VRAK TRIO

VRAK TRIO

“We will have to keep an eye on this trio, they share the same freedom that Henri Threadgill had during the 70s and 80s.” Candido Querol, B-Ritmos (Spain)

 

Vrak is a French-Catalan trio (first prize in Concurs de Jazz de Barcelona 2007) leaded by french flute player Etienne Lecomte. Together since 2006, Vrak Trio has developed a very personal universe combining 20th century written and oral music with influences of avant-garde, European jazz improv, electronics, contemporary and traditional music.

 

Vrak Trio’s first album TLS-BCN Live (Label Manivelle 2008) was recorded live at Mandala Jazz Club (Toulouse) and at Jamboree Jazz Club (Barcelona). Two years later, new original music is recorded on the second album 37 Avril (Label Manivelle 2010).

 

Over the years, the trio has collaborated with many other musicians, visual artists and dancers in different side projects. On 2011 The Crossroad Project included Spanish guitarist Jaime Pantaleón, Polish saxophonist Radek Knop and Finish video artist Mia Makela. The album Crossroads Project (Label Manivelle 2011) was recorded live at Théâtre de la Scène Nationale de Narbonne.

 

Spanish dancer Anna Rubirola was invited to collaborate on Vrak’s project Miró Dansant, a tribute to the catalan abstract surrealist painter Joan Miró. The project explores through movement and music a series of Joan Miró’s pictures, working methods and his approach to instant creation. The album Connivence (Label Manivelle 2015) features new originals, improvised fragments and music extraits from Miró Dansant. This album also celebrates the 10th anniversary of the band.

 

On 2015 the Barcelona-based MUT Trio joins forces with Vrak Trio to revisit the legendary album by Carla Bley and Charlie Haden The Ballad of the Fallen. This protest album is based on revolutionary songs from Spain and Central America traditional songs and free jazz. This work conveys a message of hope. At the time of multiple revolutions in the world, Vrak Trio and Mut Trio gather to offer a reflection on the actual moment, offering a link with the entourage and the current situation, based on today’s popular music that evoke the same problem and the same optimism as the 1983 record.

 

On 2018 Vrak Trio started an exciting new collaboration with French guitarist and improviser Noël Akchoté (a key figure on free improvisational music, and best known by his solo work and memorable collaborations with Derek Bailey, Sam Rivers, Lol Coxhill, Fred Frith, Evan Parker, Han Bennink and many others). Original music by all members was planned to be played on Vrak and Akchoté’s first meeting, in which they recorded the album Live in Centelles (Label Manivelle 2018) during the concert at Cicle de Jazz i Músiques Improvisades de Centelles (Spain).

 

 

ETIENNE LECOMTE: flute, electronics

LAURENT GUITTON: tuba

NOËL AKCHOTÉ: electric guitar

ORIOL ROCA: drums, percussion

 

www.labelmanivelle.com

www.arcoyflecha.es

 

 

“Somewhere between avant-garde jazz and Zen philosophy.” El País (Spain)

 

“Vrak Trio flees from encumbrances and holds absolute freedom when it comes to sculpting its cathartic discourse.” Miguel Ángel Sánchez Gárate, B-Ritmos (Spain)

 

“Going from blunt and almost danceable rhythms, to dislocated fragments where the trio seems to have found a space and an eccentric language, somewhat cold and spooky, in which they navigate with absolute tranquility.” Jack Torrance, Tomajazz (Spain)

 

ALBUMS

VRAK’ TRIO – CROSSROADS PROJECT

Crossroads Project

Artist : Vrak’ Trio

Release Date : February 27, 2012

Label : Label Manivelle

Format : CD

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Gathered around flute player Etienne Lecomte and Vrak’ Trio (1st prize on Barcelona’s Concurs de Jazz 2007), the six members of Crossroads project create a very personal universe. Combining 20th century written and oral music, with the influences of world music, funk, avant-garde jazz, rock and others, this artistic project seeks a way to crossover all these cultural movements, creating a new language, a common expression, it is not just a fusion experiment. Because music gives birth to images and viceversa, Mia Makela creates on the spot video images, that will keep on changing and being reinterpretated all the way through the show. During the music and video performance, little written music pieces are a pretext for creating new improvised situations. Although some general structures are discussed in advance, this project is based mainly on improvisation and encourages its members to a free thinking spirit, a “constantly in motion” way of expression… Crossroads is a meeting point for music, images, styles and its different historical moments.

