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KIMMO POHJONEN / ERIC ECHAMPARD
NEWS Pohjonen and Echampard - Kino Uumen Improvisational duo Kimmo Pohjonen and French drummer Eric Echampard will perform improvised music under the name Kino Uumen for four short films. Pohjonen/Echampard.
photo: Live Bossauw
Kimmo Pohjonen (accordion)/ Eric Echampard (drums) joined forces in 2000 with the goal to make totally improvised music, live on stage with no rehearsals. They have succeeded in their aim to ride the edge of melody, counterpoint, energy and tension as proven by the enthusiastic audiences at each performance, as well as by the satisfaction and exhilaration of the two players. They have performed since inception in 2000 to the present day with concerts in Finland, Estonia, France, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Serbia and Slovenia, including Pori Jazz Festival, Amiens International Jazz Festival, Europa Jazz Le Mans, Cerkno Jazz, Ring Ring Belgrade, M-A-D-E Umeå, and Copenhagen JazzFestival. The first record of the duo "Uumen" has been realeased on April 2005 by Rockadillo records. Kimmo POHJONEN Accordion, voice, effects  photo: Kalle Björklid / Huumakuva.net Pohjonen's singular mission is to expand the capabilities, sound, performance, scope and experience of the accordion in many different settings to levels never before seen or heard. Accordion, voice, effects, surround sound and light show combine to make a unique and captivating performance event. His recent projects include concert collaboration with his duo Kluster, featuring sampling mastermind Samuli Kosminen, and Kronos Quartet with World Premiere set for Sept 2004. Pohjonen and Kosminen also team up with Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn of King Crimson for the quartet called Kluster TU. Pohjonen's latest solo adventure is called Animator featuring live computer graphics by multi-media artist and designer Marita Liulia and live video mix by Antti Kuivalainen. -Born 1964, began playing accordion at age 8, playing
dance music, folk music, later classical and rock music. Classical Music
studies at Helsinki Conservatory 1980-1985. Studied at Sibelius Academy
Folk & Classical Music Depts, 1985-96. -Named "Folk Musician of the Year" in Finland, 1996, 1997, 1998, he has played on over 75 different albums in the past 10 years including Finnish folk music group Ottopasuuna, duo Pinnin Pojat with JPP's Arto Järvelä and rock band Ismo Alanko Säätiö. Pohjonen has also performed music for theatre, ballet and modern dance. -In 2000, Kimmo received a five year composer/artist grant from the Finnish state. Named "Accordionist of the Year" for 2000 and 2001 in Finnish Jazz magazine Jazz Rytmit. -In 2000, presented "KalmukkiSinfonia" project in Helsinki featuring the 15-piece Tapiola Sinfonietta orchestra, two percussionists, light show and surround sound. -2001: Forms duo Kimmo Pohjonen Kluster with sampling
whiz Samuli Kosminen. Tours in Europe throughout 2001-2004. -Manipulator project, 2002, with multimedia artist Marita
Liulia and buto dancer / choreographer is performed in Helsinki, -Composed and performed , with Kluster, music for UK short
film "Flickerman and the Ivory Skinned Woman". -Animator project with Marita Liulia's computer graphics
plus Antti Kuivalainen live video mixing, premiere in Helsinki March selective discography Eric ECHAMPARD Drums  photo: Kalle Björklid / Huumakuva.net -Echampard has a very polished, forceful, subtle, precise style in which the contrapuntal value of percussion is of highest importance. -Born in 1970, Eric started to play drums as a child, drawn to jazz and improvisation just before he turned 14. -Holder of a diploma in classical and contemporary percussion (CNSM of Lyon) -His career of musician and improviser was launched in 1991 when he entered the quintet of Jacques Didonato. He quickly attracted attention in jazz and improvised music circles and began work with Louis Sclavis, Philippe Deschepper, Chevillon, François Jeanneau, Michel Eddelin. In the mid-nineties he took part in Systeme Friche, a large ensemble of improvisers managed by Jacques Di Donato and Xavier Charles. He also entered the ORJA big band and is still involved in the large ensemble conducted by composer and arranger Bernard Strubber. -1995 was a turning point. He started to play in both François Corneloup trio and the Marc Ducret trio. The trio of baritone and soprano sax player Corneloup together with Claude Tchamitchian on bass performed extensively all over Europe till the end of the group in 2001. Then Corneloup started a quartet with Echampard, Yves Robert on trombone and Marc Ducret on guitar. This new band immediately managed to establish itself as a top laboratory of French new jazz. The collaboration with Marc Ducret has been a crucial part of Echampard's career from its beginning. The power trio with Bruno Chevillon on bass is definitely one of the greatest in this genre at the moment. Eric is also involved in Ducret's big band "Le sens de la Marche" and in the quintet with Benoît Delbecq (piano, keyboards) and Christophe Monniot (sax). -Nowadays he also performs in the quartet of Michel Portal, with Chevillon and pianist Bojan Z. Other outstanding bands are the trio and the MegaOctet of pianist Andy Emler. selective discography: Review: "…. Pohjonen, in duo with Ducret's brilliant and utterly dynamic drummer Eric Echampard, proved himself, in the course of that hour, to be truly an innovator on his instrument and in his conception of improvised music. Layering chords upon chords and building to crescendos of melodic and harmonic extravagance by means of a seamless production of gradually mounting orchestral body from his instrument, pedaled special-effects such as loops, sampling, and playback, and guttural vocalizations, moans, and insect-like buzzes via a tiny mic resting upon his left cheek, Pohjonen rocked back and forth demonically on his stool, his face often contorted in emotional pain. So distraught did he appear in his final ten minutes or so onstage, as he hurled himself forward onto his feet into a crouch several times, pumping the accordion and manipulating its keys and buttons as though possessed by a spirit (as well he may have been -- the program parenthetically included as among his musical styles "shamanistic trance"), I thought that he would wrest the accordion from his shoulders by its straps and smash it on the stage. ……Kimmo Pohjonen's performance proved to be a riveting musical and surreal theatrical experience, a multi-dimensional display of totally original, astonishingly eccentric, and unabashedly uncompromising artistic genius. I can't think of any performance of recent years that has so moved me. Allow me here to praise drummer Echampard for his extraordinary drive, virtuosity, and creativity under what clearly must have been murderous pressure to stay abreast of the headlong idiosyncrasy of his musical companion. We look forward to Kimmo Pohjonen one day soon taking the continental U.S. by storm." (www.jazzhouse.org) Bookings: Vapaat äänet - Charles Gil, Helsinki, Finland Pohjonen management: Hoedown Arts, Helsinki pap@hoedown.com www.hoedown.com |
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Kimmo Pohjonen K Cube Press x 
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