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Grosse Abfahrt

Erstes Luftschiffe Zu Kalifornien

Grosse Abfahrt: Erstes Luftschiffe Zu Kalifornien (Creative Sources)


 

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product information:

Personnel:



Tom Djll-composer, director, trumpet

Serge Baghdassarians-electronics

Boris Baltschun-electronics

Chris Brown-piano

Matt Ingalls-clarinet

Tim Perkins-electronics

Gino Robair-electronics

John Shiurba-guitar


Click an artist name above to see in-stock items for that artist.




UPC: 5609063400656

Label: Creative Sources
Catalog ID: CS065
Squidco Product Code: 7986

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2006
Country: Portugal
Packaging: Jewel Tray
Recorded at the at ACME observatory, in Berkeley, in California, on October 10th, 2004, by John Shiurba.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Don't worry. Not being too well versed in German, I was a little leery of the translation of the group's name too. But it's simply "Large Departure", an octet comprised of Serge Baghdassarians (electronics), Boris Baltschun (electronics), Chris Brown (piano, electronics), Tom Djll (trumpet), Matt Ingalls (clarinet), Tim Perkis (electronics), Gino Robair (analog synthesizer) and John Shiurba (guitar). Those familiar with theses names might have a fair inkling of what to expect though, for myself, I found the group pushed things a bit further in the direction of non-hyperactive improvisation than I might have thought, a good thing for this listener.

This first airship to California alights in a gentle field of clicks and rustles, the acoustic instruments active in areas well away from what their designers intended, the electronics emitting soft counterpoint. As with most of the disc, to the extent the musicians resist idiomatic tropes, including those of free improvisation, the result is quite engaging. Though such gestures do seep in on occasion, by and large Grosse Abfahrt is successful in crafting a convincing, natural music, no mean feat for a mid-size ensemble. [...]"-Brian Olewnickn, Bagatellen



This album has been reviewed on our magazine:

The Squid
The Squid's Ear!

Get additional information at Bagatellen

Artist Biographies

"Tom Djll studied electronic music with Stephen Scott at the Colorado College, working with the EMS Synthi 100 system at Packard Hall. In 1978 and 79 Djll studied at the Creative Music Studio in Woodstock, NY, with Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, Wadada Leo Smith, George Lewis, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Karl Berger and many other giants of new music. He spent the years 1981-1993 working with the Serge Modular Music System before enrolling in Mills College Contemporary Music Program, where he extended his quest to develop and integrate an idiosyncratic trumpet language into an electronic sound environment, while also pursuing advanced improvisation studies, formally, with Pauline Oliveros, and, informally, with Jack Wright. While at Mills, Djll concentrated on microtonal composition, split-tone trumpet technique, and computer music. He also worked extensively with Chris Brown, resulting in contributions to Brown's recordings LAVA (Tzadik) and DUETS (Artifact).

Further refinement of trumpet languages and free improvisation with his band GROSSE ABFAHRT was undertaken from 1999 - 2010, published on the Emanem, Creative Sources, and Setola di Maiale labels. Beginning in 2012, Djll gradually re-introduced electronics into his sound-set. The results are heard in projects like hackMIDI (extreme electro-mechanical piano music), piano + analog electronics in TENDER BUTTONS (with Tania Chen and Gino Robair), delicate environments in EUPHOTIC (with Cheryl Leonard and Bryan Day), austere acoustic spaces with KOKUO (Kanoko Nishi-Smith, John McCowen, Jacob Felix Heule, and Kyle Bruckmann) and ongoing sessions and performances within the lively and ever-evolving Bay Area scene, including: Tim Perkis, Amanda Chaudhary, Jordan Glenn, Clarke Robinson, Suki O'Kane, Matt Ingalls, Tom Nunn, bran(...)pos, and Karen Stackpole.

Obligatory list of famous musicians Djll has played and/or recorded with:

Roscoe Mitchell, David Toop, Fred Frith, William Winant, Rova Saxophone Quartet, Pauline Oliveros, Ava Mendoza, John Butcher, Vladimir Tarasov, Le Quan Ninh, Tania Chen, Wobbly, Frank Gratkowski, Miya Masaoka, nmperign, Tatsuya Nakatani, Vijay Iyer, and Zeena Parkins."

