Standin' At The Crossroads : Stephan Micus

Παρασκευή 16 Νοεμβρίου 2007

Stephan Micus - Listen To The Rain (1983)

απο τα 18 του με πρώτη στάση το Μαρόκο,

πολύ πριν την τουριστική του «αξιοποίηση»,ταξιδεύει στις πέντε ηπείρους.

Γνώρισε λαούς ,τα έθιμά τους ,τον πολιτισμό τους,από πολύ κοντά.

«Δεν μπορείς να νιώσεις τη μουσική ενός τόπου αν δεν ζήσεις, περπατήσεις, εμβαθύνεις στον πολιτισμό τους ,στην κουλτούρα τους,τραφείς με την ντόπια κουζίνα τους»

λέει και έχει δίκιο.

Σπουδάζει δεκάδες τεχνικές και όργανα

από τους ντόπιους ανά τη Γη πρακτικούς οργανοπαίκτες,

και πάνω απο 40 χρόνια τώρα :

επιχειρεί το αδύνατο:

ένα ταξίδι στο χρόνο με ιδιότυπο στοχασμό και ηχοποιΐα ,

αναφερόμενη στην ελληνόφωνη, χριστιανική, βαλκανική και

ανατολική αυτοκρατορία,
στο υπερχιλιετές μεσαιωνικό έπος των

μυρίων δοξασιών και γρίφων.

Born in 1953 in Germany, Stephan Micus made his first journey to the Orient at the age of sixteen. Fascinated by the variety of musical cultures around the world Micus has travelled in virtually every Asian and European country as well as in Africa and the Americas. Studying with local master musicians he learned to play numerous traditional instruments, many of them unknown in the Western world. However, Micus‘s intention is not to play these instruments in a traditional manner, but rather to develop the fresh musical possibilities which he feels are inherent in them. In many of his compositions, which he performs himself, he combines instruments that have never before been played together.

Stephan Micus is a supremely gifted musician and creator of an ethno-ambient music that sounds like no other. His personal collection of instruments reads like a global compendium of ethnic music with string, wind and percussion instruments from nearly every part of the world. Then there’s the ones he designs himself, plus everyday objects like flower pots which he adapts and uses in a musical context. Micus takes to his instruments with almost childlike curiosity to produce a very personal music, both earthy and sublime, meditative and celebratory.

To be honest, he hasn’t really made a bad record but if you haven’t heard him yet here's a few excellent albums to start with. Wings Over Water and Twilight Fields find Micus playing collections of different sized clay flowerpots, struck in various ways and enhanced on occasion with some mesmerising Middle Eastern-style vocals. These enchanting albums are also among his most accessible. On Koan Micus summons a wonderfully still, Zen-like atmosphere with Japanese shakuhachi flute, zither and other exotic instruments.

Listen To The Rain boasts some bright and deeply beautiful and constructions for acoustic guitar.

Altogether different from the other albums listed above is The Music Of Stones which was performed in the large acoustic space of the Ulm Cathedral in West Germany.

The chief instruments here are resonating stone blocks specially carved by sculptor Elmar Daucher which, like the clay pots on earlier albums, are “played” in various ways to produce an astonishing array of tones and colours.

It could easily sound like a mess over the course of a whole album, but with the aid of some shakuhachi flute and vocals it holds together beautifully.

The resulting dialogues further reflect his vision of a transcultural music. In addition to his exclusively acoustic instruments Micus also uses his voice, at times – with multitrack recording techniques – creating whole choral pieces by himself. The words he sings usually do not carry any known meaning. However, on Athos he set to music ancient Greek prayers to the Virgin Mary, on Desert Poems he performed two original poems in English and on Life he has set to music an ancient Japanese Koan.Many of Europe’s leading dance companies have chosen his work for their productions. He has performed hundreds of solo concerts over the last 30 years throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas.

STEPHAN MICUS ON E.C.M.

http://www.discogs.com/Stephan-Micus-East-Of-The-Night/release/426017
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephan_Micus
http://www.ecmrecords.com/Catalogue/Artists/micus_stephan.php
http://www.trovar.com/ECM/ECM.php?artist=Micus
http://www.stephanmicus.com/
.elculture.gr

Stephan_Micus_-_1983_Listen_to_the_rain.rar