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Music for viola and electronics II

by Michel Banabila & Oene van Geel

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1.
2.
Chaos 10:58
3.
Vleugels 08:23
4.
5.
Kino Mikro 09:21

about

Contemporary, experimental.

On Music for viola and electronics II, Banabila and Van Geel
explore further into their neo classical mix of viola improvisations,
ambient textures, minimal compositions, and modular experiments.

After their collabs on 'Music for viola and electronics', (2014)
Michel Banabila and Oene van Geel decided to continue their
recording sessions, again combining viola with electronics.
This time they invited Eric Vloeimans on trumpet, Keimpe de Jong
on contrabas clarinet, Joost Kroon on drums, Emile Visser on cello
and Radboud Mens for Ableton programming.
Emile plays in Zapp String Quartet with Oene, Eric performed live
with Oene and The Nordenians, Eric and Michel worked before on
their award winning album VoizNoiz 3, Keimpe and Michel
performed together in a theatre play, Radboud and Michel worked
on ZoomWorld and many other projects together.
The artwork is again by photographer Gerco de Ruijter.

Track 1, 'Hephaestus', is also available on a compilation 2CD album:
banabila.bandcamp.com/album/tapu-sampler-2016-2-cds

Quotes, reviews:

THE SQUID'S EAR:
Diverse. This is the first word that must be used in describing Music For Viola And Electronics 2. Electronic musician Michel Banabila and Violist Oene van Geel explore more territory on one album than seems possible. They touch on free jazz, industrial beats, drones, noise, groove jamming, and compositional elements reminiscent of Steve Reich and even Andrew Loyd Webber. Yet, the album flows nicely and is amazingly coherent despite the wide variation. Another word one might use is "cinematic." The album feels at times like a soundtrack. That's not to say that it is destined to be used as background music, but that the music has a narrative. It is a dramatic, emotional journey, similar to cinematic music. This quality is most pronounced on the third track, "Vleugels". This piece begins with looped melodic viola, reminding the listener of the classical minimalism of the 1960s. It then weaves its way into a rich emotional composition with thick tonal harmonies. When electronic drum beats ramp up to a rock feel, the music begins to sound like a modern Broadway musical. On the other end of the spectrum is the final piece on the album, which features chaotic string punches and layered synth tones, which sound like insects buzzing. Somehow it all falls together into a coherent musical statement. Every musical destination flows seamlessly into the next in a natural and logical manner. The end result is a beautifully pleasant album. Rarely are experimental albums this accessible; Banabila and van Geel have put together an album that can be fully appreciated by any avant-garde fan, without enraging their neighbors. (Christopher Mandel)

CAFE ACOUSMATIC:
Michel Banabila’s and Oene van Geel's Music for viola and electronics I & II is wonderfully immersive, expansive, and intimate. If there’s one word that comes to mind, over and over it’s cinematic. The listener is swept up in a storyline that’s played out by two superb actors, in this instance, Oene von Geel’s viola and Banabila’s electronic counterpoint of mood and temperament. The overall result is a sonic dance that fills the space and the heart. Let’s encourage these two superb musicians keep collaborating. Highly recommended for headphones. Five stars. (Don Hill)

