The Squid's Ear Magazine


Space Quartet (Toral / Antunes / Morao / Torres): Freedom of Tomorrow (Clean Feed)

The first quartet album for electronic improviser Rafael Toral's Space Quartet is a live album from Casa das Artes Bissaya Barreto in Coimbra, performed with Hugo Antunes on double bass, Nuno Morao on drums & percussion, Nuno Torres on alto saxophone & electronic instrument, with Toral using acoustic & electronic feedback to bring the classic jazz quartet lineup into new spaces.
 

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Personnel:



Rafael Toral-acoustic feedback, electronic feedback, amplifier, direction

Hugo Antunes-double bass

Nuno Morao-drums, percussion

Nuno Torres-alto saxophone, electronic instrument


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UPC: 5609063005974

Label: Clean Feed
Catalog ID: CF597
Squidco Product Code: 32121

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2022
Country: Portugal
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Tracks 1 and 2 recorded live at Casa das Artes Bissaya Barreto in Coimbra on October 5th, 2019.

Tracks 3 and 5 recorded live at ALICE in Copenhagen, Denmark, on November 13th, 2019.

Track 4 recorded live at gnration in Braga on May 22nd, 2021.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Electronic music with a human touch - that's what Rafael Toral proposed himself to do when he started with the Space Program. Or electro-acoustic music, to be more exact, because his adapted amplifiers and other feedback and sinusoidal devices are combined with conventional instruments, played by fellow Portuguese musicians Nuno Torres on alto sax, Hugo Antunes on doublebass (note their superb opening section in "Black and White") and Nuno Morao on drums (his swing in the pure-gold final section of "Landing in Copenhagen", among other suprising grooves, is stranger than Ringo's).

Freedom of Tomorrow is not a statement but a question (yes, "tomorrow is the question", always true) a new opus from the Space Quartet, entirely recorded live, in concerts taking place in Coimbra, Portugal and Copenhagen, Danmark (*). Toral's "jazz-like phrasings" and the overall quartet dynamics gain from it, presenting "Freedom of Tomorrow" new steps of the ongoing explorations of this unique quartet. And unique because what you find here - if not already knowing it from previous albums - has nothing to do with the use of electronics in fusion, avant-jazz or free improvisation. Quoting Rafael Toral himself, here's a bunch of new metaphors "to the many dimensions of the notion of space in our lives". No, not necessarily the Space in which Sun Ra inhabited. That would come with no surprises. This other music is made of surprises, from the first minute to the last."-Clean Feed



"After all, the idea behind the Space Quartet has always been just one: To promote a musical form that would serve as a metaphor to the many dimensions of the notion of space in our lives.

The SPACE QUARTET is based on a near-classic jazz lineup of drums, double bass and two soloist voices, of which one or both are abstract electronics, and operates in a post-free context, bringing in elements from the outer limits of disparate genres.Evolving since 2014, the Space Quartet now features the inventiveness and clarity of double-bassist Hugo Antunes, the cross-boundary, sharp drumming of Nuno Morão and the multi-language intelligence of saxophonist Nuno Torres. This lineup provides the best home ever for Rafael Toral's unique phrasing style in custom electronic instruments of his own invention. Melodic without notes, rhythmic without a beat, familiar but strange, meticulous but radically free, his music has been described as "a brand of electronic music far more visceral and emotive than that of his cerebral peers". The quartet's ever renewing, ever unfolding dynamics create widely diversified moments, from Japanese calligraphy to fire-jazz, fruit of how its members make decisions within the Quartet's space-driven framework.

"After the conclusion of the 13-year-long Space Program series, Space Quartet marks a new horizon in Rafael Toral's ongoing music explorations. Referring both to a record and a band configuration, Space Quartet embodies a maturing moment for the Portuguese musician. As one of the most internationally-recognized figures in the leftfield domains of music, Toral describes the album as "an advanced application of the Space Program principles": electronic music with a human touch.

The electronics are the driving core of the ambitious Space Quartet, setting it apart from many examples of electronics in jazz. Inspired by some of the principles and methods of enigmatic master Sei Miguel, the music develops solely according to the musicians' free decisions. The result is a sense of flux and ever-renewing forward motion, continuously unfolding into new places, through spirit and matter from jazz-rock to ambient music and "the singing of standards from another planet" (Toral dixit). One thing is for sure: you've never heard anything like this before. "-Rafael Toral/Space Quartet website

Also available as a vinyl LP.

Artist Biographies

"Rafael Toral, born in Lisbon, 1967 has been intrigued by the potential of sound and the functions of music since he was a teenager. As a composer and performer, he has been deeply involved with Rock, Ambient, Contemporary, Electronic and Free Jazz music in different periods of his life.

Working with electric guitar and electronics, in the 1990's he created a blend of Ambient and Rock and recorded acclaimed albums like Wave Field or Violence of Discovery and Calm of Acceptance. By the early 2000's he arrived to a sense of accomplishment about his previous 15 years of work, also realizing the world needed a different creative response. He decided to start something new, as radically different from the previous phase as possible. In a transition to vulnerable action, he launched the alien-sounding Space Program in 2004, using experimental electronic instruments. It's been an ambitious long-term project exploring an approach to electronic music based on silence, through decision making and physical gesture, in a way inspired by post-free Jazz. The resulting music, "melodic without notes, rhythmic with no beat, familiar but strange, meticulous but radically free - riddled with paradox but full of clarity and space", has been described as "a brand of electronic music far more visceral and emotive than that of his cerebral peers".

In the last 15 years he's been thinking and practicing an understanding of silence as "space", with a clear function in music creation but also as a metaphor for social relationships and a statement on information and sensory overload.

Performing solo or in numerous collaborations (including Jim O'Rourke, Jim Baker, Sei Miguel, Chris Corsano, John Edwards, Evan Parker, Tatsuya Nakatani, Manuel Mota, Alvin Lucier, Phill Niblock, Christian Marclay, Sonic Youth, Rhys Chatham, Lee Ranaldo, C Spencer Yeh, and many others), he has been touring throughout Europe, Canada, USA, Mexico, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

Also active in visual and spatial arts, Toral has produced video and several installations from 1994 to 2003.

In 2014 he relocated to the mountains in central Portugal for a more sustainable life. In 2017, having concluded the Space Program's recording series, Toral is entering a wider field with multiple directions and possibilities. From his mountain studio, he also offers mastering services."

-Rafael Toral Website (http://rafaeltoral.net/about/)
3/13/2024

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

"Hugo Antunes was born in 1974 in Portugal. In 2011 released "The future of the past" VELKRO album on Pling records. In 2010 released "Roll Call", for Clean Feed records. In 2009 was awarded with an INOV ART scholarship (Did a research over improvised music in Brussels Belgium.); In 2009 enrolled as a bachelor student in the Royal Belgium Conservatory in Brussels, studying with Christophe Walleme; In 2008 during the Coimbra Jazz Festival, he was invited to participate in Jazz Orchestra Workshop conducted and oriented by the alto saxophone player Michael Attias, which ended with a live performance in the Festival; In 2006 attended a Berklee summer workshop, in Perugia, Italy, oriented by Dave Clark; In 2005 enrolled as a full-time bachelor student in the Amsterdam's Conservatorium of Music. His major was Double Bass Jazz with Prof. Franz Van der Hooven; In 2004, during the Coimbra Jazz Festival, was invited to participate in Jazz Orchestra Workshop conducted and oriented by the double bass player Adam Lane, which ended with a live performance in the Festival; In 2003, during the Estoril Jazz Festival, attended a workshop with Rufus Reid; In 2002 attended a Jazz workshop taking place in Valencia, Spain, with Mário Rossy; In 2000(/2002) initiated his musical and double bass studies at "Luís Villas Boas" (Hot Club) in Lisbon.

