VOSTOK REMOTE ISLANDS (2023)
Vincent Courtois violoncello
Guus Janssen piano | organ | harmonium | harpsichord
featuring Giuseppe Doronzo baritone saxophone (tr 6-8, 10)
all concerts with this group
http://fieschouten.nl/schoutenjanssencourtois/
order via: info@bassclarinet.nl or Bandcamp
borrow via Muziekweb
REVIEWS
Citizen Jazz, Publié le 17 mars 2024
…une synthèse originale….. Ce n’est pas la moindre qualité de cette formation que de laisser du suspens et de l’espace dans l’imaginaire sonore qu’elle convoque. La liberté de création invite bien à investir tous les territoires, mais le bagage commun issu de la littérature classique dans laquelle piochent les musiciens leur sert à décrire de belles pages fortement évocatoires.
https://www.citizenjazz.com/Schouten-Courtois-Janssen.html
march 2024 Angelique van Os:
As a music journalist for Jazzism and Pianist, I am surrounded by new releases and that is why I would like to share five favorite recent jazz travel albums that merge nature, travel and music. Attention for Karl Seglem, Vivienne Aerts, Tico Pierhagen, Fie Schouten and Sanne Sanne.
Together with her trio, consisting of Vincent Courtois on cello and Guus Janssen on keyboards, Schouten brings atmospheric, improvised and experimental music that is all about exploration and imagination.
read all | Nederlandse versie
freiStil #112 März/April 2024
Tristan da Cuhna klingt harmonisch, Diego Garcia dissonant, Rapa Iti unheimlich, Vostok wird mit Cembalo-Klängen bedacht, Solitude Island mit leisen, zarten Tönen. (jele)
March, 2024
Tom Hull Music Week
A treat for Worldle devotees B+(**) [sp]
1 febr 2024 CONCERTO-Magazin concerto.at
Vostok Remote Islands****
Die musikalische Geschichten handeln, wie auch jene im Buch, von “seltsamen Menschen, von gestrandeten Sklaven und einsamen Naturforschern, verirrten Entdeckern und verwirrten Leuchtturmwärtern, meuternden Matrosen und vergessenen Schiffbrüchigen, braven Sträflingen und strafversetzten Beamten, kurzum: von freiwilligen und unfreiwilligen Robinsons.” Vostok hat für drei Stücke zusätzlich den Baritonsaxophonisten Giuseppe Doronzo mit an Bord genommen, ein ebenfalls perfekter Reiseleiter im Programm. bak
http://spontaneousmusictribune.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-relative-pitch-last-from-2023-omawi.html (Poland)
The album is crowned with a danceable, singing exposition that is filled with the fascinating joy of the moment.
Downtown Music Gallery New York 11.1.24
The combination of clarinet, cello and harmonium is especially enchanting. Much of this music is lovely, haunting, enchanting and exquisite. Clarinetist Fie Schouten sounds marvelous throughout no matter which clarinet she is playing….His (Courtois) playing here is modest yet most enchanting, warm, charming…Overall this disc creates its own endearing sonic world which feels much better than the usual Fake New/BS/Interference that we often have to deal with surrounding us.
salt peanuts* (NO) Eyal Hareuveni (IL), 4.1.24
The twelve pieces explore the mysterious sonic territories of these unknown islands, and tell enchanting and nuanced stories, with a great sense of drama and imagination, beauty and elegance. There is no need to leave your home but simply join this fantastic journey in and around the islands’ labyrinthian stories, images and memories.
https://salt-peanuts.eu/record/schouten-courtois-janssen/
Description on Squidco (USA):
Inspired by Judith Schalansky’s book “Atlas of Remote Islands: 50 islands I never set foot in and never will”, the debut of the chamber improvising trio of Fie Schouten on clarinet & basset horn, Vincent Courtois on cello and Guus Janssen on piano, organ, harmonium & harpsichord reflect on these pristine and untouched areas of the earth in sublimely sophisticated conversation.
