The Squid's Ear Magazine


Zethson, Alexander: Pole Of Inaccessibility [2 CDs] (thanatosis produktion)

Darkly meditative and somber compositions for the lower registers of the grand piano accompanied by synthesizer, in two extended pieces by Je Suis! and Angles 9 pianist Alexander Zethson, using the interactions between the deep piano keys and synth more as a sound source than as a distinct instrument, each reshaping the other to create a cloud of sound.
 

Price: $22.95



Quantity:

In Stock

Quantity in Basket: None

Log In to use our Wish List
Shipping Weight: 2.00 units

Sample The Album:





product information:

Personnel:



Alexander Zethson-grand piano, sythesizer


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




UPC: 7320470215975

Label: thanatosis produktion
Catalog ID: THTCD1
Squidco Product Code: 30639

Format: 2 CDs
Condition: New
Released: 2016
Country: Sweden
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold 3 Panels
Recorded at KMH, in Stockholm, Sweden, on March 5th, 2016, by Zebastian Swartz.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"From the lower registers of the piano, a rumbling cloud of sound appears, in which sparkling overtones creates melodies and rhythms that points out the directions of the composition. In this sound world Earth meets Morton Feldman; meets Noto/Sakamoto; meets Philip Corner's piece "Gong" in its transcribed version for low strings. The Korg MS20 interferes now and then, making it impossible to clearly define the boundaries of the piano. The album download comes with a 99 page thesis in Swedish with reflections on the creation of the piece. "-Thanatosis Produktion



"You are both awake and asleep. Listening, but at the same time paying no heed to the experience. Am I talking about the ancient Buddhist practice of yoga nidra or the recording Pole Of Inaccessibility by Swedish pianist Alexander Zethson? Actually both.

The finest tribute that can be paid to these two discs of extended composition and improvisation is that the body is asleep while the unconscious mind is attuned at a much deeper level. Like the nidra experience, Zethson has created a meditative state where his music develops a new sense. Is it the sixth sense, or hearing +1?

Before we get all new age/crunchy granola. This is a solo outing by the pianist for the quartet Je Suis! and Angles 9 (which was formerly known as Angles 8) with, among others, Magnus Broo, Martin Küchen, and Mattias Ståhl. It is one of the most vibrant music ensembles to come along since the ICP Orchestra. Stripped of his role as ensemble pianist, Zethson paints with a post-minimalist brush here. His Steinway grand piano is accompanied by synthesizer. With both instruments coloring from a dark ambient palette, his left hand dominates with synth strains of rumble and hum and decomposing loops of sound. The closest comparison here is to that of Chris Abrahams' piano work in the trio The Necks. But where The Necks build momentum at a glacial pace, Zethson chooses to perpetuate congruent wave upon wave of sound. He draws from an enigmatic pool of subliminal tones that shifts the listening experience from passive to osmosis, the active process of emotional absorption. Just as the most effective meditation sessions tend to be."-Mark Corroto, All About Jazz


Get additional information at All About Jazz

Artist Biographies

"Alexander Zethson has completed the bachelor performance programme in jazz at KMH and is currently studying at the second year of the master's programme with Lisa Ullén as his primary instrument teacher.

Alexander has participated in extensive concert and tour activities and has participated in fifteen record productions. The ensembles include:

• Niklas Barnö's free jazz group Je Suis!• A number of tours in Europe with Martin Küchen's group Angles 9

Alexander is also active as arranger and pianist in collaboration with the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, a cooperation which began in 2011. Zethson, Sofia Jernberg and Lene Grenager has arranged music from Hallingdal and Røros performed by the TJO with Zethson, Jernberg and violinist/Hardanger fiddler Olav Luksengård Mjelva."

-KMH Royal College of Music in Stockholm (https://www.kmh.se/alexander-zethson-received-the-rosenborg-gehrmans-scholarship)
3/13/2024

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


Track Listing:



CD1



1. Pole Of Inaccessibility I 41:11

CD2



1. Pole Of Inaccessibility II 58:11

Related Categories of Interest:


Compositional Forms
Electro-Acoustic
Piano & Keyboards
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Solo Artist Recordings
New in Compositional Music

Search for other titles on the label:
thanatosis produktion.


