvar Johansen - drums
Helge Lien - piano
Torben Snekkestad - saxophones

Meditative, beautiful, stately and austere, the songs on Let’s Dance are the product of a finely tuned musicianship, developing along an organic and entirely natural and unique path, each intensely satisfying and fulfilling. Per Oddvar’s propulsive rhythms underlie each tune but never attempt to dominate. If there is a dance to be danced it’s a tranquil, dignified and sedate dance – a folk dance celebrating a grave and solemn moment.


Benjamin Faugloire Project ‎– Birth



Benjamin Faugloire Project
Benjamin Faugloire Project ‎– Birth
Benjamin Faugloire Project ‎– Birth

Released: March 11, 2016

“An album which listens to and takes everything in the trail, an album which, in another life would have been able to be a movie, a ballet or a novel, so much it is the intimate reflection of the one who is the author.”
“Un album qui s’écoute d’une traite et emporte tout dans son sillage, un album qui, dans une autre vie aurait pu être un film, un ballet ou un roman, tant il est le reflet intime de celui qui en est l’auteur.”
Vincent Bessières,Journaliste JAZZNEWS

Beautiful Day For a Birth:: BFP :: BIRTH 2016.

Stefan Rusconi / Tobias Preisig ‎– Levitation



Stefan Rusconi / Tobias Preisig
Stefan Rusconi / Tobias Preisig ‎– Levitation
Stefan Rusconi / Tobias Preisig ‎– Levitation
Stefan Rusconi / Tobias Preisig ‎– Levitation

Released: March 11, 2016
Label: Qilin Records

Recorded in the Gothic church of Saint-Étienne in Cully, Switzerland by the duo of Tobias Preisig and Stefan Rusconi on violin and organ respectively, Levitation sets out to do just what its title suggests, albeit subtly and in a reflexive mood.
Thanks to the close miking, the sounds the pair extract from their instruments are examined and extracted in peculiar detail, and their respective tones and timbres are heard on record here from a somewhat unusual perspective. This is especially true of the church organ, with microphones placed inside and around it with sometimes surprising results. Likewise, the amplification and echo applied to Preisig’s violin allows him to reach an even greater dynamic range on the strings and body alike, swooping and sliding in the higher parts as well as the low... Read more.

Hiromi - Spark



Hiromi
Hiromi - Spark
Hiromi - Spark

Released: March 1, 2016
Label: Telarc International Corporation

『ヴォイス』(2011年)、『MOVE』(2012年)、『ALIVE』(2014年)に続く、アンソニー・ジャクソン(contrabass guitar)~サイモン・フィリップス(drums)という世界最高峰のプレイヤーと組んでいる「ザ・トリオ・プロジェクト」の第4弾となる、待望の最新作!
前2作に続き、今回も収録曲はすべて上原ひろみのオリジナル。人が何かに火花が散るような強い衝撃を受けることで、そこから展開される物語をアルバム一枚で表現した、ドラマティックな作品となっています。
ワールドツアーの合間の2015年10月中旬にコネチカットで録音。2010年の結成以来、足かけ5年にわたって世界中をツアーしてきたトリオならではの絶対的な信頼感に支えられた以心伝心のコンビネーションは、圧倒的なパワーとスケール感をもって聴き手を包み込みます。ライヴ感あふれる演奏の中に、ザ・トリオ・プロジェクトのさらなる可能性と弾けるエネルギーがぎっしりと詰まった、紛れもない最高傑作です。

NILS FRAHM's NONKEEN - The Gamble



NILS FRAHM's NONKEEN
NILS FRAHM's NONKEEN - The Gamble
NILS FRAHM's NONKEEN - The Gamble

Released: February 05, 2016
Label: R&S Records (RS1601)

German composer Nils Frahm has linked up with childhood friends Frederic Gmeiner & Sebastian Singwald to release “the gamble”
Now going by the name nonkeen, the trio first met at primary school in a rural suburb of Hamburg. As kids, they would make their own radio shows on rudimentary tape machine, with Frahm and his friend Frederic Gmeiner joined by East German schoolboy Sebastian Singwald in the summer of 1989 when he came over the border on an exchange with his athletics team.
Throughout the 90s they would send each other their recordings, meeting each summer to perform their own material. Much later, with all three living in Berlin, they resolved to pick up their instruments again and began recording long experimental sessions in Singwald’s basement, adding parts to some of their childhood recordings and sampling others. The band refused to practise songs or record multiple takes, but they would pick their favourite passages and bounce them to computer to stitch them together. After eight years they decided they had finally finished an album.
http://www.randsrecords.com/releases/nonkeen-the-gamble

