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Alternating between classical and electric guitars, Pascal Landry and Francois Paquet use a non-traditional broadcast system where the signal from their electric guitars is sent through materials selected by the musicians, creating unique tones and timbres, and providing an interesting visual aspect to their dialogs, captured here in the studio in Beauport, Quebec in 2021.
 

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Le GGRIL Sommes [3 CDs] (Tour de Bras / Circum-Disc)

A magnificent triple-CD set from the Quebec creative ensemble GGRIL performing the works of Frederic Blondy, Robert Marcel Lepage, Lisa Cay Miller, Malcolm Goldstein, Caroline Kraabel, Allison Cameron, Martin Arnold, Lori Freedman, Michel F. Cote, Jean Derome and Gus Garside, a significant and beautifully packaged release from one of Canada's most important new music groups.

GGRIL Plays Laubrock (Tour de Bras / Circum-Disc)

The GGRIL (Grand groupe régional d'improvisation libérée) improviser ensemble based in Quebec invited German saxophonist living in NYC, Ingrid Laubrock, to compose three works, taking the band on adventerous journeys of texture, abstraction and melody, harnessing the power of the band's unique orchestration of electric guitars, percussion, and strings.

GGRIL [feat John Butcher / Isaiah Ceccarelli / Xavier Charles] Facon [2 CDs] (Circum-Disc)

The Quebec ensemble GGRIL of eclectic instrumentation, acoustic and electronic, with an open-minded approach to developing large-scale works bringing together approaches to improvisation and contemporary composition, here presenting three works from residencies with John Butcher, Isaiah Ceccarelli and Xavier Charles recorded from 2016 through 2018.

Insect-ions (Pascal Landry / Mick Barr) out.over.forever (Tour de Bras)

Acoustic guitar intermeshes with electric guitar as Canadian guitarist Pascal Landry and New York guitarist Mick Barr, both of whom play in heavy rock and free improvisation settings, meet in Queens, NY to record this intense album of free playing using a diverse set of approaches, intertwining their strings in an insectile swarm of notes and timbres.

Bazzicalupo, Andrew The Ball I Threw Has Not Yet Reached The Ground (Tour de Bras)

Recording in the studio in Nice, France, guitarist Andrea Bazzicalupo's solo album is a collection of pieces, consisting exclusively of improvisations and instant creations, moving between sonic explorations, melodic textures, experimental material and spontaneous compositions, a well-paced collection of introspective and assertive explorations.

ErikM / vrrrbitch L'Horizon des Evenements (Tour de Bras)

Like aberrant robots chattering, French sound artist ErikM and Czech multi-instrumentalist Petr Vrba aka vrrrbitch developed these compositions to function like vocal conversations of extreme discourse, set over effected synthetics, disruptions, dark rhythmic pulses and inexplicable sonic digressions, in seven powerfully compulsive quasi-conversations.

Orins, Peter (Orins / Pruvost / Dang / Pym) Dead Dead Gang (Tour de Bras / Circum-Disc)

A musical work composed by French drummer Peter Orins inspired by Alan Moore's 2016 novel Jerusalem crossing geographical and temporal space, recorded during a residency with the Muzzix collective at La Malterie in Lill and performed with Maryline Pruvost on voice & indian harmonium, Barbara Dang on piano, and Gordon Pym on electronics & amplified objects.

Charles, Xavier / Eric Normand Balises [VINYL] (Tour de Bras / Ramble)

Seven forays into dark experimental electroacoustic improvisation from electric bassist and Tour de Bras label-leader Éric Normand and French clarinetist Xavier Charles, leveraging unlikely techniques on both instruments, eight dialogs both assertive and cautiously mysterious, employing harmonic overtones, remarkable reed techniques, and rich electronic foundations.

Brulez les meubles (Beaudoin / Normand / Derome / Hollenbeck) L'appel du vide (Tour de Bras / Circum-Disc)

With a common passion for the jazz guitar, from Jim Hall to Bill Frisell, from Rene Thomas to Brandon Ross, the core duo of Canadian improvisers, guitarist Louis Beaudoin-de la Sablonniere and bassist Éric Normand, are joined by drummer Tom Jacques for a set of original compositions plus a Paul Bley piece, one by Gilles Vigneault, and two collective improvisations.

Derome, Jean (Derome / Hetu / Robichaud / Servant / Jacques / Bastien / Normand / Side) Rose Drummond (Ambiances Magnetiques / Tour de Bras)

A tribute to controversial and outrageous Quebec sculptor and installation artist Rose Drummond, through a collection of unusual, diverse, absurdist and absolutely remarkable instrumental & vocal songs drawn from saxophonist and composer Jean Derome's musical career, performed with Musique Actuelle luminaries including Michel F Coté, Joane Hétu, and Éric Normand.

Rollet, Quentin / Xavier Mussat Debordements (Tour de Bras)

Soundscapes, drones, disruptive aberrations, textures and perplexingly absorbing interactions btween French guitarist and sound artist Xavier Mussat and saxophonist Quentin Rollett (Red Krayloa, Nurse with Wound), performing live at Instants Chavires, in Montreuil, France in 2020 for eight diverse and unusual improvisations.

Garcia, Violeta / Emilie Girard-Charest Impermanence (Inexhaustible Editions/Tour De Bras)

Slippery confluence to taut string friction in the duo of Argentinian cellist & improviser Violeta Garcia and Quebec cellist Emilie Girard-Charest, both bringing impressive improvisational resumes and classical grounding to their uniquely informed dialogs, heard in a five part album exploring a remarkable range of technical skill and expression.

Vergara, Benjamin / Fred Frith Fanfarrisimo [VINYL] (Tour de Bras)

Recording in Chile at the University Austral in 2018, trumpeter Benjamin Vergara and guitarist Fred Frith take us on two extended journeys through free electroacoustic improvisation, Frith's providing diverse and intense sonic environments over which Vergara's virtuosic and intuitive approach to the trumpet soars; impressive, creative, cathartic.

Akiyama, Tetuzi / Herve Boghossian Suketchi (Tour de Bras)

Translating to "sketch", the duo of Japanese improvising guitarist Tetuzi Akiyama and French guitarist Hervé Boghossian recorded these sketches in the studio in Marseille, France, seven succinct free improvisations of an open and intuitively lyrical nature performed on acoustic guitars, in a gorgeous album of uniquely spacious interlaced string improvisation.

Beaudoin-de-la-Sablonniere, Louis / Eric Normand / Louis-Vincent Hamel Brulez les Meubles (Tour de Bras)

Seeking to extend the guitar trio into new and unique territory, the Quebec trio of Eric Normand on electric bass, Louis Beaudoin-de-la-Sablonniere on electric guitar, and Louis-Vincent Hamel on drums, reference performers like Jim Hall, Sonny Sharrock, John Abercrombie, & Bill Frisell while focusing on harmolodic force and unusual melodic lines.

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