Rigobert Dittmann, Bad Alchemy (D) dez.2023
Mit missionarischen Händen entwundenem Tastenspiel, die Rhythmik Vogeltritten, Flügelschlägen, Schildkröteschritten verschwistert, die Klänge angeschmiegt an die unerhörten Laute fremder Schnäbel, fremder Schauzen, exotischer Blasinstrumente. Die Musik verwebt Geographie mit Sehnsucht, Geschichte mit Scham, und das, obwohl sie um St. Helena und Iwojima einen Bogen macht. [BA 122 rbd]
Review
Holly Moors (okt 2023) “….Maar het wonderlijke is dat ik meteen op zo’n onbewoond eiland op de Stille Oceaan ben als ik naar deze bijzondere muziek luister. Dus ga liggen, zet je koptelefoon op en laat je meevoeren op deze unieke muzikale reis.”
https://www.moorsmagazine.com/muziek/jazz-blues/vostok-remote-islands/
Herman te Loo, Jazzflits (4 dec 2023)
…..Omdat het drietal door hun klassieke opleiding een perfecte instrumentbeheersing heeft, is hun arsenaal aan mogelijkheden schier grenzeloos. Wie de muziek hoort, zal nauwelijks kunnen
geloven dat er hier geen sprake is van enig gecomponeerd materiaal. Het uitgekiende vormgevoel van Schouten, Courtois en Janssen is daar debet aan. ……want ‘Vostok: Remote Islands’ bestaat juist bij de gratie van zijn volstrekt unieke klankwereld.
https://jazzflits.nl/jazzflits21.19.pdf
7. 12. 2023 Jan Hocek (Czechia)
Hudební atlas odlehlých ostrovů [Musical Atlas of Remote Islands]
“… Raoul Island. This is a volcanic island off New Zealand, essentially the top of a stratovolcano. Here the musicians work with three soundtracks in an elaborate counterpoint of varying intensity and density. Drones of near-psychedelic effect, minimalist pulsation, expanding lyrical surfaces and other sonic experiments are gradually added, the timbral richness enhanced by bass clarinet, organ and baritone saxophone. I consider this track to be the highlight of the album…. A truly original project!“
Full English translation: here
Hudební atlas odlehlých ostrovů
Grzegorz Tyszkiewicz (Poland): “These albums and these performers, in addition to the ones I released (or postponed the release date), were particularly important to me this year
Radio
Sublime Dutch Jazz 9 nov 2023
Vrije Geluiden NPO 19 nov 2023
Original: “Atlas der abgelegenen Inseln” (2009, Mare Verlag)
“The echoes of Judith Schalansky’s writing are innumerable…. overlooked maps, forbidden manuscripts, anonymous reports, medieval codices, letters of hope and despair. It depends on each reader, on the way we allow ourselves to be nourished by books that are run through by accuracy, multiplicity and consistency… Her writing explores ancestral labyrinths and forking paths, and oscillates between the sublime and the sinister, but breaks away from dualistic mirages.” (Juan Insua, 8.3.2022)
1 Tristan da Cunha (Atlantic Ocean) 3’59
2 Diego Garcia (Indian Ocean) 3’00
3 Rapa Iti I (Pacific Ocean) 1’53
4 Howland (Pacific Ocean) 1’49
5 Cocos Islands (Indian Ocean) 3’10
6 Raoul Island (Pacific Ocean) 11’58
7 Vostok (Pacific Ocean) 7’16
8 Pukapuka (Pacific Ocean) 6’12
9 Solitude Island (Arctic Ocean) 4’43
10 Socorro (Pacific Ocean) 6’41
11 Rapa Iti II (Pacific Ocean) 3’06
12 Inaccessible Island Rail (bird) 2’09
total: 55’56
credits
all compositions by Fie Schouten, Vincent Courtois, Guus Janssen, Giuseppe Doronzo
recorded at Orgelpark, Amsterdam on 24 March 2023
recording, mix, master Arjan van Asselt
cover artwork Henning Bolte (live-drawing), design Ivana Djukic
design digipack Relative Pitch Records