AMBIENTBLOG:
After they met when working together on Cloud Ensemble, Michel Banabila and Oene van Geel extended their collaboration which resulted in 2014’s “Music for Viola and Electronics“.
Both were so very enthusiastic about the new musical world that they had opened up, that they kept working on “Music for Viola and Electronics II“, which is released this month. Judging by the (strikingly beautiful!) aerial landscape photography of Gerco de Ruijer on the cover, their collaboration will probably not end here: the crop of the (geometric) landscape on the Volume I cover photo is only partially harvested – by hand, line by line… a difficult, strenuous, but most rewarding work. Even for those that follow Banabila’s work throughout the years, “Music for Viola and Electronics” is a bit hard to classify, because it’s different from most of what he did before. At least, it seems that way: according to Michel himself, it’s simply a next step – the logical consequence of everything he has done in the past.
The combination of Michel’s modular Doepfer electronics with the warm natural sounds of Oene’s viola opens up completely new perspectives. In some way, it is easier to say what this music is nót, than to describe what it ís. It cértainly is a roller coaster of emotions and dynamics, which probably is demonstrated best at the beginning of Volume I: after opening with the carefully restrained, almosts zen-like “Sinus en Snaar”, complete turmoil kicks in with the aptly named “Dondergod” (“Thunder God”). It’s probably best to put on safety belts before you play this on high volume! “Music for Viola and Electronics II” builds further on the same concepts as the first volume. Some extra musical guests are introduced on several tracks: Keimpe de Jong (contrabass clarinet), Joost Kroon (drums and metals), Emile Visser (cello), and Eric Vloeimans (trumpet). There are some distinct references to somewhat less ‘experimental’ musical territories. For instance, “Kino Mikro” and “Vleugels” both have a rather cinematic arrangement (the latter taking a surprising turn midway with frantic drumming backed by a string section that sounds like a metal band – a surprising moodswitch effectively breaking the constraints of minimalism). Unlike many other albums that choose to focus on one particular atmosphere, these albums are more like a kaleidoscope of fragmented emotions. This may be a bit confusing at first listen, but it proves to be very rewarding if you carry through and keep listening ! (Peter van Cooten)

UTILITY FOG (FBI Radio):
Music for viola and electronics II follows the same sonic path as part 1 but adds further instrumentation: bass clarinet, cello, trumpet, drums. It's not all experimental modular electronics & extended techniques, but nor is it all lush world beats & string melodies – it strikes a nice balance. They've both stayed on my virtual turntable a lot recently. (Peter Hollo)

VITAL WEEKLY 976:
In the last six months they worked on new music, again using their set-up of electronics, which is for Banabila a doepfer A-100 analog modular system, radio, logic pro and keyboards (the latter on all tracks) and Van Geel plays viola and 5 string violin. I was highly surprised by their release, and obviously the second release is not the similar surprise (it could be, of course, but it just isn't) but it further explores the nature of violin playing and electronics. 'Chaos' comes close to the world of free jazz, with some wild electronics too and a fine orchestral ending. In the longest piece, 'Hephaestus', that also is the opening they set the compass to all things drone like and atmospheric, along with the modular synth cracking up like rainfall and some sparse drumming, making it all a very intense piece. A top-class release of some highly exciting electronic music meeting classical instruments. (FdW)

SUBJECTIVISTEN / HET SCHADUWKABINET:
Vorig jaar maakt Michel Banabila samen met violist/componist Oene van Geel, van huis uit een jazzviolist met een hang naar Indiase muziek, kamermuziek en improvisaties, de cd Music For Viola And Electronics. Ze brengen op biologerende wijze beide werelden samen in een bijna buitenaardse setting met elektronica, neoklassiek en experimenten. Genoeg reden om door te gaan en nu deel 2 hiervan te presenteren. Banabila (Doepfer A-100 analoge modulaire synthesizer, logic pro, keyboards) en van Geel (altviool, 5 string viool) krijgen hierbij rugdekking van Keimpe de Jong (contrabas, klarinet), Joost Kroon (drums), Radboud Mens (programmeringen), Emile Visser (cello) en de gelouterde Eric Vloeimans (trompet); een waar sterrenteam. Het levert een nog meer diepgravend en fascinerend hoorspel op vol subtiele details. Op organische wijze maken ze spannende dwarsdoorsneden van ambient, neoklassiek en meer abstract elektronische muziek. Deze worden gelardeerd met wereldse, rock- en jazzelementen en bijzondere bijgeluiden. “Vleugels” is zo’n prachtig voorbeeld, waar dat alles op zinderende wijze samenvloeit. Maar ook de andere 4 tracks zijn van een onbeschrijfelijke klasse en schoonheid. Arvo Pärt, Tapes, Nils Økland, Hector Zazou, Robert Normandeau, Giacinto Scelsi, David Darling, Loren Nerell en de “Made To Measure” serie, dat is waar ik vooral aan denk bij deze innovatieve beauty. (JanWillem Broek)