Recommended & Related Releases:
Ahanes (Kokkoli / Arapis / Aleklint / Zethson / Zetterberg / Agnas)
Petrichor
(Clean Feed)
Stockholm pianist Alexander Zethson invited Greek saxophonist Nicky Kokkoli and guitarist Giannis Arapis to take part in his 13-piece Thanatosis festival ensemble VÖ; they then asked drummer Nils Agnas, bassist Torbjörn Zetterberg and trombonist Mats Äleklint to join them for this sublimely flowing sextet studio session, which includes works by Mingus and Coltrane.
Vathres
Liturgy of Lacuna [VINYL]
(thanatosis produktion)
Three expansive works from composer and keyboardist/pianist Alex Zethson, developing concepts from themes and motifs developed over more than a decade, recorded over two years with exceptional care as he and his collaborators create subtle and beautifully evocative sonic environments that seamlessly incorporate acoustic, electronic, drone and feedback elements.
Aldrig, Ljug
Stabbings / Juiced [7'' VINYL + DOWNLOAD]
(thanatosis produktion)
Ljug Aldrig, aka Roosen, a visual artist, guitarist and vocalist from Stockholm, is heard in a 2-song 7" + download release performing with Dennis Egberth on drums, Alexander Zethson on keys, Anton Toorell on bass, guitars and Isak Hedtjarn on saxophone.
Ahanes (Kokkoli / Arapis / Aleklint / Zethson / Zetterberg / Agnas)
Petrichor
(Clean Feed)
Stockholm pianist Alexander Zethson invited Greek saxophonist Nicky Kokkoli and guitarist Giannis Arapis to take part in his 13-piece Thanatosis festival ensemble VÖ; they then asked drummer Nils Agnas, bassist Torbjörn Zetterberg and trombonist Mats Äleklint to join them for this sublimely flowing sextet studio session, which includes works by Mingus and Coltrane.
Angles
A Muted Reality
(Clean Feed)
The chameleonic configuration of Angles is here an octet, in a powerfully building and passionate set of three recordings performed by Martin Kuchen (alto sax), Magnus Broo & Goran Kajfes (trumpets), Mats Aleklint (trombone), Mattias Stahl (vibraphone), Alexander Zethson (piano & synth), Konrad Agnas (drums) and Johan Berthling (double bass); exemplary.
Talp, Linnea
Arch Of Motion
(thanatosis produktion)
Performed with Stockholm musicians including pianist Alexander Zethson, wind player Martin Küchen and trombonist Mats Äleklint, organist Linnéa Talp explores the areas of sound that emulate breathing, push/pull or back & forth motion, in eight beautifully paced recordings led by the organ's rich and microtonal vibrations & timbre and imbued by the contributor's subtle additions.
Fire! Orchestra / Krzysztof Penderecki
Actions [VINYL]
(Rune Grammofon)
"Actions For Free Jazz Orchestra" was originally written by Polish composer Krzysztof Penderecki for the New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra, assembled by Don Cherry for the occasion and conducted by composer himself; this new extended reading and conduction of the score from 2018 was originated and directed by Mats Gustafsson, a powerful update and expansion of the original work.
Angles 9
Beyond Us
(Clean Feed)
Now a distinct edition of saxophonist Martin Kuchen's concept, the Angles 9 ensemble is captured live at the Zomer Jazz Fiets Tour in The Netherlands in 2018, performing Kuchen's embraceable and lyrical compositions, allowing his masterful band--including Magnus Broo, Johan Berthling, Mattias Stahl, &c.--great opportunities for collective playing and profound soloing.
Angles 9
Injuries [VINYL 2 LPs]
(Clean Feed)
Now a nine-piece, Martin Kuchen leads the magnificently powerful Angles band through 7 demanding compositions, with trumpeter Magnus Broo back in the band alongside Alexander Zethson, Mattias Stahl, Jonan Berthling, Andreas Werlin, Eirik Hegdal, Mats Aleklint & Goran Kajfes.
Angles 9
Injuries
(Clean Feed)
Now a nine-piece, Martin Kuchen leads the magnificently powerful Angles band through 7 demanding compositions, with trumpeter Magnus Broo back in the band alongside Alexander Zethson, Mattias Stahl, Jonan Berthling, Andreas Werlin, Eirik Hegdal, Mats Aleklint & Goran Kajfes.
Angles 9
In Our Midst [VINYL]
(Clean Feed)
Clean Feed's 2nd LP is their 4th Angles release, expanding saxophonist Martin Kuchen's band to 9 pieces with Mattias Stahl, Johan Berthling, Alexander Zethson, Mats Aleklint, Eirik Hegdal, Goran Kajfes, and Magnus Broo in an album of rare expressiveness and power.
Angles 8
By Way of Deception - Live in Ljubljana
(Clean Feed)
A fantastic concert recorded during the 52nd Ljubljana Jazz Festival, presenting an ambitious and remarkable pair of compositions from saxophonist Martin Kuchen, extending his regular 6 piece band to an octet.
Other Recommended Releases:
Ogura, Miharu
Ogura Plays Ogura
(thanatosis produktion)
Following her 2022 album Ogura Plays Stockhausen, Japanese born, Frankfurt-based pianist Miharu Ogura turns her attention to her own compositions, presenting five uniquely creative works unfolding in pacing that surprises the listener, balancing silence and clusters of layered patterns that move at differing speeds and rhythms, from simple clarity to labyrinthine entanglement.
Vathres
Liturgy of Lacuna
(thanatosis produktion)
Three expansive works from composer and keyboardist/pianist Alex Zethson, developing concepts from themes and motifs developed over more than a decade, recorded over two years with exceptional care as he and his collaborators create subtle and beautifully evocative sonic environments that seamlessly incorporate acoustic, electronic, drone and feedback elements.
