Grand Pianoramax – Swiss Vibes Archive

Grand Pianoramax : SOUNDWAVE LP on Mental Groove Records

Update 02.2016: “Soundwave”, the fifth album of US/Swiss trio Grand Pianoramax will be released internationally on 29 January by the German Word and Sound label. Grand Pianormax will also be playing at Cully Jazz Festival on the 08.04.2016. Take this opportunity to read our review again!

Reading over my notes taken while listening to the latest Grand Pianoramax LP just released on Mental Groove Records, the word ‘bouncy’ makes a frequent appearance. This may seem a trite concept to use when describing a band that over the years has become known as the Swiss heavyweight supergroup of post jazz, art rock and hip hop. But it does go to show that the aim of being “lighter, brighter, more fun” – to quote bandleader Leo Tardin – has been accomplished.

A fresh and spontaneous approach

Produced and mixed by ‘pugnacious’ drummer, Dom Burkhalter, the LP was recorded in his studio in an almost live situation with a fresh and spontaneous approach. “We wanted to keep it direct and imperfect somehow: upright piano with creaky pedals, old Fender Rhodes, analogue synths – a chilled attitude, nothing too perfect” explains Tardin. Following on from the Big Easy EP released last May, SOUNDSCAPE continues the “more accessible, less dark” theme that the band had already prepared us for. And why not? Nothing wrong with a bit of sunny Steely Dan-inspired melodies to help the foot-tapping along even when you’re an experimental bunch of musical giants.

There’s as much rule-breaking here as there is on the earlier ‘darker’ albums

But to define the LP simply in terms of fluffy adjectives is far from half the story. Yes, it’s the perfect soundtrack for a sun-roof-down drive along the south of France, but there are challenging twists and turns around every corner. Tempos come and go, unsuspecting chopped up beats hit you in the face, lyrics are sharp and cutting – in brief, there’s as much rule-breaking here as there is on the earlier ‘darker’ albums. Tardin is keen to emphasize: “It’s actually easier to be dark and dramatic than it is to be simple but solid. This is not straight music, there’s experimentation happening on every track. ‘No Doubt’, for example, is essentially a disco track set to a very unusual 7/4 beat”.

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Fans of his pretty, lyrical touch will not be disappointed

There’s a good ratio of vocal and instrumental tracks here, the latter giving space to more journeying on behalf of the keyboards. The old Fender Rhodes gets quite a bashing on ‘Tight Rope’ recalling a funky mid 70s Herbie Hancock/George Duke style that suits Tardin rather well and could do with further exploration in the future. Fans of his pretty, lyrical touch will not be disappointed, there are some gorgeous sweeping moments where being carried away on the wave of Tardin’s dexterous style is nothing other than a pleasure.

Charismatic experimentation and radio-friendly sparkle

But essentially, Grand Pianoramax are known for their foray into beats and hip hop which Black Cracker‘s edgy, poetic vocal style encapsulates so well. Totally enveloping and slightly less razor sharp than usual, his timbre is just perfectly suited to the jazzy, understated, choppy groove. Nothing in his lyrical content is ever over-done or insincere. The trio are famous for being a powerhouse live act, all bark AND bite, but on this album the slightly more laid back, crossover attitude is in no way a detracting dumbing down. On the contrary, warm and colorful like the cover, it’s an album full of charismatic experimentation and radio-friendly possibility.

Band line up:

Leo Tardin – piano & keyboards
Black Cracker – vocals
Dom Burkhalter – drums

Forthcoming live gigs:

28th Nov, 2015: Moods, Zürich, CH
27th Dec, 2015: Bee Flat, Bern, CH

Swiss autumn vibes

Et hop, une petite playlist spotify qui met en avant quelques-unes des sorties les plus excitantes de l’automne. Rock, pop, jazz, rap, electro et même un remix en clôture: laissez-vous surprendre par cette sélection helvétique inédite.

