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James Opstad
James Opstad is a bassist and composer based in Stroud, UK. Once a regular fixture on the London jazz scene, his wide ranging musical interests and unique versatility have since seen him perform in a broad range of styles and settings. As a member of the experimental music ensemble, Apartment House, he has featured on numerous recordings for the Another Timbre label and performed at venues including Wigmore Hall and Café Oto. Other collaborations have included the free-improv trio, duck-rabbit, the Balkan folk band, Paprika, and the Nuevo Tango ensemble, Fugata Quintet, as well as performances with the classical guitarist, Miloš.
As a composer, James works closely with a tightly-knit group of performers that include Apartment House, Heather Roche and the GBSR Duo. His recent works explore intricate layerings of tempi and are rooted in a fascination with time, timbre and counterpoint. Drift, an album featuring five original chamber works, was released on Another Timbre in 2025.
James is also passionate about early music and in his free time can be found playing the viola da gamba.
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One first-timer to Another Timbre, one second timer
by John Eyles
As the Another Timbre label approaches its two hundred and fiftieth release (it could be part of the label's next batch of five releases) it seems a fitting time to assess its place in history. As with most instantly recognisable labels--Blue Note in its heyday, ECM, HatHut...-an Another Timbre release is instantly recognisable from its white front cover surrounding a work of art. Nowadays, the music inside is likely to be as recognisably Another Timbre as its sleeve. Of course, ...
Continue ReadingMarco Baldini: Maniera
by John Eyles
When Marco Baldini's first ever album, Vesperi (reviewed here), was released by Another Timbre in 2023, its arrival was not exactly awaited with bated breath. Born in 1986, near Florence, Italy, Baldini had no degree in music or composition and had not studied with an established composer. He had attended university, where he studied Roman archaeology, specialising in the iconography of early Christian sarcophagi. He worked as a public librarian in a village in the hills surrounding Florence. His only ...
Continue ReadingMarco Baldini: Maniera
by Marat Ingeldeev
It was February 2023 when the world got to know the Florence-based composer Marco Baldini a little better, thanks to Another Timbre and their first feature of Baldini's music, an inaugural album, Vesperi. His second offering, Maniera, captivatingly performed by Apartment House, comprises a collection of seven pieces for various combinations of string instruments. Interestingly, the name alludes to both Italian Mannerism of the 16th century--one of Baldini's favourite styles in fine arts, critiqued for its perceived lack of originality--and ...
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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson
