Give yourself something special for Christmas. Our first 2 vinyl releases are now available as pre-order, bundled at a very nice price of 40 EUR + shipping, valid throuh January 5th 2021. The vinyls are limited to 100 copies only ! 140 gram black vinyl in our trademark house style by Rutger Zuydervelt and with the extensive liner notes of Guy Peters.
Order here. Thank you for your support.

Nieuwe Noten’s Ben Taffijn is righteously shining his light on the great saxophonist Colin Webster. He reviews some of his recent releases, live albums and collaborations (incl. some with label affiliates Martina Verhoeven and Daniel Thompson), including our release of his fantastic album ‘New Invention’ with kindred spirit Andrew Lisle. Read the articles here and here.

“In de Britse improvisatie en ver daarbuiten kunnen we zo langzamerhand niet meer heen om de altsaxofonist Colin Webster. Ook in onze contreien is hij, met name door de samenwerking met de gitarist Dirk Serries, een graag geziene gast. Tijd om deze veelzijdige musicus en eigenaar van het label Raw Tonk hier eens uitgebreider te portretteren. Vandaag daarbij ook de schijnwerpers op drummer Andrew Lisle met wie hij al de nodige jaren intensief samenwerkt. Laten we daarom beginnen met het op Serries’ label A New Wave of Jazz verschenen ‘New Invention’ waarop we de twee in duet horen. Beiden hebben een voorliefde voor de onstuimige, op het eerste gehoor meer chaotische vormen van de vrije improvisatie, zo leert ons ook opener ‘Knucklas’ en het verdere verloop van dit stormachtige album. Er is hier echter wel degelijk structuur, maar door het ongewoon hoge tempo en de grote mate van complexiteit valt het niet altijd mee om die te ontwaren. Daarbij komt de tomeloze energie van Webster, of zoals Guy Peters het noemt binnenin ‘New Invention’: “his ‘punk’ spirit”. Het is het type saxofonist, vergelijk hem rustig met mannen als John Zorn en Dave Rempis, die alles uit de kast trekt. Ons en zichzelf nauwelijks rust gunnend. Lisle heeft echter geen enkele moeite om hem bij te houden. Een eindeloze stroom roffels, zo nu en dan onderbroken door een spervuur aan gerichte slagen dicht naadloos ieder gaatje dat er dreigt te vallen. De twee zitten elkaar van begin tot eind op de hielen. De enige uitzondering op al dit muzikale geweld is ‘Kuggar’, het zesde stuk. Hier laten de beide musici horen ook prima overweg te kunnen met ingetogen noten en de daarbij behorende stiltes.“

“Modulation Grid II” is a score especially written for TONUS’ performance at Moving Noises Festival 2019, reducing the minimalist ensemble to a duo on accordion (Dirk Serries) and concertina (Martina Verhoeven). Knowing the spacious acoustics of Christuskirche Bochum, Dirk Serries wrote this piece for these 2 acoustic instruments to create this haunting and melancholic structure of overlapping tonalities and silences. For this release TONUS invited A-Sun-Amissa to deconstruct the performance and transform it into a stunning vintage ambient piece. The album comes in an edition of 80 copies, 40 copies on transparent tapes and 40 copies on grey recycled tapes, each with individual onbody prints. All housed in a maltese crossed sleeve made of rough grey recycled cardboard, printed on both sides. Now in pre-order at the MIDIRA RECORDS website.

Belgian and veteran percussionist Chris Joris wrote for magazine Jazz & Mo a short but lovely to-the-point review of TAYLOR & SERRIES + VERHOEVEN’s ‘An Evening At Jazzblazzt’ album.

“Dit album vertelt een concertcaptatie in Nederland, waarbij het duo gitaar-altviool na de eerste set wordt aangevuld met piano. Dit is stof voor de ontvankelijken voor concrete muziek, de vrije improvisatie. In de woorden ‘vrije’ en ‘improvisatie’ zit een brede waaier aan benaderingen en uitgangspunten verscholen. Het is een taal zonder geijkte melodielijnen of fraseringen en vraagt vandaag nog steeds om ondersteunende verdediging, wat deze kritiekjesschrijver ook doet (verdedigen én zelÍ beoefenen), Het is vaak irrelevant deze muziek te beschrijven. Je moet ze ondergaan, die klanken, zoals bij een wandeling in de natuur oÍ door de stad.” Jazz & Mo – Belgium

Bringing a bit of warmth to these darker times both seasonal and public healthy-wise, we’re proud to announce a new series of limited vinyl releases.  A series of vinyls dedicated to the strength of the soloist.  Limited to 100 copies and in a beautiful house-styled design by Rutger Zuydervelt and the impeccable liner notes of Guy Peters, each LP will feature a solo recording.  The LPs are on authentic black 140 gram vinyl and in a black innersleeve.

