Urban Sax
French multimedia performance ensemble founded by Lard Free leader Gilbert Artman in 1977. Originally all the instrumental sounds were created with saxophones, with a 16 piece ensemble under the direction of Gilbert. As the years went on other instruments were added turning Urban Sax into a unique orchestra, and a music that cross-pollinates jazz, classical, rock and contemporary avant-garde/systemic music.
French multimedia performance ensemble founded by Lard Free leader Gilbert Artman in 1977. Originally all the instrumental sounds were created with saxophones, with a 16 piece ensemble under the direction of Gilbert. As the years went on other instruments were added turning Urban Sax into a unique orchestra, and a music that cross-pollinates jazz, classical, rock and contemporary avant-garde/systemic music.
Members: Werner Durand, Gilbert Artman
Clearing
In addition to the unique musical proposals and the large body of work that they have developed separately, Amelia Cuni and Werner Durand have been performing together as a duo as well as in collaborations (Tonaliens, Born of Six) for more than 20 years. Fusing her Indian Raga singing in the Dhrupad style with his minimalist and experimental approach, they have expanded the reach of their soundworlds as well as proposed new paths for contemporary music.In this occasion, Uli Hohmann joins them in…
Schwingende Luftsäulen 3
Here the third and final chapter of “Schwingende Luftsäulen” the series dedicated by Werner Durand to the Pan-Ney, the wind instrument of his own invention. In confront with the first two volumes this one represent a sort of flashback. In fact the five pieces on the CD present “early” works, mainly created in the first half of the 90s. “Still Another Ocean” was composed in June /July1991 in Ile de la Réunion, in the wonderful house of Frédéric Borne.
“M-Ocean” was composed in the summer of 1994 …
Gilbert Artman . Etienne Jaumet
Gilbert Artman (bass clarinet, drums, synths), one of the great names of the French underground of the 70s with Lard Free and Urban Sax together withe Etienne Jaumet of Zombie Zombie fame. This LP is what we may call Cosmic-jazz! Progressive tracks with electronics, harmonium, xylophone, synth and saxophones!
Brussel Live
Highlights of their first 2 concerts in about 20 years, live in Brussels (2007-2008), shows the trio of Gilbert Artman, Jac Berrocal and Jean-Francois Pauvros anarchistic, powerful and controversial as ever. Uncertain rockers, exacerbated freejazzmen, pranksters, Jean-Francois Pauvros: guitarist, Jac Berrocal: trumpeter and vocalist, Gilbert Artman: drummer and pianist are a bit of everything, rock stomping, boring the avant garde, enraging the virtuosity. Trespassing the unbreakable with the su…
Schwingende Luftsäulen 2
Werner Durand Schwingende Luftsäulen 2, the second chapter dedicated to Durand's music applied to the Pan-Ney, the wind instrument of his own invention. With gorgeous artworks by Karlheinz Bux and extensive liner notes by Adelio Fusé. "Schwingende Luftsäulen 2 is the second chapter of a trilogy featuring the Pan-Ney with its tubes or columns of vibrating air (Schwingende Luftsäulen, in fact). This second chapter, in which the Pan-Ney is flanked by the tenor sax, reconnects where the first one en…
I'd Rather Be Lucky Than Good
I’d Rather Be Lucky Than Good is a new recording collaboration of Sam Ashley and Werner Durand. Sam Ashley’s mystic parables imbued with benevolent humor are drawn from a lifelong pursuit of a present-day shamanism. Werner Durand’s wind work on invented and traditional instruments stems from the minimalist tradition, routed through his unique study of obscure world musics. The two artists first met in Berlin in 1984 while Sam was touring Atalanta with Robert Ashley’s opera company, with whom he …
Inside
The saxophone is most often associated with jazz, a lead instrument that’s strong on melody and a potent vehicle for improvisation. Urban Sax puts all those ideas to bed. For those unfamiliar, Urban Sax is the creative outlet of composer Gilbert Artman, who started the group back in the mid-70s, and composes and arranges all of the group’s material. The “group” in this case is over 75 performers, consisting mostly of saxophones (the entire family from sopranino to bass), but also including clari…
8 Petites Pièces De Variété
Another evolution of Urban Sax concept, composed and directed by the visionary composer Gilbert Artman, conceived as a double quintet of talented multi-instrumentalists (featuring Jac Berrocal, Bernard Weber, Frederic Acquaviva and Emiko Ota among others) players working over a compositonal control of sound spatialization
Quad Sax
A cut-down quartet version of Urban Sax composed and directed by the visionary composer Gilbert Artman, fusing urban ambiance and electronics with his unique concept of minimalism and jazz. The musical result is perfectly illustrated by the that An exploration of minimalistic soundscapes and repetitive music designing a spacey odyssey through unknown territories. An ethereal meeting somewhere between Steve Reich, Magma and post-Daevid Allen Gong.
Fraction Sur Le Temps
At last, in stock now!! Urban Sax's third LP was recorded in 1982 & 1985, and released in 1985 on Celluloid, and it is an absolute diamond - sharing Julian Cope words "Everything starts with this massive (and I mean it...we're basically talking about something the size of an orchestra here) wash of sound, like something dropped wholesale out of the trippier parts of Ligeti's material in the "2001" soundtrack. Then we get swept into the primal repetition of a simple motif...very Magma-like, save …
Spiral
At last, in stock now!! 1991's Spiral makes its first ever appearance on vinyl format here. Previously it had only been available on a impossible to find CD, consisting of eight short to mid-length pieces, the major change being the prominence of the twenty-two piece choir, which shares the spotlight equally with the saxes, and three vibraphones, all which results in a far more ethereal and majestic sound than its predecessors. Urban Sax was created in 1973. Gilbert Artman, the mastermind behind…
Urban Sax 2
At last, in stock now!! Urban Sax's second LP, issued in 1978 on Cobra, is the continuation of their debut work. Actually it features parts 2 and 3 of the pieces contained on 1, again similarities with works by La Monte Young, Phil Niblock, Glenn Branca, Steve Reich, Terry Riley, a.o. are present, and it's the perfect companion to 1 as it is, basically, part two of that first album. a spiral malax of surreal, undulating soundscapes. Urban Sax was created in 1973. Gilbert Artman, the mastermind b…
Hornbread
The collaboration between Victor Meertens & Werner Durand dates back to the mid 90s, when they started performing together in art circles in Germany. At the time their performances consisted of Victor's Actions, which included bread making processes with text recitals in combination with werner's musical performances on his invented wind instruments and his playing of Victor's home baked Bread Instruments with inserted pipes.In 2003/4 Werner was artist in residence in the Worpswede artists…
Sonabular
Beautiful free form vibraphone music with articulated drumming, underrated and very little know, highly recommended! In 1971-72, English vibraphonist Robert Wood was a member of French band Lard Free, the band Gilbert Artman led before Urban Sax. Wood later asked Artman to play drums on his own second LP, ‘Sonanbular’, while Artman included vibraphone on the first Lard Free official LP (1973), as well as the Clear Light Symphony LP (1975) and Urban Sax. The ‘Sonanbular’ front cover (the industri…