The Squid's Ear Magazine
The Squid's Ear Magazine


Aranda, Irene (Malfon / Aranda / Yamasaki): May [CD + DOWNLOAD] (Relative Pitch)

Pianist Irene Aranda brings together saxophonist Don Malfon and vocal artist Ami Yamasaki for a first trio recording built from three radically individual approaches to sound, merging prepared and extended piano techniques, Malfon's highly developed acoustic saxophone vocabulary and Yamasaki's echolocation-inspired voice into an unpredictable improvisational exchange of breath, resonance, friction and silence.
 

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Product Information:

Personnel:



Don Malfon-saxophone

Irene Aranda-piano

Ami Yamasaki-voice

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UPC: 5904224875534

Label: Relative Pitch
Catalog ID: RPR1288
Squidco Product Code: 37825

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2026
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded in January, 2026, by Dietrich Petzold.
Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

Artist Biographies

"Don Malfon (Alfonso Muñoz), Improvising saxophonist born in Barcelona 1978.

He began playing the electric bass when he was sixteen years old, changing to the saxophone at eighteen while studying at a local school in Barcelona.

In 2000 he moved to Havana, Cuba, where he studied particularly for five years under the tutelage of the following teachers: Orlando Sanchez (Cuba Jazz), Javier Zalva and Elvira Fuentes. Specializing in baritone and alto sax.

From 2006 he settled again in Barcelona and joined groups such as planeta imaginario (Progressive Jazz Rock), Filthy Habits Ensemble (set dedicated to the instrumental music of Frank Zappa and Stravinski), Reptilian Mambo (mambo avant-garde), B.I.B (Orchestra of improvisers of Barcelona), IED8 (Free Jazz and free improvisation), October Equus (Rock, Contemporary) Outerzone (jazz progressive core) among others.

In 2013 he moved to Mexico City where he collaborated and joined groups such as Zero Point , SIC, Remi Álzarez 4, Chocolate Smoke Gang , Mexican American Jungle Orchestra Of Marco Eneidi, Spontaneous Generation, Carlos Marks, Teoqualo and other free jazz, improvisation and other outfits.

His current experience comes from interpreting in diverse groups, alongside Agustí Fernández, Liba Villavecchia, Barry Guy, Tom Chant, John Edwards, Agustí Martinez, Pablo Rega, Nuno Rebelo , Remi Älvarez , Marco Eneidi among others.

He has been published in more than thirty albums, released on Cuneiform Records, Altrock Records, Discordian Records and Audition Records and other labels.

With some of these groups he has appeared in different festivals of jazz, rock, and free improvisation in Europe, South America and Latin America."

-Don Malfon Website (https://www.donmalfon.com/copia-de-bio)
9/9/2026

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

"Irene Aranda (born September 2, 1980 in Jaén) is a Spanish jazz pianist who also performs in the field of improvised music.

Aranda comes from a family of musicians and received from the age of seven years music lessons from her grandparents. From 1990 she attended the Conservatory of her native city, where in 1998, after she had been self - taught with jazz in 1992, became part of the big band in 1998, she belonged to 2001. In 1999 she completed her piano studies in Jaén to continue in Granada. She also attended master classes with Chano Domínguez, Perico Sambeat and Nikki Iles.

Aranda first appeared on Spanish festivals with her own groups, in 2012 she also performed at the International Jazzfestival Münster. She also played in a duo with Agustí Fernández."

See also http://www.irenearanda.com/

-Wikipedia (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irene_Aranda)
9/9/2026

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

"Ami Yamasaki is a vocalist and cross-media artist from Tokyo. Yamasaki creates installations, performance pieces and directs films. With primal vocals and movement, she explores the possibilities of a deeper understanding towards the mechanism of the world. In 2017 she was invited to New York by Asian Cultural Council as its grantee, in 2018 was invited to the Philippines as Asian Fellow of Asia Center Japan Foundation. She mainly performs in Japan, but has recently staged work in the U.S at "Sounds to Summon the Japanese Gods" at Japan Society in 2016, and in the Philippines "Ephemaral Knots" at VIVA EXCON 2018 CAPIZ Biennale in 2018. Her main solo show have included "Signs of voices" (2016, Kyoto Art Center, Kyoto), and group shows include "Tokyo Experimental Festival vol.09 " (2014, Tokyo Wonder Site, Tokyo), "Exchange-planting a seed" (2013, Aomori Contemporary Art center, Aomori) and "Sonic City 2013 Liquid Architecture" (2013, RMIT, Melbourne). Her work is diverse and prolific; ranging from the collaborations with Keiji Haino, Yasunao Tone, Akira Sakata, and Ryuichi Sakamoto, workshops at The National Museum of Art Osaka, and Arts Maebashi, as well as television and film appearances as a narrator and voice foley for "MORIBITO Ⅱ" (NHK, 2017) . She presented a TEDx talk at TEDxTokyo yz in 2016."

-Ami Yamasaki Website (https://amingerz.wixsite.com/ami-yamasaki/cv)
9/9/2026

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


Track Listing:
Related Categories of Interest:

August 2026
Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
Jazz
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Trio Recordings
Instruments with Preparations
Unusual Vocal Forms
Physical Releases that include Download Codes
New in Improvised Music
Recent Releases and Best Sellers

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Relative Pitch.


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