ODG105 : Arash Azadi / Mathematical Labyrinth

ODG105 : Arash Azadi / Mathematical Labyrinth

Arash Azadi is a young Iranian composer based in Yerevan, a multidisciplinary artist and art director whose works are influenced by creative technologies. 

Born in Hamedan, Iran, 1994, Azadi began studying classical Persian setar at the age of nine. In 2012, he enrolled in Armenia’s Yerevan State Conservatory, where he majored in composition and began mastering the ins and outs of the visual programming language Max/MSP through an online course offered by the Massachusetts College of Art. 

His most recent works fall under the umbrella of electroacoustic and experimental music and are often accompanied by audio-visual effects, performance art or improvised dance and theatre. With a background in maths and computer sciences, Azadi has also explored ways to combine modern approaches to sound with acoustic and folk music. To date, his works have been performed in France, Italy, Germany, and Greece in addition to his native and temporary homelands of Iran and Armenia.

His new album 'Mathematical Labyrinth' is a mix of long electroacoustic patterns moving slowly in a mathematical kind of journey or minimal techno noise electronics mixed with folk samplers. Almost 40 minutes that will give you another vision of the inner world of another dimension. 

You can find more about his work and his way to compose  in this excellent interview .
And a very nice video of a live improvisation:

Arash

Digital release on the 28th of June 2019.

Track listing:

1: Se + F=Ph

2: Che / Channel+ Ize

3: Pa + R=Reality

4: Sh / S=Sanity

5: Ha / Ja=Liberty

6: No + H=Harmony

ODG106 : Rodolphe Coster / Shudder

Cover art by A.L., pic by Joel Hamilton

ODG106 : Rodolphe Coster / Shudder

Known from the Belgian indie scene, member of several bands (Flexa Lyndo, Baum, Poni, Cafeneon), Rodolphe Coster has been working since 2012 on his behalf. 

He mixes an introspection sensitive to its contemporary and vintage references (Fever Ray,
Spacemen 3, My Bloody Valentine, Suicide, The Jesus and Mary Chain). 
Compared by some as a meeting point between the Big Pink and Autechre, its tracks move from ambient pop to transgender music (electronica, punk, techno, indus, shoegaze).

Amongst recent collaborations, Rodolphe Coster composed the music of the STROKE-SHUDDER show that you can listen here, a contemporary dance duo created in Montreal at Theater of the Unicorn (2015), and taken again at the National Monument in TANGENTES (2016) and during a tour of Montreal's Maisons de la Culture in April 2018.
For the music of this show Coster has received the SABAM AWARD 2016, category musical composition for the performing arts.

Rodolphe released this fall his EP "PLANTE" with remixes by CRISTIAN VOGEL (Super Collider, NovaMute) and SYLVAIN CHAUVEAU.
In his group formula, he is accompanied by Maya Postepski aka Princess Century, MYBALeS and Sofane Remadna. When playing in the United States the band consists of
the three musicians of BOY TOY (New York), Jeff Tobias (Sunwatchers) and Matt Jones (Castle Face Records- Male Gaze).

Matt Jones produced HIGH WITH THE PEOPLE, his first band album, in New York at Studio G with Alexis Berthelot. it includes arrangements by Atsuko Hatano (violinist of Jim O Rourke) and Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles.
Rodolphe regularly tours Japan and collaborates with the no-wave and techno scene
noise close to BOREDOMS.
While waiting for the release of this album, he continues his work of composition for contemporary dance and cinema.
At time he loves to play in the street too for which he has also mounted a collective band called PAVéS! who intervenes in the public space, by making improvised music around problems related to the gentrification phenomena. 
Rodolphe Coster is a real pop artist always looking for the energy that will push him to create music related to the body and mind and like he says: 'I wants people to dance!'.

Rodolphe, pic by Sasha Vernaeve

Digital release on the 21st of June 2019.

Track listing:

1: Birdstroke

2: Shudder

3: Cradle

4: Thrilldope

All tracks mastered by Igor Van De Putte

ODG107 : H.Soror / Live at Electric Meadow

Cover art by Regina Zheleznyakova

ODG107 : H.Soror / Live at Electric Meadow

Second live album from the non-jazz Ukrainian band H.Soror (see also their other live album ODG064 and their sax player solo album ODG100)!

Always carrying with their typical mix of heavy sound. Regina's heavy bass and Natacha's dynamic drums giving the tempo while Mykola blows his sax in his non style jazz! 
Three long tracks that demand a bit of attention to enter in their universe, but once you're in you'll enjoy their intense vibrations!

"H.Soror is difficult to tie up to a certain genre. Previously experienced in a wide range of music styles, they're creating an unapologetically unique sound on the crossroads of psychedelic rock and free jazz, expanding both with electronic influences. After playing numerous shows throughout Europe and headlining the Vilnius Mama Jazz showcase stage, they described as unusual and self-sufficient creators."

"...plowing a constricted furrow with great effectiveness at the juncture of rock, metal and jazz." (c) allaboutjazz.com

And a video trailer here.

Sax - Mykola Lebed 
Bass, vocals - Regina Zhelezniakova 
Drums - Natasha Pirogova 
Recorded at Electric Meadow Festival on July 8th, 2018.

Sound recording: Yuri Gryaznov 
Sound mastering: Dmitry Kachan 

Digital release on the 14th of June 2019.

Track listing:

1: Polaris - 08:10
2: 354738 - 07:51
3: Kangaroo Seeds - 05:25

They will tour Europe in June / Jully so if they play near you, don't miss them!

June 26: Katowice, Poland

June 27: Berlin, Germany

June 28: Brussels, Belgium

June 29: Dordrecht, Netherlands

June 30 - July 02 TBA

July 3: Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine

OVD026 / Manu Ribot / Future from the Past

Cover art by Manu Ribot

OVD026 : Manu Ribot / Future from the Past

Second solo album from Manu Ribot (The Claude Zac Ensemble in OBX001, see also OPV011) completely self recorded and mixed at his home. 

'Future From The Past' has been inspired by the Star Trek universe (from the Original series to Voyager) and his unique and bright vision of the Future, the space travels, the attitude towards alien species where difference is the norm, all of those through real science fiction stories.
It obviously includes pasteboard rocks on an alien planet with purple sky, wool based spacial anomalies, ornythoid life forms pupets on strings dying in fumes, outdoor scenes filmed in the same places as Zorro but in color, constant electronic background soundscape, and above all, those exotic spacial musics created by genius composers but played by musicians that no one forgot the names because nobody knew who they where on this side of the ocean and into present time frame.

Songs like 'NCC-1701' or 'Bolian Blues' remind us of Les Baxter and co but then 'Photonic Daydream', 'A City On The Edge Of Forever' or 'Betazoïd Eyes' are really what you would expect from a 21st century lounge composer. 

This exquisite album will make you travel from era to era and brings you The Past with The Future during 44 minutes!

Excellent review in German in Jazzhalo.be here. 

Manu 'muchwI' 'IH' Ribot

Digital release on the 7th of June 2019.

Track list:

1: NCC-1701

2: Bolian Blues

3: Koh-Nar

4: Photonic Daydream

5: A City on the Edge of Forever

6: Betazoïd Eyes

7: Ornithoid Life Form

8: Friendship One

9: Fascinating Anomaly

10: Warp 9

11: Erosene Winds