-Tom Djll Website (http://tomdjll.com/)
3/26/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

Boris Baltschun was born in 1974 in Hansestadt Bremen, Germany and is a improvisor, composer and sound artist. He is known for his work with Serge Baghdassarians in Splitter, and the trio Baghdassarians / Baltschun / Beins.

-Squidco 3/26/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Chris Brown, composer, pianist, and electronic musician, creates music for acoustic instruments with interactive electronics, for computer networks, and for improvising ensembles. Collaboration and improvisation are consistent themes in his work, along with the invention and performance of new electronic instruments and software. He is a founding member of The HUB, the pioneering network music ensemble, and has composed many interactive works for the percussionist William Winant (Iconicities, New World Records.) His trio with Winant and saxophonist Frank Gratkowski were featured on the 2009 Donaueschingen Musiktage. His most recent music explores microtonal tunings, including 6Primes, for piano in 13-limit just intonation, Arcade for string quartet, and Ragamala Chiaroscuro, for wind trio. Recordings are available on New World, Tzadik, Pogus, Intakt, Rastascan, Ecstatic Peace, Red Toucan, SIRR, Leo, and Artifact labels. He is currently a Professor of Music at Mills College and Co-Director of the Center for Contemporary Music (CCM)."

-Chris Brown Website (http://cbmuse.com/biography)
3/26/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Gino Robair has created music for dance, theater, radio, television, silent film, and gamelan orchestra, and his works have been performed throughout North America, Europe, and Japan. He was composer in residence with the California Shakespeare Festival for five seasons and served as music director for the CBS animated series The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat. His commercial work includes themes for the MTV and Comedy Central cable networks.

Robair is also one of the "25 innovative percussionists" included in the book Percussion Profiles (SoundWorld, 2001). He has recorded with Tom Waits, Anthony Braxton, Terry Riley, Lou Harrison, John Butcher, Derek Bailey, Peter Kowald, Otomo Yoshihide, the ROVA Saxophone Quartet, and Eugene Chadbourne, among many others. In addition, Robair has performed with John Zorn, Nina Hagen, Fred Frith, Eddie Prevost, Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, Myra Melford, Wadada Leo Smith, and the Club Foot Orchestra.

Robair is a founding member of the Splatter Trio and the heavy-metal band, Pink Mountain. In addition, he runs Rastascan Records, a label devoted to creative music.

As a writer about music technology, Robair has contributed to Mix, Remix, Guitar Player, and Electronic Musician (EM) magazine, where he was an editor for 10 years. He is the author of two books, including The Ultimate Personal Recording Studio (Thompson; 2006)."

-Gino Robair Website (http://www.ginorobair.com/bio.html)
3/26/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"John Shiurba is a composer and guitarist whose musical pursuits include improvisation, art-rock, modern composition and noise. Shiurba has recorded and toured the U.S. and Europe as a member of the bands Eskimo, The Molecules and Spezza Rotto, as a member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Anthony Braxton's ensemble and the SFSound Group, and as an improvisor.

Shiurba has conducted the premieres of his compositions at ODC in 2005 ("Moon Cycle" for SFSound) at New Langton Arts in 2002 ("Triplicate") and at SFAlt in 2002 ("5x5 1.4" for SFSound). Shiurba was invited to play at the Seattle Improvised Music Festival in 1998, at the High Zero Festival in Baltimore in 1999, at the SFAlt Festival in 2004 and at the Olympia Experimental Music Festival in 2002 and 2004, and at the Push International Performing Arts Festival in Vancouver in 2007.

As a guitarist Shiurba has developed a unique and personalized approach to the guitar. Through the use of extended techniques and unusual preparations, he expands the traditional sound range of the instrument, producing stunning, often unrecognizable results. Cadence Magazine calls Shiurba a 'wildly creative guitarist... anti-jazz, anti-everything else, yet utterly compelling.'"

-John Shiurba Website (http://www.shiurba.com/bio.html)
3/26/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Am Anfang Zerstorung 9:54

2. Interkontinentale Luftschiffahrt 18:42

3. Morrell Remained Hopeful 2:48

4. Riesenflugzeugabteilung 8:20

5. Ein Dicker 'Gas Bag' 7:21

Related Categories of Interest:

Creative Sources
Improvised Music
Electro-Acoustic
Electro-Acoustic Improv
Electronic Forms
June 2007
Free Improvisation
Octet Recordings
Instant Rewards

Search for other titles on the label:
Creative Sources.


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