Avec dans l’ordre:

Plaistow, “Mimas” extrait de l’album Titan
Evelinn Trouble, “Never Came around” extrait de l’album Arrowhead
Puts Marie, “Hecho en México”, extrait du EP Masoch II
Phall Fatale, “The Girls, the Beat” extrait de l’album Moonlit bang bang
La Gale, “Nouvelle Pandémie”, extrait de l’album Salem City Rockers
Grand Pianoramax, “A little more”, extrait du EP Big Easy avant la parution du nouvel album du groupe Soundwave le 30 octobre
Verveine, “Premier” extrait du EP Antony
Aisha Devi, “Remix Mazdâ“

Ecoutez, savourez et partagez!

spotify:user:1133502043:playlist:4D1k9ryJX4qQ3vYOOvJu7U

Grand Pianoramax “Big Easy” EP

For those of you looking for something intelligently springy to tap your feet to, may I suggest wrapping your ears around the new EP from Grand Pianoramax, (Leo Tardin‘s supergroup trio who have been making waves on the alternative post-jazz hip-hop scene for some years now). BIG EASY, released on 8th May on Geneva-based Mental Groove Records, celebrates a new chapter in the band’s progression towards a lighter, brighter, more accessible sound whilst still retaining all of their refinement and crystalline musicality.

Crossover potential

Whilst not exactly madly carefree, the timbre of their 5 track EP is certainly less abstract and heavily-laden compared to previous work released on ObliqSound Records. The title track, Big Easy, is a perfectly balanced interplay between crisp, bouncy beats, a husky poetic rapping style and beautifully pert piano melodies. It’s a track with crossover potential written all over it: elegantly catchy, radio friendly, almost lounge bar appropriate – not that it’s in any way banal, rather infinitely listenable. There are still three big personalities in the room, they are just less frantically busy than before, making way for a more spacious, relaxed production that succeeds in its aim to draw in a potentially wider audience. The “rough-hewn soundscapes” as they were once described have undergone a slight smoothing over. Drummer Dom Burkhalter and vocalist Black Cracker are still tremendous forces of nature, but their coming together is less of an urgent sound grenade going off in your face, more a measured invitation to a modern, urban sound that has time to unfold its magic.

Sleek lines, incisive statements

The accompanying video is an equally clever translation of the Grand Pianoramax world of aesthetics. Sleek lines, incisive statements made with arty humour all in a chiaroscuro setting, peppered with stylish handclaps, head nods and bursts of colour. It sums up all that is great and good about this band : three strong, contrasting elements craftily blended together into a faultless balancing act. Skillful execution prevails in sight and sound. Watch this video carefully – do we see better with our eyes open or shut?

Constantly pushing each other forwards

Leo is used to being asked about his split identity between solo piano career and Grand Pianoramax bandleader. Both projects are of equal importance to him. “With GP we are constantly pushing each other forward into new frontiers. Despite all three members living in different geographical locations, we work incredibly well together and make use of the space between us to develop creative ideas individually. My piano melodies often work as the basic framework around which we then weave our contributions to the form”. He admits to being very positive about the new label and the new releases. “The goal is clearly to touch more people, why hide the fact we’re looking to be more successful?” The EP is out now on vinyl and digital release, followed by an LP in early September this year.

Forthcoming gigs:

20th June: Fête de La Musique, Genève

29th August: Auvernier Jazz Festival, CH

Le journal de Léo Tardin au Japon (chapitre 2)

Bonjour,

Le band est bien arrivé à Tokyo, et après avoir déposé nos valises à l’hôtel c’est déjà l’heure des premiers suhsis. Il est 11h30 du matin…

Premières impressions de la ville: très chic (et cher)!

Tout le monde est très classe dans la rue, les passants ont un petit air qui me rappelle les fashion & design students de la Parsons quand j’étais à la New School à New York.

Tous sont très courtois et gentils, et, pour tordre le cou à une première idée reçue, je les trouve démonstratifs et souriants! Pas du tout les visages impassibles auxquels on pourrait s’attendre.

Après la sieste de rigueur (vol direct de 11h depuis Zürich) et une rencontre avec un représentant de l’ambassade suisse au Japon, direction Shybuia où nous déambulons dans des rues pleines de monde, lumières, magasins très tendances et petites échoppes au détour de ruelles moins en vue.

