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Jazz Articles about Stephan Thelen
Jon Durant, Stephen Thelen, JVM Collective, Renaud Louis Servais, James Francies
by Len Davis
On today's program the guitars are upfront with Stephan Thelen and Jon Durant, Nicholas Llerandi, Apostolis Anthemos, Jimi Tunnel, and from Chile, drummer Cristian Tamblay with Derek Sherinian.Playlist Jon Durant-Stephan Thelen “Fractal 5.7" from Crossings (Alchemy) 00:00 JVM Collective “Which Doctor" from Frontiers (Blue Canoe) 07:03 James Francies “Levitate" from Purest Form (UMG) 14:20 Nicholas Llerandi “Memphis" from Standby (Self Produced) 21:03 Wojtek Pilichowski “Check Up" from Vandal (Universal) 28:02 Renaud Louis Servais Group “Magnet 7" from Iluna ...
Continue ReadingJon Durant & Stephan Thelen: Crossings
by Mark Sullivan
These two guitarist/composers first came together when Stephan Thelen asked Jon Durant to contribute to a track on Fractal Guitar (MoonJune Records, 2019). Durant's role was greatly expanded on Fractal Guitar 2 (MoonJune Records, 2021): he played on all six tracks, his fretless guitar playing especially distinctive. Thelen had the idea of doing a duet with Durant when asked to provide a track for a MoonJune Records sampler album. That track was a new version of the title ...
Continue ReadingStephan Thelen: Fractal Guitar 2
by Mark Sullivan
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 ...
Continue ReadingStephan Thelen: World Dialogue
by Mario Calvitti
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 ...
Continue ReadingStephan Thelen with Fractal Guitar 2, Steve Hunt from his album Connections, Al Garcia, Igor Willcox and much more
by Len Davis
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 ...
Continue ReadingStephan Thelen: World Dialogue
by Mark Sullivan
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 ...
Continue ReadingSonar with David Torn: Tranceportation (Volume 2)
by Claudio Bonomi
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 ...
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