GrandessoCera is an experimental Italian duo made up of saxophonist Damiano Grandesso and electric producer Andrea Cera. It is deep in their DNA to bring the unbridled adventurism of jazz and futurist soundscapes of techno together whenever they record or play live. Grandesso has played the world’s finest concert halls and with both the Bruxelles and Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestras. He has a Masters in Music from the Verdi Conservatory in Milan and is artistic director of Alpen Classica Festival. Andrea Cera, meanwhile, has graduated with a Masters in Piano and Music Composition from the Conservatorio Cesare Pollini in Padova, is a computer music student and has created numerous fascinating interactive installations while working in research and sound design around the world.
Phosphoreshent Line
The opener ‘La ballata dell’abisso’ finds Luigi Ranghino return to this label after contributing to JOT013. Grandesso’s sombre sax starts the track on a melancholic mood which is eventually lightened by gorgeous piano keys. A scuffed-up broken beat rises from below and leads you to a place of spiritual awakening. The majestic ‘Results of Psychotropics’ is a richly layered piece with heavy, lurching drums. Delicate sax riffs bring the sense that a new day is dawning while soft arps and beautiful chords add further detail to this soul-soothing piece. The excellent ‘Pink Squirrels’ is an erratic mix of skittish drum programming and freeform sax lines that squiggle about with real vitality as the drums burst to life. It is truly avant-garde. Italian master craftsman Enzalla is known for his deeply introspective soundscapes. He serves up his own vision of ‘Ballata dell’Abisso’ with heavy-hearted chords, knocking wooden beat syncopations and pensive sax that leaves you in awe. Last of all, Berlin-based Marco Bruno is the remixer and founder of the Evighet label. His broken rhythm re-interpretation of ‘Pink Squirrels’ is super slick and crafts IDM-Electro sonorities through the cosmos. The loopy drums take flight as the moody sax lingers amongst the stars and the whole track is sure to take dance floors to the next level. These are five fantastic tracks that blur the lines between the organic and the synthetic in stylish new ways. Jazz-o-Tech is a label that draws on the rich heritage of two of the most visionary and experimental genes in music: jazz and techno. Taking inspiration from the freeform creative nature of those two musical worlds, artists on the label mix tradition with modernity, improvisation with experimentation, and create a new sound known as techno-jazz. Modern music needs to be ambitious. It must aim to deliver a musical message which is one step beyond what has already been heard. It must take you on a new musical journey into unknown dimensions and emotions. That is the Jazz-o-Tech mission.
Hic Sunt Leones