POLYPHONIA:
Holenderscy artyści znów połączyli swoje siły, czego efektem jest druga część album „Music for viola and electronics II”. Obaj panowie (Michel Banabila i Oene van Geel) spotkali się po raz pierwszy w trakcie współpracy przy projekcie Cloud Ensamble (2013). Rok później ukazał się ich pierwszy longplay, pt. „Music for viola and electronics”. Mniej znaną postacią jest Oene van Geel, więc dodam, że to skrzypek i kompozytor pochodzący z Amsterdamu. W jego kompozycjach można znaleźć wpływy muzyki indyjskiej, jazzowej, kameralistyki czy wolnej improwizacji. Udziela się w takich formacjach jak Zapp 4, Estafest, The Nordanians, Art of the Eyebrow, The Splendorkestra. Na „Music for viola and electronics II” pojawiło się znaczniej więcej różnych brzmień instrumentów (trąbka, kontrabas, klarnet, perkusja) niż na pierwszej części. Banabila, tak jak poprzednio, zajął się warstwą elektroniczną i systemami modularnymi, a van Geel odpowiada za smyczkowe partie. Płytę otwierają („Hephaestus”) mroczne, chłodne i potężne drony, które z czasem „topnieją” i niepostrzeżenie zamieniają się w oniryczne ambientowe melodie zanurzone w improwizacji. Podobnie też jest w bardzo ciekawym utworze „Chaos”. Zaskoczenia doznacie zaś w „Vleugels”, gdzie ni stąd ni zowąd przenosimy się bliżej klimatu Islandii spod znaku Sigur Rós. W „Radio Spelonk” miesza się nastrój filmowy z elementami słuchowiska i improwizacji. Całość zamyka nagranie „Kino Mikro” – minimalistyczne, ziarniste, lekko zaszumione, z kolei w samej końcówce ten fragment staje się bardziej dynamiczny, zwłaszcza dzięki partiom van Geela. Artyści po raz kolejny pokazali, że mocną stronę ich materiału, jest improwizacja. (Łukasz Komła )

A CLOSER LISTEN:
Music for viola and electronics II is a very good album, an improvement over its already solid predecessor. But with one small adjustment to the track sequencing, it becomes a great album. In its current order, the timbres grow louder and busier until the bursting centerpiece, “Vleugels”. After that, a severe drop in energy ensues. But move the last two tracks to the front, and one can appreciate the artistry of the entire set. Expanding on the palette of the previous installment, Michel Banabila and Oene van Geel have added a bevy of complimentary instruments, including violin, trumpet, bass clarinet and drums, along with additional programming. A number of invited guests makes the moniker seem incomplete. There’s even an uncredited, fragmented female voice on “Radio Spelonk,” which reminds one of the recent experiments of Felicia Atkinson. This subtle, creeping piece deserves to be heard first, as it is both the softest track and the largest surprise. The sparse nature of this piece is echoed on the subsequent track, “Kino Mikro” (“Micro Cinema”), but this time the viola receives the chopping treatment, poking holes in muslin cloth until it finally breaks through. A slight air of menace pervades the piece, thanks to the slow pace and the pleading cries of the trumpet. But in its final three minutes, the piece turns to glitch, more than doubling its pace and throwing the windows open to the rest of the band. As it stands, the album ends in a repeated vinyl pop, but we like it better when the pop leads to another menacing piece, the current album opener “Hephaestus.” To refresh our readers’ memories, Hephaestus was the blacksmith of the gods: hammer, anvil, fire. One can imagine him in his workshop as the thirteen-minute piece unfolds. Drones and static surges contribute a near-industrial flavor. The vinyl pop reappears in the third minute, flickering like tongues of flame. In the seventh minute, the dark drums arrive like the pounding of steel, accompanied by the sizzling sound of falling stars. This is magnificent, restrained work, a mature blend of instruments and influences unlike anything on the preceding album. At this point, it’s fair to reiterate our opinion that these albums need stronger, more allusive titles; Hephaestus would have been perfect. Imagine now that the album is building toward its conclusion. The new penultimate track is “Chaos”, an all-out assault on the senses. van Geel’s viola is no longer content to remain in the shadows; the artist establishes his presence early, guiding the other instruments through a maelstrom of swirling sound. The track implies chaos by injecting sudden electronics, but ironically, the music itself has form, repeating themes on its way to a structured conclusion. The melancholic middle is its finest section, a yearning whisper that follows the hoarse throat of a scream. And then, “Vleugels” (“Wings”). On this piece, the talents of the entire cast are showcased, and the music reaches for the stratosphere: out of the muck, out of the mire, out of any earthbound tragedy or terror. The opening moments sound like a rising flock, the first third like darting, and the final five minutes like soaring. With only 3:35 to go, the drums take the piece beyond the clouds. The sun spills forth, glistening in rainbows on the oil of the flock’s wings. And finally, for the first and only time on the album, pure strings, pure beauty, pure joy. Yes. This is where we want to end. (Richard Allen)