Bands and musicians he worked with: Gerry Smullian USA; Michael Attias (USA); Nate Wooley (USA); Alexandra Samsonova Trio and Quartet with Jesus Santandreu; Carlo Magni Trio; Michel Charenc (France); Benny Lackner Trio with Mathieu Chazarenc; Carlos Carli Trio with German Kucich; Harmonics player Olivier Ker Orio; Phil Abraham (Belgium); Albert Bover (Spain); Christian Brewer (England); Quentin Collins (England); Michel Joussin (France); Loopless; VELKRO; Alexi Tuomarila (Finland); Robin Verheyen (Belgium); Winchovski (Belgium). Music and performence with: Nastio Mosquito, Trienal S. Paulo (Brasil), "Africalls", Casa de África, Spain, Las Palmas in 2008; "Evento", Bordeaux, France in 2009; Nastio e Kalaf, "Festival Mistura" 2008, at S. Luiz, Lisbon. "VOUS", International collective on improvised music, tap-toe, poetry, video. Lisbon, Portugal 2008, Apt, France 2009; "Deus.Pátria.Revolução.", play by Luis Bragança Gil e Luisa Costa Gomes, at CCB in Lisbon , Portugal 2008; S. João do Porto, Porto, Portugal 2009. Music and improvised dance: Ana Borges, Portugal; Luis Marrafa, Portugal/Belgium.

Taught Double bass at Escola das Artes de Sines, and others, in Portugal. Workshops over Improvised music in Portugal and Norway.

-Jazz In Belgium Website (http://www.jazzinbelgium.com/person/hugo.antunes)
3/13/2024

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

"Nuno Morão: Musician | Sound engineer, Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

• Scratch Built Studio | CABO Studio; • The Selva; • Hamar Trio; • Joana Barra Vaz; • Ar.Co - Center for Art & Visual Communication; • ECOSAcademic education; • University of Évora

He was born in Lisbon in 1976. In 1983, he began his musical studies at the School of Music of Loures. He was later student at the Gregorian Institute of Lisbon, Faculty of Arts of the University of Lisbon, University of Aveiro, School of Music of Lisbon and University of Évora (where he is about to graduate in Jazz).

He studied composition, organ of tubes, piano, drums, varied percussion and a panoply of plastic instruments. In the company of several musicians and projects, he practices improvisation and exploratory music (PARK, PINKDRAFT, IKB Ensemble, VGO, Hamar Trio, The Selva).

He works as a musician, composer and sound engineer (in theater, dance, performance, installation, cinema, web, audiobooks and new media), as well as operator, director, editor and sound mixer. In addition to the musical projects mentioned above, he is also an active member of Ensemble JER, Common Name, Nuno Sanches and co-editor of BOCA (audiobooks). He enjoys walking, collecting varied documentation and photographing the national railway. 40 years old. Born in Lisbon, where he lives and works as a musician, composer and sound designer (theater, performance, installation, cinema, web and new media), as well as a sound recordist, mixer, editor and director."

-Linked In (https://pt.linkedin.com/in/nmorao)
3/13/2024

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

"Studied alto saxophone within a jazz tradition spectrum. His continuous solo experimental research explores a wide scope of sound material through the use of the extended technics. Participates in several ensembles of improvisational music, electro acoustics and reductionism. Collaborates with musicians such as, Ernesto Rodrigues, Ricardo Jacinto, Sei Miguel, Fala Mariam, João Castro Pinto, Rafael Toral, Manuel Mota, David Stackenäs, Travassos, Paulo Raposo, Carlos Santos, Shiori Usui, C. Spencer Yeh, Cyril Bondi and d'incise, and developed projects as CACTO and PinkDraft, In the recent years has been also collaborating in several different projects at the intersection of the performative areas of dance, theatre and the visual arts (PARQUE, Les Voisins, Eye Height, Adriana Sá, Beatriz Cantinho). Participates and curates experimental and community radio initiatives."

-Creative Sources (http://creativesourcesrec.com/artists/n_torres.html)
3/13/2024

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


Track Listing:



1. Black and White 04:56

2. Freedom of Tomorrow 13:21

3. Starlight 04:08

4. Generation 16:12

5. Landing in Copenhagen 12:23

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
Electro-Acoustic
Electro-Acoustic Improv
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Quartet Recordings
New in Improvised Music
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Clean Feed.


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