Far beyond musical mainstream, the independent label Denovali has made its mark in the last couple of years with unique and ambitious releases of numerous artists.
Rather than publishing music easily assignable to prevalent genre classifications, the work of the label focuses on artists crossing musical boundaries in fields such as experimental, ambient, dark jazz, electronica, jazz as far as new and classical music.
Since 2007 the Denovali record label curates and organizes a three days music festival called Denovali Swingfest. The first editions took place in Essen, Germany. Since 2013 Denovali presents similar festivals in London and Berlin.
Carlos Cipa | Nocturne
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=khmfXuq-KnM
Focused on experimental music the lineup offers a wonderful opportunity to discover a wide range of international denovali artists live and is rounded off by various renowned non-label guest artists. A hallmark of the festival is the renunciation of the headliner principle: all artists are receiving the same attention – the length of each artist’s concert is equal.
In addition to the musical program the festival features yearly changing specials like an experimental film cinema, installations or lectures. Participating artists on the first day of the festival are Carlos Cipa, Bersarin Quartett, Hidden Orchestra and The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble.
Carlos Cipa | Human Stain
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=EHReR3cZS0I
Carlos Cipa is a composer/musician residing in Munich. Influenced by Eric Satie and Claude Debussy, his piano music impresses particularly because of its intensity and great attention to detail.
It’s not only enhanced by his classical background and symphonic film music works, but also by the experiences he made as drummer in different bands. Besides the piano he is interested in all different kinds of instruments, as experimenting takes an important role in his work.
Bersarin Quartet | Oktober
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=nFNZAmS-3xQ
A reviewer of the now closed online magazine The Silent Ballet wrote a few years ago: “It’s rare that I’m able to give an album my fullest recommendation without trepidation. Bersarin Quartett is one such album.
There’s nary a misstep, every potential danger has been avoided and smoothed out to present the optimal audio experience for your dollar. Something this good can’t possibly be real”. Almost all reviews concerning Bersarin Quartett’s self titled debut album chorused this paean.
Bersarin Quartett | Perlen, Honig oder Untergang
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=b_mFtvIu47I
Someone mentioned 4 years ago “This music could be written on a lonely island or onboard of a spaceship looking on our planet. Time becomes a new unit and feelings become more weight.”
That’s exactly the feeling Bersarin Quartett still conveys in 2013. References to Stars Of The Lid, Ulver’s Perdition City, Bohren & Der Club Of Gore and Cinematic Orchestra are fully justified.
Hidden Orchestra | Vorka
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=Hqhzs4hfLCQ
The core quartet of Hidden Orchestra is formed around the duelling drum kits, percussion and electronic pads of two drummers, Tim Lane and Jamie Graham, completed by Poppy Ackroyd’s distinctive, multi-faceted violin and piano playing and Joe Acheson’s bass and original samples.
The last album ‘Archipelago’ sees Acheson, the musical mastermind behind the talented Edinburgh four-piece, continuing to explore and develop many themes that emerged on their debut, adding new ideas, guest players, instruments and found sounds; to name a few, listen up for tap-dancing, bagpipe drones, and Acheson stomping in snow and ice.
The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble | Lobby
httpv://https://youtube.com/watch?v=g77zujZVnuU
The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble is a project which has always been tied to films. Films are luxurious because they dispose of all these boring, unimportant, and trivial parts of our lives. This allows TKDE to fully control our sensations, to put us in a very specific mood.
Joy and sadness are occasionally OK, endless joy or endless sadness are clinical. But there is one sensation which can be persistent and unconditionally bearable at the same time. In the absence of a better alternative, let’s call it “the mood”. The mood is what TKDE are aiming at.
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Denovali Swingfest 2013
w/ Carlos Cipa, Bersarin Quartett, Hidden Orchestra & The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble LIVE
presented by Denovali, UM:LAUT, Digital in Berlin, taz, De:bug, Byte FM
Friday, 05 April 2013 | 19:00 CET
Radialsystem V | Holzmarktstr. 33 | 10243 Berlin/Friedrichshain
denovali.com | umlautlive.de | radialsystem.de
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