KINDAMUZIK:
Texturen en timbres vallen uit de lucht in een glooiende vallei waar een ietwat onheilspellende disharmonie en dissonantie schuurt. Wringende minimale muziek wordt geduwd richting geluidskunst-achtige exploraties die spetteren en knarsen. Ze barsten van de bezieling en vooral van zeggingskracht. En dan niet van het afgekloven clichésoort dat onder de stoplap 'cinematisch' gevangen moet worden, maar juist in temperamentvol flikkerende en hakkelende stop-motion, waarbij je op de achtergrond de projector meent te horen ratelen. De forte van Banabila, Van Geel & Co. is de warmte die eerstgenoemde uit zijn modulaire Doepfer weet te krijgen en die spruit ook uit de nerven van Van Geels klankkast. Daarmee is dan ook zo ongeveer de enige gemene deler van deze fragmenten aan borrelende, kwieke inspiratie gemarkeerd. Stiekem loop je het risico niet verder te komen dan het absoluut fenomenale openingswerk 'Hephaestus', dat urenlange repeat opeist. En daar is nu eens helemaal niets mis mee, al zou je dan wel voorbijgaan aan de nodige brille waarin freejazz, postrock en folk langskomen. (Sven Schlijper)

GONZO CIRCUS #127 :
Rotterdam staat bekend als de stad van het harde werken. Ook in de muziek kennen ze dat adagium. Naast artiesten als Machinefabriek en Lukas Simonis, heeft ook Michel Banabila een hoge productiviteit. Een half jaar na zijn samenwerking met altviolist Oene van Geel op 'Music for viola and electronics', is er al weer een vervolg hierop. Dit keer krijgt het duo hulp van een aantal gastmuzikanten als Eric Vloeimans, Emile Visser of Radboud Mens. De CD opent met een ambientachtig stuk van twaalf minuten waarop Banabila en Van Geel een duel 'uitvechten' met geknetter van electronica en dramatisch aanzwellende viool geluiden. In het experimentele 'Chaos' laten de gasten zich horen en het zijn vooral de altviool en cello (Emille Visser) die zich doen gelden. 'Vleugels' begint minimaal en het lijkt een stuk voor strijkers te worden. Halverwege zit er echter een verassende break waarna het veranderd in een rocknummer. In 'Radio Spelonk' speelt Banabila met afgeknipte stemsamples te midden van minimale electronica. De laatste track klinkt als een soort allegaartje, maar draagt zeker bij aan het constante hoge niveau van de avontuurlijke muziek op dit album. (Oscar Smit)

FLUID RADIO:
Music for viola and electronics II with Oene van Geel is an expansive, stylistically omnivorous affair. The influence of acousmatic approaches to composition makes its presence felt. As its title suggests, “Music for viola and electronics II” is the second duo album from Banabila and van Geel, though as a description of the music it’s a little bit misleading: a number of other acoustic instruments feature on the album, such as trumpet, clarinet, drums, and cello, and there’s additional programming from Radboud Mens. The treatment of electronic sounds is very typically acousmatic, with rapid cuts and leaps across the stereo field. The acoustic instruments, however, tend to be arranged in ‘modern classical’ configurations, with rhythmic and melodic motifs drawn from folk complementing the lush block chords and some very nice pizzicato work from the viola. The beats laid over the top by drummer Joost Kroon took me by surprise, but made more sense with each listen. Not usually my thing, but an enjoyable listen nonetheless. (Nathan Thomas)

