An evening adventurous music at Cafe Resonance
$20 suggested donation
Pietro Amato -synths/electronics/french horn
Mathieu Charbonneau -synths/piano/electronics
Aaron Shragge - trumpet/shakuhachi/electronics/composition
Robbie Kuster - drums/electronics/samples
bios:
Charbonneau / Amato duo
You may recognize the names Mathieu Charbonneau and Pietro Amato. Over many years, the two Montreal musicians have worked together and apart in multiple musical formations. Initially, they were two thirds of instrumental trio Torngat, who in their time as a group made four albums and toured widely. Later, Amato and Charbonneau contributed to the group Ferriswheel, and for many years toured and recorded as core members of the Luyas. Pietro continues to work with the Luyas and is a member of Bell Orchestre, while also playing with countless others. Mathieu is a member of Timber Timbre and Avec Pas d'Casque. Both musicians are sought-after collaborators, producers, film composers and accomplished multi-instrumentalists.
Although their names are familiar, and Amato and Charbonneau have worked together off and on since their earliest days of music-making, Synth Works Vol.1 is actually your first occasion to hear these two together specifically as a duo. This project continues on a path initially forged by early electronic artists like Harmonia, Neu! and Laurie Spiegel, among many others. Synth Works Vol.1 is a slow, pensive experience that unfolds over many listens. Entirely self-produced and thoughtfully rendered, the music was made over long distance while each player was on tour with other bands; Charbonneau developed the modular synth elements, and Amato fleshed out the minimalist arrangements with texture and melody, until ultimately the two reconvened to sculpt, edit and mix these instrumental tracks. The spacious soundscapes, unidentifiable sounds and complex textures offer suggestive nods to some ambient music references, but there remains always a melodic thread that brings the work into focus. Charbonneau and Amato plumb the depths of all of their unique sensibility, talent and shared history to bring you something calming, compelling and entirely new.
Countertransferense:
Aaron Shragge's music "...delves deeper into that satori place in your brain" - Jazz Times.
Aaron Shragge has performed with Daniel Carter, Ben Monder, Dave Douglas, William Parker, Jon Gibson, The Sam Roberts Band, Akim Funk Buddha, and Medeski Martin and Wood's Billy Martin at such venues as Symphony Space, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center and The Blue Note. Aaron is an active in the NYC improvised/creative music scene serving on the board of Festival of New Trumpet Music NY/Canada. Aaron's unique instrument the Dragon Mouth Trumpet was designed to expand the trumpet’s melodic capacity and is the result of over a decade of studying both the Shakuhachi (Japanese, Flute) as well as North Indian Vocals. Aaron Shragge's current projects include a duo with Ben Monder, a Jazz quintet that plays the music of Tom Waits and his continuing solo works for Dragon Mouth Trumpet/Shakuhachi.
Robbie Kuster:
Robbie Kuster was born in Switzerland in 1977 and lived there until the age of 12. In 1990 his family moved to Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. There he continued his formal education at Balenas High School where, very serendipitously, he was mistakenly enrolled in band class. Having never played an instrument in his life the band teacher, in need of a drummer, asked him if he’d be interested in trying.... and that’s how his love story with making mu-
sic and playing the drums began. He started by playing in the school’s concert and stage bands and shortly after founded his first band, “Pigeon”, with his friends. Having grown up in both francophone Switzerland and anglophone Canada has given Robbie the ability to express himself perfectly in both the french language and the english language. After completing his high school education, Robbie went on to study jazz performance at Vancouver Island University (then called Malaspina College) in Nanaimo, B.C. It is there that he began playing professionally in the local blues bars and cafés. He then enrolled on a cross-Canada tour with a local sKa band called “The Kilt Lifters”.
This tour took him to all the major Canadian cities including Montreal. One step out of the van is all it took form him to instantly know where he wanted to be next. 3 months later Robbie moved to Montreal.
There, he studied at Vanier CEGEP where he met his long term collaborators to be, Mishka Stein and Patrick Watson. He then went on to study at McGill university but was interrupted by the blooming success of the Patrick Watson band. Since then, Robbie has made his mark on the local music scene with his versatile, singular and passionate style.