"Rob Mazurek is an American electro-acoustic composer, cornetist, improviser and visual artist living in Chicago, Illinois. As a composer, Rob Mazurek has written over 300 original compositions over the past 30 years, and has released 55 recordings on various labels. He currently leads a number of ensembles, including Exploding Star Orchestra, Pharoah and the Underground (featuring Pharoah Sanders), Chicago Underground, Pulsar Quartet, São Paulo Underground, Skull Sessions, Sound Is Quintet, Starlicker, Mandarin Movie and Throne of the House of Good and Evil, each of which possesses its own distinct musical personality.

He has collaborated with a wide variety of artists, such as Bill Dixon, Pharoah Sanders, Mike Ladd, Roscoe Mitchell, Yusef Lateef, Fred Anderson, Naná Vasconcelos, Mamelo Sound System, Kassin and Marcelo Camelo and others. Additionally, Rob Mazurek works as a visual artist (incorporating sound, painting and video) with numerous international performances, exhibitions and artist residencies."

"Sao Paulo native Mauricio Takara, born in 1982, started playing the acoustic guitar at the age of seven. Two years later, he started playing drums. Takara played with local hard core punk bands throughout the '90s and started Hurtmold in 1998, releasing five records on the Submarine label. He put out his first solo album on Desmonta Discos in 2003 and has since released three more solo recordings on the same label, the latest bein g 2010's Sobre Todas e Qualquer Coisa . Takara has recorded with many Brazilian artists, including Nacao Zumbi, Vanessa Da Mata, Sabotage, Naná Vasconcelos and Marcelo Camelo, as well as such renowned international artists as Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp, Yusef Lateef, and Prefuse 73 . Besides Rob Mazurek's São Paulo Underground, Takara has also worked with such other Chicago - connected projects and artists as Exploding Star Orchestra, Jason Adasiewicz, and John Herndon . Takara has toured Europe (Sonar festi val/Barcelona, Roskilde/Denmark, Womex/Seville & Club Transmediale/Berlin), the U.S., India (World Socials Forum) and Brazil (Nublu Jazz Festival, SESC Pinheiros, and opening for Lo Borges & Milton Nascimento at Coquetel Molotov Festival). Takara is consid ered one of the leading voices in the new post - Tropicalia wave of Brazilian music."

"Guilherme Granado, a Sao Paulo native, has played and recorded with Takara in Hurtm old (4 albums and a split disc with The Eternals on Submarine Records) as well as working with the Assembleia Ritmica de Pinheiros . Additionally, Granado performs, produces, and records under the name Bodes & Elefantes, which has released 3 albums on Subma rine Records & Catune. He has toured with Prefuse 73 and Marcelo Camelo, and collaborated with a global array of artists including Pharoah Sanders, Naná Vasconcelos, Bill Dixon, Roscoe Mitchell, High Priest (Antipop Consortium), Mamelo Sound System, Explod ing Star Orchestra, Paulo Santos (Uakti), Mike Ladd, and many others. Granado has appeared on recordings released by Universal, YB Music, Submarine. Granado is in the vanguard of Brazil's Electronic Spiritualism Sound Makers, devoted to promoting music, b eats and ideas in Brazil."

"Thomas Rohrer is Swiss, living in Brazil since 1995. He began his musical studies as a violinist and studied saxophone in the jazz school of Lucerne. His work with the violin and sax has a primary focus on free improvisation, but can also be found in dialogue with traditional Brazilian music. He is a part of the Brazilian collective improvisation Abaetetuba and participates in work with cornetist Rob Mazurek, plays in duo with the singer Saadet Türköz Kazakhstan and participates in the trio with clarinetis Hans Koch and Panda Gianfratti. He worked with musicians such as Celio Barros, Zé Gomes, Nelson's Fiddle, Marcio Mattos, Mauricio Takara, John Russell, Alexandra Montano and Yusef Lateef. He toured on tour several times by Brazil, the United States and Europe. When residing in London he joined the London Improvisers Orchestra, and performed with several local improvisers. He also performs for cinema, theater, dance, performance and installation."

"Philip Somervell is an Anglo-Chilean pianist currently residing in Brazil. Studied Jazz and Philosophy in London, where he worked for several years as a teacher.

Plays inside and outside piano. Was featured at Freedom Of The City (2010 and 2011), As Alike As Trees Festival (2011), The Workshop Concert Series at Café Oto, and the Interlace concert series at Goldsmiths College. Philip played in a trio with Eddie Prevost and Guillaume Viltard, and has intermittent private and public collaborations with Jennifer Allum, Jamie Coleman, Seymour Wright, Federico Reuben, Jerry Wigens, Paul May, among others. Philip also plays in and writes for Aida Severo and Pippo's Progress."