INACTUELLES:
Michel Banabila et Oene Van Geel récidivent. Après le volume I paru en 2014, voici le volume II sorti depuis peu, avec une nouvelle superbe photographie aérienne de Gerco de Ruijter en couverture, et quelques musiciens en renfort : la clarinette basse de Keimpe de Jong sur le titre 2, Joost Kroon à la batterie et aux métallophones en 3, Radboud Mens à la programmation ableton en 5, Emile Visser au violoncelle et Eric Vloeimans à la trompette sur les titres 2, 3 et 5. "Hephaestus" donne le ton de cet opus, sorte de poème électronique sombre, mystérieux, caverneux. Ne sommes-nous pas dans les forges de Vulcain / Héphaïstos ? Sur fond de drones, l'alto de Oene Van Geel tranche, zèbre l'espace sonore de grands coups d'archet. L'arrière-plan devient régulièrement incandescent, animé d'une respiration obscure. Des aigus déchirent la trame d'un incendie qui couve, ça grésille, crépite, quelque chose de monstrueux émerge peut-être. Le morceau est une plongée dans les mystères de la matière, une odyssée imaginaire d'une grande puissance. Peu à peu, la caverne se peuple de multiples vecteurs sonores, le marteau s'abat avec une régularité infernale, de quoi réjouir les amateurs de musique industrielle ou expérimentale, je pense aux albums d'Annie Gosfield parus chez Tzadik par exemple. La coda est paradoxalement une longue traînée sidérale, une échappée de la caverne démolie sous les coups de marteaux-piqueurs électroniques. Magnifique et impressionnante ouverture ! Le début de "Chaos", le deuxième titre, est trompeur. La langueur mélancolique du chant de l'alto , déjà menacée de bruits bizarres, est explosée après une percussion sourde du clavier. Tout s'écroule, se lézarde, l'alto dérape, des percussions multiples, des pizzicatis, perturbent la mélodie, qui sourd quand même entre les fragments de blocs sonores, les transcende. Pièce oxymorique, écartelée entre démantèlement et mélodies d'une suavité ravageuse. C'est absolument superbe, d'autant que la clarinette basse apporte son contrepoint profond au chant sublime des ténèbres apparu après la première partie destructrice. Comme des trompes électroniques répondent au déhanchement orientalisant du violoncelle, tandis qu'un discret pizzicato rythme le mystère des surgissements, que la trompette se déchire dans des aigus extrêmes. "Vleugels" ("Ailes") nous emporte au pays des oiseaux chimériques, sans doute les oiseaux du lac Stymphale, aux ailes et aux plumes d'airain, de bronze. La composition est pulsante, à dominante d'aigus brefs imitants les cris d'oiseaux, puis le violoncelle apporte ses graves majestueux, et l'on s'envole en beauté majeure sur des draperies de claviers synthétiques et une batterie déchaînée. Comme quoi électronique et lyrisme peuvent faire bon ménage ! Toute la fin est d'une suavité incroyable...Mais "Radio spelonk" est un retour à la cave - c'est le sens du néerlandais "spelonk" - aux mirages, aux hallucinations, peuplée de brefs échantillons de voix, animée d'apparitions sonores fugaces, que le violon d'Oene vient unifier par des phrases énigmatiques. On est ici entre musique concrète et pure musique contemporaine. "Kino mikro" se fait alors la voix d'un Destin sibyllin, articulé en courtes respirations où apparaissent tantôt l'alto, le violoncelle, la trompette (on songe fugitivement à Jon Hassell) sur un arrière-plan de disque qui gratte, de particules nuageuses. Le dernier tiers est plus syncopé et en même temps plus explicite avec un retour de mélodies entêtantes, un côté manège infernal, puis tout se défait, retourne au silence. Une deuxième collaboration très réussie pour ce voyage imaginaire passionnant de bout en bout, musicalement splendide. (Dionys Della Luce)

