Dans les Arbres is the name of a Norwegian quartet that will be playing in Toronto on May 19, 20 and 22. The Concert is put on in collaboration with roughidea and the Music Gallery.
The band consists of the four musicians Christian Wallumrød (piano and harmonium), Ivar Grytland (electric guitar, banjo and sruti), Ingar Zach (gran cassa and percussion) and Xavier Charles (clarinet and harmonica).
ECM Records is the record company that released Dans les Arbres' album. As one can read on ECM's webpage they had some difficulty in defining what type of music Dans les Arbres is really playing. The band has used different instruments which gives the music an exciting new touch.
According to ECM the occasionally use of the sruti box and the clarinet makes the music sound “more like Eastern ritual music than Western improvised music.” At the same time though, ECM has expressed the music as “this strictly acoustic music sounds remarkably electronic.” Put in other words this is new, exciting music that has combined different genres.
The quartet stems from the end of the twentieth century. Back then, however, it was a duo consisting of Grytland and Zach. As time passed by the two musicians met and collaborated with Wallumrød and Charles at different performances. These projects resulted in the duo becoming a quartet.
The four met as a quartet for the very first time in June 2004. Although their first rehearsal was a successful one, they did not get together as a band again until two years later.
In July 2006 they met again and continued to do so regularly the result is their debut CD “Dans les Arbres.”
Where and when:
May 19: VTO, Toronto. 197 John Street, 8:00 PM.
May 20: Festival des musiques de création in Jonquière
May 22: Festival Musique Actuelle, Victoriaville.
For more information:
Dans les Arbres' Homepage
Les Arbres on Myspace
ECM Records