On y sympathise avec un habitant rencontré au hasard d’une bière dans un bar. Il nous emmène dans un petit resto typique absolument incroyable, où nous faisons exploser nos per-diems en délices culinaires variés (photo 2). Ce type se révèle être un fin connaisseur de musique et travaille au Stock Exchange la journée…

Demain aura lieu notre premier concert avec Grand Pianoramax au Japon (Tokyo Jazz Festival).

Affaire à suivre…

Swiss Jazzed Out: Grand Pianoramax à la bougie

Mathieu Mastin, concepteur et réalisateur de la série de mini-documentaires Jazzed Out a posé ses valises en Suisse pour y orchestrer des sessions live improvisées.

Swiss Vibes vous propose de (re)découvrir ces quelques minutes de musique hors norme tout au long de l’été.

A Lausanne, dans les anciennes écuries de Mont-Repos (Lausanne comptait près de 1000 chevaux il y a siècle seulement), Grand Pianoramax, le plus électronique des combos de jazz helvétique joue acoustique et aux chandelles!

Leo Tardin: Mr Gemini, the man with two personalities

In the run up to his performance at Chateau de Chillon for Montreux Jazz on 13th July, Leo Tardin talks about his live project with Turkish percussionist Burhan Oçal, his latest solo LP Dawnscape and his band Grand Pianoramax

Leo Tardin I got introduced to Burhan Oçal by the drummer of Grand Pianoramax, Dom Burkhalter, who’s a good friend of his. Burhan had been trying to get the band to play with him in Istanbul and we finally managed to organise it this time last year, so that’s how I first met him. Apart from being an amazing percussionist, he’s also an actor who often plays the villain in Turkish B movies. He’s a real character, full of mad stories, really quite unique. After the gig, the Montreux Jazz organisers and producers of Dawnscape heard that we’d played with him in Turkey and asked if we’d like to perform togther in Switzerland. It’s actually very similar to the early stages of Grand Pianoramx where it was only piano and percussion. It’s pretty easy to integrate percussion with piano because you can look at the piano as a percussion instrument that can afford space and freedom.

How does your album lend itself to being played in a duo format?

Leo Tardin Let’s see! We’re going to try this out in Istanbul for the first time. I know Burhan often plays as a duo with other pianists, sometimes even classical, I’m sure he’s going to blend in pretty easily into my music because it’s fairly rhythmical. There will be pieces where it’s only going to be me or bits with just him, then we’ll meet together on some others. I’m very flexible and confident that it will be a success.

Has the Dawnscape album done what you wanted it to do?

Leo Tardin It’s too early to reflect on this but it has definitely opened a lot of doors. One of the reasons for this is that it’s very flexible and light compared to a band that needs a lot of equipment, sound system, backline, hotel rooms and plane tickets. With Dawnscape live gigs can be organised fast and easily. This kind of freedom and flexibility is one of the great things about this project. Also the fact that this LP was co-produced by Montreux Jazz is helping a lot. It’s bringing a lot of credibility and making people take this project seriously. This is a very new project that needs to be established after having made a name for myself with Grand Pianoramax.

What was the reaction to you bringing out this new solo project that’s so different from Grand Pianoramax?

Leo Tardin It took a while for people around me to accept this, not just the other band members who worried that it might signify me wanting to deprioritise the group, but also the music journalists. I was surprised by the press’s reaction, it was at times very extreme – they either loved it or hated it. The music in this solo project is less radical than with Grand Pianoramax, but the reaction to the music has been more radical. I feel that the journalists were comfortable to put me in a box as the piano guy who does hip hop, so when I came out with this romantic, dreamy, poetic stuff they were confused. Not all of them appreciated or understood the move. I was pleased when a few realised that it was something that took guts to do. But I’m happier this way because there are some things I can finally do with my solo project that I couldn’t do with the group, so I’m more relaxed in the context of the group and it brings a better vibe to GP as well.