NIEUWE NOTEN:
Het zijn ook dit keer weer samenwerkingsverbanden waar Banabila voor kiest, waardoor ieder werkstuk zijn eigen kleur heeft. De eerste is Music for Viola and Electronics, deel 2. De voortzetting dus van de samenwerking met altviolist Oene van Geel (zie hier de recensie van deel 1). Alleen hebben de beide heren op dit album nog een aantal extra muzikanten uitgenodigd, waardoor alleen het eerste nummer: ‘Hephaestus’ door Banabila en Van Geel samen is gemaakt. Hephaestus was bij de oude Grieken de god van het vuur, de metaalbewerking en de beeldhouwers. Welnu de muziek klinkt als afkomstig uit een smederij. Een lang uitgesponnen soundscape, door Banabila gecreëerd middels logic pro en keyboards, wordt door Van Geel op regelmatige basis aangevuld met subtiel altvioolspel. Samen leidt het tot een spannend en soms beklemmend geheel. De stoom slaat er vanaf. Ook ‘Chaos’ is van het beklemmende soort. De donkere klanken van de contrabas klarinet, bespeeld door Keimpe de Jong, in combinatie met de noise die Banabila voortbrengt, contrasteren op bijzondere wijze met de strijkersmelodie die Van Geel produceert. Een melodie overigens die associaties oproept met de muziek uit de Balkan. Het levert een wat onwezenlijke combinatie op. Bijzonder is ook het pizzicato moment aan het eind van dit stuk dat langzaam uitdooft. ‘Vleugels’ heeft in aanvang een aan minimal music verwante opbouw. Totdat uit deze gelaagde en repeterende melodie, de altviool en de cello, oftewel Oene van Geel en Emile Visser, in een klassiek aandoend duet tevoorschijn komen. Na dit intermezzo wordt het tempo opgeschroefd. Ja, het krijgt vleugels en neemt de luisteraar mee op een hemelse reis.‘Kino Mikro’ is wellicht wel het bijzonderste stuk op dit album. Het is dwars, verstorend, maar vol met onverwacht harmonische momenten. Zoals de bewerkte altvioolpartij op driekwart van het nummer. De klanken van de Roma, maar dan elektronisch bewerkt. Het geeft een apart effect aan dit nummer. (Ben Taffijn)

HYPNAGOGUE:
The best, most accessible piece here (for me) is “Vleugels,” and I can’t get enough of it. It enters on string spirals, with Emile Visser’s cello arriving to add his repeating notes to van Geel’s as they build into a charming minimalist space. When Visser takes the lead, the mood shifts, the sound gets richer, and the sense of moving toward something is strong. Enter Joost Kroon’s drums, absolutely launching the piece with a blast of pure rock energy. The strings head straight for your heart at this stage; it’s truly that stirring. Aside from “Vleugels,” it does take some tolerance for experimental music to appreciate Music for Viola and Electronics II. It challenges the listener, but the complexity of sound and the chemistry at work tempers the rougher edges. (John Shanahan)

CANHDONGAMNHAC:
After their collaboration on ‘'Music for viola and electronics'’, (2014) Michel Banabila and Oene van Geel decided to continue their journey with “Music for viola and electronics II” (2015). They continue their immersive, expansive direction and also focus on a cinematic, minimalist approach. The electronics still provide a dramatic approach while the viola arrangement is close to modern classical and drone music. I can also hear some very interesting influence from industrial/jazz from this album. The combination between viola and electronics has always caught my interest. I appreciate the beauty and creativity of these two albums, as well as the effort of Michel Banabila and Oene van Geel. I look forward to hearing more about their collaboration in the future. (Nhung Nguyen)

ANTHEM ALBUMS:
Ouvir trabalhos como Music for Viola and Electronics II é algo recompensador. A interação entre Michel e Oene, que se conheceram na Cloud Ensemble, entusiasma pela dificuldade dos temas propostos e como estes são tratados com a densidade necessária. O tempo é estendido e seu andamento lento provoca suspense, pela repetição dos sons eletrônicos, um verdadeiro drone, para inserções pontuais do violino que, mesmo tentando evadir essa estrutura inicialmente rígida, constrói em sua “prisão” versos verdadeiramente bonitos. A relação é expressa cuidadosamente, em uma lenta comunhão que muitas vezes se extravai para além da percepção conceitual. É um tipo de música que trabalha intensamente com conceitos, mas está primariamente fundada no que essa imersão extracorporal realiza com nossas percepções. Até a “entrada” na parte mais sinistra do disco, que se inicia na segunda faixa, é uma transição de modo que o último período da música se estenda para outra- estamos claramente falando de prolongamentos.

