Jazz Articles about Stephan Thelen

Stephan Thelen: Fractal Guitar 2

by Mark Sullivan
April 25, 2021

Guitarist and composer Stephan Thelen's Fractal Guitar (MoonJune Records, 2018) found him stepping outside of his role in the band Sonar in a big way. An absolute feast of multiple guitars with electronic effects, live looping and soundscaping, it also featured a star-studded group of guest guitarists (not to mention a grooving rhythm section). The good news is that almost all of them are back for the second installment, along with some new friends. The original album was largely created ...

Stephan Thelen: World Dialogue

by Mario Calvitti
April 12, 2021

Il chitarrista Stephan Thelen, californiano trapiantato in Svizzera dove risiede e lavora, è uno dei musicisti più interessanti tra quelli che nel corso del nuovo millennio si sono adoperati per rinnovare il linguaggio della chitarra, cercando nuove forme e tecniche espressive per esplorare le illimitate possibilità dello strumento. La sua discografia annovera diversi album da solista e con il gruppo SONAR (la cui musica è stata paragonata alle geometrie contorte e alle illusioni prospettiche delle incisioni di Mauritius Cornelius Escher ...

Stephan Thelen with Fractal Guitar 2, Steve Hunt from his album Connections, Al Garcia, Igor Willcox and much more

by Len Davis
April 4, 2021

The latest release from Stephan Thelen Fractal Guitar 2, Steve Hunt from Connections and music from Melbourne Jazz Funk band Pickpocket from their latest Refraction —also Al Garcia and Igor Willcox. Playlist Stephan Thelen “Cosmic Krautrock" from Fractal Guitar 2 (Moonjune) 00:00 Steve Hunt “Now's The Time" from Connections (Spice Rack) 07:53 Al Garcia “All Is Not As It Seems" from Between Worlds (Self Produced) 15:43 Igor Willcox “Room 73" from # 1 (Room 73) 23:32 Pickpocket “Sleep ...

Stephan Thelen: World Dialogue

by Mark Sullivan
November 22, 2020

Stephan Thelen's compositions for his band Sonar have a minimalist groove that clearly relates to other groups in the experimental sphere like Swiss pianist and composer Nik Bärtsch's band Ronin. These works for string quartet are not stylistically far removed from Thelen's Sonar music, but the classical chamber music context establishes them in the world occupied by composers like Steve Reich. Thelen's desire to compose for the Kronos Quartet was the driver for this album. He composed the ...

Sonar with David Torn: Tranceportation (Volume 2)

by Claudio Bonomi
November 12, 2020

L'avvolgente e ipnotica spirale della ritmica di “Triskaidekaphilia" cattura subito l'orecchio più distratto e trasporta l'ascoltatore nel mondo sotterraneo e potente dei Sonar, quartetto svizzero capitanato da Stephan Thelen che qui, per la terza volta, unisce le proprie forze insieme a quelle di David Torn, improvvisatore e chitarrista sperimentale di fama internazionale il cui sodalizio con il combo elvetico risale al 2018 con l'album Vortex per proseguire con Tranceportation Vol. 1, pubblicato nel 2019 (entrambi sempre sotto l'ombrello della RareNoise ...

Stephan Thelen's Fractal Guitar, Percy Jones, Tribal Tech and More

by Len Davis
November 7, 2020

Sonar With David Torn: Tranceportation (Volume 2)

by Dan McClenaghan
June 16, 2020

In 2018 avant-garde guitarist David Torn fell in with some good company, the Swiss group Sonar, founded by guitarist Stephan Thelen. The result was Vortex (RareNoiseRecords), featuring Torn, who, in his words, contributed: “Textural events that can sometimes go on for minutes...and then the solo voice becomes almost like the cherry on top." Sonar is a two tritone guitar, tritone bass and drums quartet. Torn makes it three guitars. Their music, like that of Thelen and company's Swiss ...