Knut Bjornar Asphol - Tabloid Red



Knut Bjornar Asphol
Knut Bjornar Asphol - Tabloid Red
Knut Bjornar Asphol - Tabloid Red

Realisedd: February 2016

As a guitarist, in his solo albums, particularly "Mnemonic" (2011) and "Wilderness Exit" (2013), Knut Bjørnar Asphol tended to follow in the footsteps of Norwegian greats such as Jan Garbarek, Terje Rypdal or Nils Petter Molvær; today, he relies entirely on moods and atmosphere. "Tabloid Red" is an ambient album best described as reminiscent of the classic works of Brian Eno. Perhaps it should be kept in mind that Asphol completed his musical studies in Oslo with a pioneering work on sound distortion and today is a true master of dignified sound manipulation. On the nine tracks of "Tabloid Red", his guitar playing is transformed into mostly spherical soundscapes, some – as with "The Silver Thread" – featuring everyday sounds, or else with percussive elements worked into the mix by way of sampling and programming. Only two pieces, "Lunar" and "Vertical", are pure guitar-solo songs, and yet they defy classification with any particular style.
"Tabloid Red" is Knut Bjørnar Asphol's most experimental work to date. It is an ambient gem of solemn beauty, one that requires a great deal of time and idiosyncratically leads us to rediscover the beauty of slowness. Norwegian mood!

HÉLÈNE GRIMAUD - Water



HÉLÈNE GRIMAUD
HÉLÈNE GRIMAUD - Water
HÉLÈNE GRIMAUD - Water

Released: January 29, 2016
Label: Deutsche Grammophon.

Empfohlener Track: CD 1 / Track 5
Gabriel Urbain Fauré war ein französischer Komponist des Fin de siècle. Wie die Nocturnes, ziehen sich auch die Barkarolen fast durch Faurés gesamte Karriere. Sie zeigen in ähnlicher Weise die Entwicklung seines Stils von dem unkomplizierten Charme der frühen Stücke zu der zurückgezogenen und rätselhafte Qualität seiner späten Werke. Faurés schrieb seine Barkarole Nr. 5 nach einer fünf-jährigen Periode, in der er keine Werke für das Piano komponierte. Es ist das erste von Faurés Klavierwerken, in denen es keine identifizierbaren Abschnitte gibt. Genießen Sie dieses kraftvolle Werk!

Tord Gustavsen - What was said w/ Simin Tander and Jarle Vespestad



Tord Gustavsen
Tord Gustavsen - What was said w/ Simin Tander and Jarle Vespestad
Tord Gustavsen - What was said w/ Simin Tander and Jarle Vespestad
Tord Gustavsen - What was said w/ Simin Tander and Jarle Vespestad

Released: January 2016
Label: ECM, ECM 2465

Tord Gustavsen: piano, electronics
Simin Tander: voice
Jarle Vespestad: drums

What was said brings new colours to Tord Gustavsen’s musical palette. His latest trio project builds upon the subtle understanding of his long musical association with drummer Jarle Vespestad, introduces German-Afghan vocalist Simin Tander...
Tord Gustavsen – What was said. w/ Simin Tander and Jarle Vespestad (Album Trailer)
Tord Gustavsen: What was said. With Simin Tander and Jarle Vespestad (Album EPK)
Tord Gustavsen & Simin Tander - A Castle In Heaven (live @Bimhuis Amsterdam)

Federico Albanese - The Blue Hour



Federico Albanese
Federico Albanese - The Blue Hour
Federico Albanese - The Blue Hour
Federico Albanese - The Blue Hour

Released: January 15, 2016
Label: Neue Meister.

Berlin based, ‘piano poet’ Federico Albanese took inspiration from the brief transitional state between day and night, writing a collection of chamber-music miniatures that withdraw, explore, yet assert their laconic melodies all the more decisively. The emotions to which Albanese has given expression in his thirteen compositions have been articulated with well-considered gestures.
Equally well-considered is the choice of instruments that Federico Albanese deploys on ‘The Blue Hour’. Piano and synthesizers are joined by a cello, magnified by over-dubbing and sound effects that culminate into a little chamber orchestra, which swells the acoustics while checking the dominance of a clear solo voice. Albanese esteems the Gesamtklang, the overall sound image, with its mixture of compositional precision and dreamlike fluidity. For this reason, the pieces are recorded from start to finish on analogue equipment, further enhancing the warmth of their sound. In ‘Céline’ we hear a discreet beat, scarcely perceptible, a gentle pulse that lends structure without jeopardizing the charm of ‘The Blue Hour’.




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