When and what might we expect from Grand Pianoramax in the imminent future?

Leo Tardin We’re going to play the Paléo Festival, followed by Cosmojazz which is a really nice festival in Chamonix, open air at the foot of a dam. Then on the days off we’re going to work on some new music, a new EP that should be out in the first half of next year. The last LP, “Till There’s Nothing Left”, only came out a year and a half ago so it still has a bit of life in it, but we’re already working on new music and this has helped my band members realise that GP is as much a priority as my solo piano project.

You are known as being a very polyvalent musician with different styles and projects. Do you agree?

Leo Tardin I’m not really doing so many different things, I’m just doing two VERY different things. but that’s about it. I think it has to do with my slightly schizophrenic personality. I can’t find one just project that covers the full spectrum of what touches me and the emotions I feel. That’s why I have these 2 very different projects. If you listen carefully you can hear some of my solo project in GP in some of the very emotional epic pieces, and little bits of GP in my solo project. I felt limited just sticking to one project, but I’d say that I’m more dual than polyvalent.

Do you consider yourself a jazz pianist?

Leo Tardin That’s tricky. Calling me a ‘jazz pianist’ is a bit reductive and with GP we’re trying to get away from the jazz tag. We rarely play at any jazz festivals, (last year we played mostly rock festivals!) Jazz is where I came from but I don’t know how relevant it is today to what I do. When people ask me if I’m part of the Swiss jazz scene, I say I’m part of a group of musicians who are making noise and have some visibility outside of Switzerland, so in that regard I’m part of the Swiss music scene. The solo project has a few jazz overtones, but it’s far more influenced by classical, ambient and crossover music. It could be the soundtrack to a movie. I want people to be inspired and travel in their minds when they listen to it. A lot of the pieces are very simple but with a rich emotional content that can reach people. Sometimes I find that jazz musicians are a little bit too focussed on what they can do with their instrument and rather than what they can make the audience feel.

Dawnscape is a co-production with the Fondation Montreux Jazz 2 & Balik Studios
Physical distribution by Irascible www.irascible.ch

Live dates:

13th July: Montreux Jazz Festival, duo w/ Burhan Öçal, performing Dawnscape: http://www.montreuxjazzfestival.com/fr/artist/leo-tardin

24th July: Paléo Nyon Festival w/ Grand Pianoramax: http://yeah.paleo.ch/fr/artist/grand-pianoramax

27th July: Cosmojazz Festival w/ Grand Pianoramax: http://cosmojazzfestival.com/fr/programme/artistes/grand-pianoramax

Autumn Swiss solo tour:

24th Sept: Eisenwerk, Frauenfeld

6th Oct: open lecture with students from CEC Emilie Gourd, Genève

11th Oct: Workshop EJMA, Lausanne

11th Oct: Ferme Asile, Sion

14th Oct: Rolex Learning Center, EPFL, Lausanne

25th Oct: AMR, Genève

Grand Pianoramax @Festival Jazz Onze+ (Lausanne)

Grand Pianoramax_300dpi Described in terms such as “power trio”, “supergroup” and “heavyweight”, Grand Pianoramax easily testify to being greater than the sum of their parts. The deceptively skimpy lineup of keyboards, drums and rapper belies the aural magic monster that lurks beneath the surface. Elegant piano/rhodes, razor sharp drums and urban-edged rap/poetry jostle and come together to create a fiery fullness of sound that has become their distinctive trademark since the band’s inception in 2008.

A rich, emotive soundtrack that already hints at the light and shade which is to follow

Tonight, the Jazz Onze+ crowd are warm and receptive towards their errant Swiss son, keyboard maestro and band leader Leo Tardin, who has over the years immersed himself in foreign locations such as New York and Berlin to develop his sound until recently relocating back to his native Geneva. Much of tonight’s tracklist comes from the latest Grand Pianoramax LP, “Till There’s Nothing Left”, released on ObliqSound last spring and is met with appreciative familiarity indicative of an audience who’s been paying attention.