Os eletrônicos densos e meditativos de Michel são perfurados quando combinados para a viola, mas não que um tenha necessariamente função oposta ao outro. Muitas vezes a viola cria o ambiente também enquanto a parte de Michel soa alto, revelando influências do dito dark ambient e do noise. De alguma maneira, é como se toda a potência de ambos os espectros tentasse ocupar o espaço do outro, não em forma de disputa, mas uma compreensão de possibilidades e o que tais atritos podem efetivamente criar. É certamente algo que soa além da simples soma entre sons mais “clássicos” dessas diferentes abordagens. Provavelmente releva um espaço novo sempre que tal atrito é criado, e por desconhecermos (e só estarmos dispostos a compreender o que nos viciou), foge de nossa apreensão.

Banabila disse recentemente que essa é apenas uma evolução natural de sua música, mas é engraçado como um músico de seu gabarito, que desde 1986 vem produzindo um corpo sonoro muito importante para a música eletroacústica, considera “evolução natural”. Obviamente mais minimalista que suas outras obras e menos seletivo (nesse álbum, por exemplo, não há inserção de nem um sample), também abdicou de uma espécie de multi etnicismo para algo que se aproxima às relações de causa-consequência.

Esse minimalismo focal, porém, cede muitas vezes espaços para construções cinematográficas. A última faixa lembra muito ambientes interioranos, e Oene nos apreende com violino e viola, onde as cordas variam entre o livre improviso e música clássica contemporânea. Essa música é exemplo da dualidade e confiança da dupla- nela, ambos os espectros realizam o livre improviso e uma construção mais metódica. Não consigo capturar o conceito de Music for Viola and Electronics II, talvez pelo que mencionei no primeiro parágrafo; a dificuldade em reconhecer novos territórios quando uma arte de vanguarda aponta elementos tão limítrofes. Curiosamente, quando os músicos convidados são introduzidos, que toda essa elaboração fica mais assimilável.


Passando por toda a obra Banabila (onde Spherics talvez seja a mudança completa de rumo) temos contrariedades inerentes à visão complexa que um artista tem da música. Onde as expectativas possíveis se equivocam a cada lançamento. Mas repito, é um corpo sonoro poderoso. Eu indicaria Spherics como o melhor ponto de inserção, porque os direcionamentos de seus discos nos deixa sempre a sensação de algo realmente “grande”. Onde meros “formatos” são dissolvidos em prol de um caráter mais honesto em um lugar que as sensações ficam em primeiro plano. Ou seja, um compromisso radical com sua visão de vida, que indubitavelmente está em cada segundo de suas músicas. ( Henrique Barbosa Justini )

credits

released March 20, 2015

Mastering by Zlaya Hadzich
Cover photo by Gerco de Ruijter
Inside photo by Michel Banabila
Layout by Yasar Saka / Yay Music & Media
Recorded, mixed and produced by Michel Banabila

All tracks composed by Michel Banabila and Oene Van Geel

Michel Banabila: Eurorack A-100 modular system (2, 5), radio (4), logic pro and keys (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
Oene van Geel: viola (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and 5 string violin (4)
Keimpe de Jong: contrabass clarinet (1,2)
Joost Kroon: drums, metals (3)
Radboud Mens: ableton programming (5)
Emile Visser: cello (2, 3, 5)
Eric Vloeimans: trumpet (2, 3, 5)

A special thanks to Dennis Verschoor and Pieter Moermans
for advise on the Doepfer A-100

We would like to acknowledge financial support from the
Fonds Podiumkunsten for the realization of this album .

004TR - 2015 ℗ Tapu Records

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