The first one is volume 1 out of seven records Dirk Serries is recording for acoustic archtop guitar.  The 2nd one is a beautiful solo record by Portugese double bass player Gonçalo Almeida.
Both albums are now available as a pre-order.  Due to the limited character of these vinyls, the price is sligthly higher then normal, namely 25 EUR per lp but if you order both albums the bundle price is 40 EUR plus postage.  This pre-order bundle offer is valid through January 5th, 2021.  Both albums are slated for an official release on January 15th, 2021. Order them through our shop or on bandcamp.

DIRK SERRIES – SOLO ACOUSTIC GUITAR IMPROVISATIONS I
(nwoj0040, lp) 

“Serries’ specific background ensures he will always have his own angle. Mention the words ‘guitar’, ‘solo’ and ‘improvisation’ in one sentence, and pretty soon someone will mention Derek Bailey or John Russell, and that is fine. It is how our minds work. But despite some superficial similarities, Serries will never really sound like one of them, if only for the fact that his trajectory was radically different from theirs.” Guy Peters

‘Solo Acoustic Guitar Improvisations I’ is the first volume in a series 7 albums Dirk Serries is recording in honor of the Höfner archtop guitars.  A couple of years ago Dirk fell in love with the acoustic guitar and specifically the Höfner brand for its specific and unique harsher sound their vintage archtop guitars hold.  It’s definitely far away from Dirk’s electric constructions but at the same the acoustic approach is merely another way for him to express his fascination for sound in particular and how you can alter, transform and mutate its original tone by using different playing methods or preparing them with tools and/or tuning the guitar alternatively.  On this first volume Dirk Serries played a 
1957 Höfner archtop guitar. 
This series of solo acoustic guitar albums is also technically a statement.  All the albums are being recorded at the mighty Sunny Side Inc. studio in Brussels (Belgium).  This exquisite studio is already for a longer time part of the label’ story and philosophy but with these recordings artist and studio are taking a bold step in bringing this to you as pure as possible.  

This is what Sunny Side Inc. wrote on its recording process :
“The approach for this session goes back in time at the golden age of mono recordings, where often one RCA 44 ribbon microphone was used for the whole band. We used the AEA R44 Anniversary Edition for this.  Being a solo recording, it allowed us to place the microphone optimally for the acoustic guitar without having to take into consideration spill from the other instruments. Placement of the microphone was 50cm away from the body of the guitar, allowing for a generous upfront sound yet with the radiance of the whole instrument with some early reflections picked up. Being a ribbon microphone, only the louder dynamics bounce back to the rear of the microphone, dynamically expanding the sound with a slight roomy reflection for added air. « The choice of one microphone also aims to be in synchronicity with the adventurous and definitive nature of improvisation, as there are no myriad of options to recreate a sound in post production : what you hear is close to what you get; it is a commitment to the urgency and delicate nature of the moment, triggered by the musician. Mixing was done in the same spirit : as a spontaneous pass without redos. Only a touch of one band eq was used, and one brush of variable-mu compression was applied across the spectrum to smooth out dynamics. No other audio processing was applied.”

GONCALO ALMEIDA – MONOLOGOS A DOIS
(nwoj0041, lp)

“You could translate Monólogos a Dois as Monologues for Two, with both the musician and the instrument participating. Not in a dialogue, but each within their own monologue. It quickly becomes apparent that the recording is a personal quest. Almeida’s very own ‘journal violone’, if you will. A dive into the musician’s resources and introspection.” Guy Peters 

Portuguese bassist and composer Gonçalo Almeida, based in Rotterdam the Netherlands, has been making a mark as one of the country’s most interesting new generation bass players. His projects involve the forerunners of the Dutch and Portuguese creative jazz scenes, bridging free jazz, jazzcore an​d free improvisation. Having shared the stage with improvisers such has Ab Baars, Balasz Pandi, Chris Speed, Carlos Zíngaro, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Jasper Stadhouders, Jorrit Dijkstra, Martin van Duynhoven, Rodrigo Amado, Tobias Klein, Wilbert de Joode, among others.   This doublebass solo recording (Monólogos a Dois) captures a series of improvisations, where Almeida explores instant composing, making use of a vast palette of sounds, textures and extended techniques. His inwardness and affinity with the instrument are beautifully represented here.  All music was performed and recorded on an afternoon session during the pandemic period at the Old church of Charlois, inRotterdam. Alone, with the church completely empty, Almeida plays a monologue between instrument and space. 

Bandcamp is so kind enough to waive their revenue fees again in support of the independent musician and label. To celebrate this, we are offer you a discount of 75% on the full digital discography for today only. Thank you for your support and keep on thinking DIY. Go here.

A new episode of PORTAMENTO on the Concertzender aired last Thursday, November 26th, featuring music of Umlaut Big Band, Axel Dörner/Agusti Fernandez/Ramon Prats, Albert Cirera, Derek Bailey & Ingar Zach, Josh Berman, Paul Lytton & Jason Roebke, Memoria Uno and Baudouin De Jaer .

Listen here.

A track from their recent album ‘Praxis’ is part of Ambient Landscape‘s recent mixcloud. Enjoy.