19 Apr 2024
Aron Ottignon - EP Review: Waves
06 Dec 2015 // A review by camy3rs
Aron Ottignon is a Paris-based Kiwi Electronica/Jazz musician, and his new release Waves is a 3 song instrumental EP featuring the production know-how of Berlin-based Kiwi musician, Rodi Kirk (Scratch 22), along with the steel pan drumming expertise of Samuel Dubois.
The comparison is probably inescapable, but Ottignon’s new release has aspects that sound like a heavier, more musically dense and less melancholic Yann Tiersen piece. The truly unique aspect of his EP though, is that Ottignon’s piano parts are off-the-cuff improvised over Kirk and Dubois’ pre-set rhythms, adding an amazing dynamic and brevity to the overall sound.
Waves as a whole is more of an appetite whetter than anything, Waves the single is followed by Waves (A La Reunion) (a more drum-filled version of the initial piece) and then Jungle (My personal favourite) finishes of the collection. Each piece is an easy stand alone, but truly the EP feels like place holder until the intended album is released (Due late 2015, but no confirmed date as yet).
The production is brilliant, whilst the mix is obviously dense, it does not feel too busy and there is enough space between instruments to appreciate the individual aspects as they come together.
About Aron Ottignon
At the same time, Aron is a composer and bandleader in his own right. In 2003, he established explosive quartet Aronas, combining Pacific Islands rhythms with hiphop, classical and punk, to create a unique and unbridled jazz-fusion, releasing his first LP, Culture Tunnels. “There is nothing small about Aronas,’ wrote Guardian critic Stuart Nicholson. ‘They make big gestures, fat sounds and monster grooves, with a youthful energy that’s yoked to genuine musical ability.’ Mr. Scruff named the lead track on their debut album, Culture Tunnels, his ‘tune of the decade’.
On April 20th 2015, pianist and composer Aron Ottignon self-released his second EP, Starfish. In collaboration with producer Rodi Kirk aka Scratch 22, they created a unique and compelling fusion of Aron’s virtuosic jazz piano with avant-garde electronic music and sound design. Along the way, these hypnotic compositions introduce percussive influences from Morocco, West Africa, Maloya and the Caribbean.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Aron Ottignon
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