The skimpy elements are eased in gradually. Leo seduces us gracefully with “Firefly”, a captivating and melodic solo start on the piano, creating a rich, emotive soundtrack that already hints at the light and shade which is to follow.
Joined on stage by drummer, Dom Burkhalter – a modernist fist in an iron glove – the friendly duel quickly evolves between the two main musical elements, at times rolling around happily side by side, other times in stark stylistic contrast to one another as though wanting to stretch the listener’s awareness to its fullest capacity.

Two herculean pillars laying down a spectacular multi-textured foundation…

The play-fighting relationship between keyboards and drums is what underpins the essence of Grand Pianoramax, two herculean pillars laying down a spectacular multi-textured foundation on which the third element, Black Cracker, can nimbly unleash his craft of language and movement. This Alabama wordsmith and charismatic agent provocateur forges an agile bridge between the audience and the stage, bringing things down from a powerful sonic ride to a more urban, earthly, NYC dimension using rap, poetry or song.

In common with each track is a strategic sense of rise and fall, density and space. It’s an occasionally challenging but always engaging journey. The rhythmic patterns and shapes vary from mercurially dark (“Cry Alone”, “Runaway”, “Have You ever Seen”) to quirkily funky, bouncing along like De la Soul meets Michel Legrand (“Nights Turn To Days”), and hard-edged urgency complete with strobe lights (“Call it Like You See It” and “Roulette”).

In the case of Grand Pianoramax, less is definitely more

An effortless cohesion of threads coming together is felt during ‘Till There’s Nothing Left’, their most radio-friendly hit, a subtle suggestion that crossover to commercial polish is possible if so desired. ‘The Hook’ provides the encore, a track remixed by DJ Spinna and put out on vinyl a few years back, an example of what can work well in a club setting as through the headphones of the rap enthusiast or jazz muso.

It’s a consummate work performed by heavyweights in their field. Honed down talent and acumen has produced an act that can adeptly bend styles and cook up a rhythmic frenzy on only three burners. In the case of Grand Pianoramax, less is definitely more.

Grand Pianoramax played @ Festival Jazz Onze+ in Lausanne on the 31th of October

Grand Pianoramax, Till There Is Nothing Left, (Obliq Sound)

La mue de Grand Pianoramax

D’un duo constitué de Leo Tardin et Dominik Burkhalter se produisant souvent avec Black Cracker , Grand Pianoramax s’est transformé en trio avec les mêmes intervenants. La nuance peut sembler légère, mais à les voir sur la scène du festival de la Cité vendredi soir sous une pluie fine qui mouille, elle prend tout son sens. Les trois amis fonctionnent désormais comme un vrai groupe, organique qui se nourrit des apports des uns et des autres. Et non plus seulement comme un projet dirigé par Léo Tardin. D’ailleurs celui-ci a tombé le costard. Il lui préfère une tenue plus décontractée (jeans et pull) et les cheveux en bataille. La musique aussi est devenue plus douce plus subtile, les synthétiseurs ne sont plus seulement un rempart de sons, mais égrènent désormais des mélodies un brin nostalgiques « Nous avons décidé de revenir à quelque chose de plus sensible, plus émotionnel, je joue désormais beaucoup plus de piano Rhodes » explique Leo Tardin au sortir de la scène. Au duel avec la batterie de Dominik Burkhalter, il préfère également jouer la carte de la complicité. Le flow de Black Cracker semble lui aussi plus fluide, plus soft. N’oublions pas que si le projet solo du rapper new-yorkais est assez hardcore, il s’est fait connaître à l’origine dans les milieux du spoken word. Cela se sent. Grand Pianoramax pourrait être la réincarnation de Jazzmatazz en 2012. Non pas tant au sens strictement musical, mais par sa vision du jazz, pas son modernisme, par sa capacité à faire table rase et à tout recommencer. Un nouvel album est prévu en 2013. Et un concert est encore prévu au Parc de la Grange à Genève dans le cadre de Musiques en été, le 25 juillet avec en invité spécial le chanteur de soul de Chicago Jesse Boykins III.