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| MetaQuorum - Midnight Sun  MetaQuorum is a ground-breaking new music project by Russian born British composer/keyboardist Dmitry Ermakov whose off-the-wall style is set to stretch the definition of traditional jazz fusion.DÉBUT ALBUM "MIDNIGHT SUN" MetaQuorum's début album, Midnight Sun (released 23/01/15), is a journey through progressive fusion, an organic blend of jazz, funk, rock, reggae, baroque, electronica and more, with a cool, foot-tapping swing which makes the room buzz. The complex polyphony, riffs, quirky piano and synth solos, upbeat drums and occasional roaring guitar reflect Ermakov's joie de vivre as well as his influences, which include: Miles Davies, Marcus Miller, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, Oscar Peterson, Weather Report, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Peter Gabriel, Kraftwerk, Yello, King Crimson, Chicago, Vivaldi, Frescobaldi, Mozart and Rachmaninoff. METAQUORUM'S MEMBERS DMITRY ERMAKOV Ermakov began studying piano at six. At seven he entered the St. Petersburg State Capella where he majored in classical piano, composition, harmony and conducting, later going on to study sax, piano and improvisation in the Jazz Faculty, Mussorgsky Music College. Throughout the 80's and early 90's, Ermakov gigged and recorded with several musicians in the Soviet underground rock, rhythm'n'blues, and jazz-funk-rock fusion scene, contributing lyrics, vocals and sax as well as keyboard and composition. Bands include the punk rock group Panika, the avant-garde jazz fusion group FoxBox and the innovative 8-piece band Komnata 118. Ermakov also played alongside Yury Morosov at the Soviet Union's first ever officially permitted rock festival, the so-called "First Festival of the Aurora Journal" 1989. Although this avant-garde underground music was heavily frowned upon and police raids often resulted in arrests and detentions, Ermakov nevertheless recorded a number of contraband cassette albums including: Panika's 'Reshuffle' [pereplanirovka] (1988); Fox-Box: 'O, Laziness' [O'Len'] (1989); and Komnata 118: 'Komnata 118' [Room 118] (1989). With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ermakov's band fell apart and the creative atmosphere of the Underground scene was shattered as Perestroika got underway, sending alternative artists scrambling to earn a living. Ermakov recorded several soundtracks for Lenfilm Cinema Studios, composed, played and recorded the entire Creation Myth soundtrack for the renowned Russian clown troupe Licedei Minus 4 and also composed tracks for TV adverts at Studio D2. In 1993 Ermakov emigrated to the UK where he has been composing and recording in his home studio. In his latest compositions for MetaQuorum, Ermakov takes the best of funk, grunge, jazz, rock, neo-baroque, electronica, reggae etc., shakes it up a little, adds a dash of swing and grafts it all onto the matrix of various musical forms, including even classical sonata, to create his own unique heady blend which he calls structural fusion. KOOS VAN DER VELDE In November 2014, drummer Koos van der Velde joined the MetaQuorum project. Van der Velde began drumming at the age of six and joined his first metal band, Lunacy, at thirteen, later going on to join jazz-core band Megakronkel, with whom he toured extensively. Over the last 25 years, van der Velde has gigged and recorded for a variety of bands and artists from all over the world. write your comments about the article :: © 2015 Jazz News :: home page |