 

  • Etienne Lecomte: flute, alto flute
  • Laurent Guitton: tuba
  • Oriol Roca: drums
  • Radek Knop: alto & soprano sax
  • Jaime Pantaleon: electric guitar, electronics
  • Mia Makela: live video

 

www.vraktrio.com

Press

 

The trio of flute, tuba and drums is unique and the result is seductive. The relationship between the incisive flute of Lecomte, keystone of the band, and agile tuba of Laurent Guitton creates a conversation where image and colour affect the course of improvisation. It is on this relationship that the drummer Oriol Roca stands. He affects almost more the melodic development than the rhythm, which is a platform for the trio. The secret to the Vrak’Trio lies perhaps in their will to avoid getting stuck in a rut (with slender flute and stocky tuba) by allowing the instruments to exchange roles constantly which is delightful to discover. Franpi Barriaux, Citizenjazz (June 2012)

 

En este peculiar “cruce de caminos” que propone el indómito Vrak’ Trio seguramente que venderían su alma sin contemplaciones al Miles Davis de Bitches Brew o al Ornette Coleman de Dancing in your head oSong X. Y todo porque su propuesta da saltos a la comba en un formato donde manda la improvisación y los márgenes ilimitados de un free-jazz, en el que coinciden multitud de referencias, desde el funk a la música incidental. Esta vez el álbum ha sido grabado en directo en el Teatro de la Escena Nacional de Narbonne y ha contado con invitados de excepción, como es el caso del guitarrista español Jaime Pantaleón, la videasta finlandesa Mia Makela y el saxofonista polaco Radek Knop. El disco se compone de siete movimientos que llevan el título que conforma la antología más una especie de suite con aires ambientales y aroma a thriller llamada Rage. El principio sosegado, nocturno y lirista de Crossroads V colisiona con el formato críptico y pantanoso de Crossroads VI, con esos juegos traviesos que propone la electrónica insuflada por Pantaleón. Mientras que la rítmica plenamente funk de Crossroads IV se da de bruces con la orgía percussiva que se dirime en Crossroads VII, donde el catalán Oriol Roca se metamorfosea en un agresivo Ronald Shannon Jackson a los timbales. La libertad cincela unas formas en continua mutación que se expanden a su antojo como corrientes de aire. Y es que para Vrak’ Trio no existen fronteras algunas en lo que se refiere a la música. Miguel Ángel Sánchez Gárate, B-Ritmos (February 2012)

 

Un projet complètement fou. Une osmose volontairement désorganisée, faite de paradoxes, de faux semblants sonores. Un foutoir incommensurable, au service de la plus intense des créativités. Vrak’Trio est un groupe (dés)articulé autour de trois malicieux artistes, en la personne de Laurent Guitton au tuba, Etienne Lecomte à la flûte traversière et Oriol Roca à la batterie. Ce trio arbitre les débats par son assise rythmique et le lyrisme des mélodies distillées avec sagesse. Dans le rôle du trublion, le guitariste Jaime Pantaleon utilise une palette d’effets électronique aussi bizzaroïdes que dérangeants, Ring Modulator et Distorsion synthétique à l’appui. Cette série de Crossroads, apatride de tout acte d’esthétisme préétabli et politiquement correcte, se veut être une suite de rêveries parfois satirique, parfois faussement naïve. Il s’agit là d’une création Live en 2008 pour le Festival « Musiques au présent » de Narbonne. La présence de Mia Makela à la video témoigne de l’ampleur artistique d’un tel projet. Par ailleurs, le saxophoniste Radek Knop y évolue avec sagesse, sachant allier spontanéité avec audace. Lors de quelques accalmies, la Musique de ce projet dingue s’organise en Groove monstrueusement envahissant, communicatif. Malicieux unissons opposés à de rugissants effluves sonores, les solistes occupent l’espace de façon onirique. Les fréquentes mises en place témoignent d’ailleurs de l’incroyable talent de compositeurs de ces interprètes, notamment Etienne Lecomte. Ce n’est pas sans rappeler l’influence bienfaitrice d’un John Zorn ou d’un Steve Reich, desquels les musiciens de ce disque sont les dignes héritiers. Tristan Loriaut, Les Dernières Nouvelles du Jazz (November 2011)

ANTITERRA – Live at Màgia Roja

LIVE AT MÀGIA ROJA

Artist : Antiterra

Release Date : March 2019

Label : Self-released

Format : Digital

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Víctor Teller.

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Jaime Pantaleón: electric guitar

Adrià Bofarull: electronics
Oriol Roca: drums

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