Normand, Eric

Data (Low-Fi Duets)

Label: Monotype Country: Poland

"Éric Normand is a composer, improviser, bassist, instrument designer, and record and concert producer, all in one. He defines himself as an epidisciplinary musician, a free electron driven by its yearning for meetings. In his book, composition cannot exist without exchange, since composition consists in setting up a territory that will facilitate improvisation.The interlocutors who have taken part to his numerous composition and production projects are sound engineers, radio producers, musicians, and sound artists.

Living in a remote location (Rimouski), he ponders the concept of distance. He builds portable instruments and involves musicians in projects designed with very basic or high-tech communication tools. When he wanders around, he likes to improvises. His latest such meetings have featured Pierre-Yves Martel, Danielle Palardy Roger, Magali Babin and Anne-Françoise Jacques. His music has been programmed by or performed in several festivals in Canada (Festival de Musiques de Création - Jonquière, Reflux - Moncton, Productions SuperMusique - Montréal, Mois Multi - Québec, etc.) and Europe (Festival Rue du Nord - Switzerland, Festival des Musiques Insolentes - France, Les Rencontres à l'Échelle - France, etc). They have also been broadcasted by Radio-Canada, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, CBC, Radio-Grenouille, and several college radio stations."-Monotype Records

"While I was building some noise devices, and stomp boxes, I've travelled and played with such great improvisers... using light kit, with or without my bass."-Eric Normand

"Martin Tétreault, an internationally-renowned Montréal DJ and improviser, originally came from the milieu of the visual arts. His path has been marked out by various productions on compact disc and live performances with a range of collaborators:Diane Labrosse, René Lussier, Jean Derome, Michel F Côté, I8U, Otomo Yoshihide,Kevin Drumm, Xavier Charles, Ikue Mori, and many more.

Born in 1978, Christine Sehnaoui Abdelnour lives in France but is of Lebanese origin. After discovering improvised music in 1997 she began a process of self-taught study and sound experimentation using the alto saxophone. She has developed a unique personal language, producing sounds that are close to those of electroacoustic music but on a purely acoustic instrument.

Sébastien Cirotteau studied trumpet at the ENM (Le Mans) and the CNR (Rennes) between 1986 and 1993, then with Emmanuel Maurice until 1995. He later studied sound engineering in Toulouse (BTS Audiovisuel, 1999). His training and his meeting with a few pioneering musicians (Michel Doneda, Fabrice Charles, Marc Démereau) have deeply altered his instrumental approach, now influenced by electroacoustics and soundscapes.

Mario Gauthier studied in musicology and composition techniques. He also educated himself in orchestral direction, orchestration, musical arrangement, radio, phonography (recording and reproduction of sound), and cinema history. In 2005, he was briefly consultant, producer and host in classical and contemporary music for the internet radio station Radiolibre.ca. Before that, from 1988 until 2004, he was also producer and host for the ex-Chaine culturelle of Radio Canada. As such, Mario Gauthier conceived weekly and daily shows as well as "antenna project" (e.g.: punctual broadcasts in often very specialized contents). He recorded around 300 concerts of classical, contemporary, electroacoustic and new music. He also produced or commissioned approximately 30 musical and radio pieces. About 50 of these recordings and productions are available on disc."-Monotype Records