Bromander, Vilhelm
In This Forever Unfolding Moment [VINYL]
(thanatosis produktion)
Drawing on ideas from the 60s and 70--Ornette Coleman, John and Alice Coltrane, Don Cherry, and Charlie Haden--bassist Vilhelm Bromander assembles an accomplished ensemble of Stockholm improvisers to perform three works of warmth and spiritual power, incorporating jazz, world and contemporary music in a stunning and rich album that exudes a wealth of experience and musical clarity.
Bromander, Vilhelm
In This Forever Unfolding Moment
(thanatosis produktion)
Drawing on ideas from the 60s and 70--Ornette Coleman, John and Alice Coltrane, Don Cherry, and Charlie Haden--bassist Vilhelm Bromander assembles an accomplished ensemble of Stockholm improvisers to perform three works of warmth and spiritual power, incorporating jazz, world and contemporary music in a stunning and rich album that exudes a wealth of experience and musical clarity.
AUTORHTYHM
Songs for the Nervous System
(thanatosis produktion)
An investigation into the depths of the body's neurological frontier from Swedish electronic artist Joakim Forsgren, presenting a series of intuitive compositions drawing from the latest medical research on how light and sound at specific frequencies has a potential to affect bodily functions, using analog synthesizers to create retro-rhythmic environments of flowing sound.
AUTORHTYHM
Synapse / Oxytocin [7'' Vinyl w/ Download]
(thanatosis produktion)
The first single from Swedish electronic composer Joakim Forsgren's Autorhythm's project Songs For The Nervous System, two soundscapes in the ambient realm, Forsgren using vintage synths and no computers to create these tracks, described as "pop music for a dysfunctional but beautiful parallel world".
Zethson, Alex
Terje
(Supertraditional)
Two movements from a live score for the classic silent film Terje Vigen by Sjöström composed and produced by Swedish pianist & keyboardist Alex Zethson (Angles 9, VÖ, Fire! Orchestra), two long-form tracks of dark and sombre, pulsating folk-drone featuring Norwegian vocal ensemble EMBLA plus appearances by, i.e., Christer Bothén, Kristin Amparo Sundberg and Goran Kajfeš.
Ogura, Miharu
Ogura Plays Stockhausen [2 CDS + DOWNLOAD]
(thanatosis produktion)
A double CD of Japanese pianist Miharu Ogura's performance of Karlheinz Stockhausen's Klavierstücke I-XI for solopiano, recorded at the MONOPIANO festival in 2021, bringing to a pinnacle her fascination with Stockhausen's unique approach to this set of compositions, captured in her second live performance after a concert in Tokyo in the same year.
VO (Zethson / Hogberg / Berthling / Sander)
The Sounds Of VO [2 CDS]
(thanatosis produktion)
A rare mix of collective and chamber approaches to free improvisation from the Swedish sextet VÖ of Eva Lindal on violin, Anna Hogberg on alto saxophone, Johan Berthling on double bass, Leo Svensson Sander on cello, Alexander Zethson on piano & pump organ and Giannis Arapis on acoustic guitar, performing deeply introspective conversations that explore modernity and tradition.
Zethson, Alex
Residy
(thanatosis produktion)
The Residy, or remains of a unique variation on JS Bach's Goldberg Variation no. 21, performed live by pianist Alex Zethson who maintains the structure, rhythmic movement and note order of Bach's composition, while dispersing the notes and intervals into two synths and an E-bowed grand piano to evoke these meditative and expansive interpretations.
Bennardo, Maya / Erik Blennow Calaly / Kristofer Svensson
Two Skies
(thanatosis produktion)
The first recording of an ongoing collaboration between violinist Maya Bennardo, bass clarinetist Erik Blennow Calälv, and kacapi (similar to a Japanese koto) musician Kristofer Svensson, presenting two restrained and lovely compositions bringing together contemporary classical, free improvisation and Sundanese music in a unique chamber format.
Hiroui, Larsson Andreas
Seduced By (A) Last Year
(thanatosis produktion)
Seeking to combine the interdisciplinary practices of Swedish percussionist, artist and philosopher Larsson Andreas Hiroui and his ensemble of Johanna Arve and Johan Jutterstrom into a single method, this extended work compiles their collective history into digital archives that are presented in a layered set of spoken observations and instrumental improvisations.
Talp, Linnea
Arch Of Motion [VINYL]
(thanatosis produktion)
Performed with Stockholm musicians including pianist Alexander Zethson, wind player Martin Küchen and trombonist Mats Äleklint, organist Linnéa Talp explores the areas of sound that emulate breathing, push/pull or back & forth motion, in eight beautifully paced recordings led by the organ's rich and microtonal vibrations & timbre and imbued by the contributor's subtle additions.
Bennett, David / Vilhem Bromander
Within Reach Of Eventuality
(thanatosis produktion)
David Bennet & Vilhelm Bromander is a Stockholm-based duo exploring microtonal soundscapes and timbral relations, focused on subtle relations between sounds using texture, intonation and timbre, beating, common partials and difference tones, creating sonic landscapes often based on triggering psychoacoustic phenomena, here following a semi-open score in a four part work.



The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC