The expression 'Oceanic feeling' is coined by Romain Rolland in a 1927 in the letter to Sigmund Freud to refer to "a sensation of ‘eternity’", a feeling of "being one with the external world as a whole".
Penguin Cafe are back with a lovingly produced 10th anniversary reissue of their debut album, titled A Matter of Life… 2021. Besides being completely remastered and pressed on vinyl for the very first time, the record also features a brand new 2021 recording of lead single Harry Piers, a song commemorating Arthur Jeffes’ late father and Penguin Cafe Orchestra founder Simon Jeffes.
With a sound that captures all the elegance, exuberance and flamboyance of the swinging ‘60s, Chaise Lounge delivers music that is high on style and sophistication. This Washington DC based ensemble of six accomplished musicians performs a groovy hybrid of pop-influenced jazz and swing that seems to both embody another era and belong to the present moment. Members playfully describe the group’s style as “ music that sounds like it was recorded at Capitol Recording Studios in 1962”, “early stereo” or “ perhaps lounge with a capital ‘L”. Composed of some of the top jazz musicians in the Washington DC area, the group met in 1998 at a recording session hosted by film composer Charlie Barnett. Their musical chemistry was instantaneous.
The trio Slagr releases their sixth album Linde, made up of music created in a time of new beginnings. The music on the album is written by Katrine Schiøtt in the middle of maternity leave, giving a new touch to the trios distinctive sound. Postpartum - lack of sleep, emotional vulnerability, an extreme focus on something outside oneself; providing nourishment and love to the newborn. A minor state of emergency where small moments can inspire to musical fragments and contemplation on the beginning of life, eternity and transience. In this state, this music was conceived. Slagr’s music is detached from time, place and the concrete materiality of life.
Its impressive recording debut Four Odd is now followed by Mellow which features ten arrangements by Ivanusic on six of his originals, three standards and the Macedonian traditional piece “U Krusevo ogin gori”….
Just do it: That was the motto when Simon Höfele and Frank Dupree decided to devote themselves to a red hot iron. They are hardly allowed to really live out their repertoire: the gulf between classical and jazz is still too big, the prejudices too insurmountable, the musical approach too different. They did it anyway and, together with close musical friends, put together an album that doesn't want to show any opposites, but rather creates musical connections and puts people in a good mood.
With his ACT debut, Swedish piano rising-star Joel Lyssarides and his trio celebrate the magic of the moment. With great sensitivity and expressiveness and a vocabulary that draws equally from European classical music, jazz from both sides of the Atlantic and great songwriting, with all its depth and accessibility.
In 2007 bassist Anneleen Boehme was one of the founders of LABtrio, which is considered as one of the most acclaimed Belgian jazz bands of the past decade. Just like her companions Lander Gyselinck and Bram De Looze, she quickly asserted herself in the most diverse contexts. Now Boehme is launching her "dream project": Grand Picture Palace. A jazz quintet and a string quartet that blend different worlds together. Boehme leads and plays bass and has been writing eight compositions that break through genre walls, music both powerful and elegant, showing how jazz and classical music can balance each other without cliches. All recordings were made in the early summer of 2020 in the studio of mentor and fellow musician Nicolas Rombouts. The self-titled album 'Grand Picture Palace' will be released on February 19th 2021.
Conceived jointly by violinist Movses Pogossian and violist Kim Kashkashian on the occasion of Tigran Mansurian’s 80th birthday, the Con anima project brings together a dedicated cast of players to perform the Armenian composer’s chamber music. The emphasis is on newer pieces - only the Third String Quartet dates from the 20th century - but there is a timeless quality to Mansurian’s work, all of which resounds with the spirit of his homeland. “His works are full of signifiers that come from Armenian ornaments, paintings or stones, “ writes Elena Dubiunets in the CD notes. “His music itself feels as if it was carved out of stone.” Sonata da Chiesa is dedicated to the memory of priest-composer-folklorist Komitas, an enduring inspiration for Mansurian. Agnus Dei is influenced by Armenian sacred music, and Die Tänzerin is based upon an Armenian folk dance.
A fascinating journey between new-classical music, ambient and film music similar sounds. The CHROME ENSEMBLE features with Ida Leidl (cello), Simon Schellnegger (viola) and Efe Turumtay (violin) a stunning string trio. This is supplemented by Peter Zirbs, one of the icons of the electronic music scene who creates all-pervading electronic clouds of mist. On top Ulrich’s bass clarinet, basset horn and clarinet.
