About

Berlin’s Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra is made up of 18 young musicians with a multiplicity of musical and cultural roots. Founded in 2006, the formation plays the ensemble director and saxophonist Daniel Glatzel’s compositions. His music defies musical categorization, sparkling between Jazz and New Musicwith musical quotes of traditional works – full of staggering, crazy changes and refreshing irony. (neue musikzeitung).

After the first album Take Off!, BUM BUM has been released by alien transistor in May 2012 and was incredibly successful: Guido Moebius about BUM BUM: „As soon as we are seized by a groove, a succession of notes, a harmony, a voice from a completelydifferent world of sound throws us off track and the mood changesas the orchestra spirals to heady heights. Pleasure is gained by sensory overload.“ At home in concert halls, jazz clubs and – during common concerts with the band The Notwist– big venues and pop-festivals, this unique hybrid of big band, chamber ensemble and progressive rock orchestra is an event that mixes up and re-orders old expectations and habits.

The Andromeda Mega Express Orchestra has been celebrated by critics (Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Die Zeit, Neue Zürcher Zeitung …) and has played among others at the Jazzfest Berlin, Philharmonie/Berlin, Volksbühne Berlin, Kampnagel Hamburg, Paradi-so/Amsterdam, German JazzMeeting/Bremen, Gasteig Munich, Philharmonie Cologne, Porgy & Bess/Vienna, Dresdner Jazztage, JazzBaltica, Gare du nord/Basel and toured in South Korea, Kazakhstan and South America.

Instrumentation

Daniel Glatzel ...............................composition, clarinets, saxophones

Oliver Roth ..................................................................................... flutes

Laure Mourot ................................................................................ flutes

Sebastian Hägele ..................................................................... bassoon

Johannes Schleiermacher ......................................... saxophone, flute

Ritsche Koch, Magnus Schriefl................................................. trumpet

Maria Schneider ..............................................vibraphone, percussion

Jörg Hochapfel ......................................... synthesizer, sampler, piano

Anna Viechtl.....................................................................................harp

Kalle Zeier......................................................................................gitarre

Matthias Pichler.................................................................... contrabass

Andi Haberl ...................................................................................drums

Matthew Lonson............................................................................ violin

Grégoire Simon ............................................................................. violin

Johannes Pennetzdorfer................................................ viola, recorder

Martin Stupka.................................................................. viola, recorder


Isabelle Klemt ..................................................................................cello

Website: http://www.andromedameo.com/
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A superb mix of musical genres ranging from modern classical music to jazz which at times surprises with a tiny note of Eastern European folklore.“

-Christoph Giese, Der Westen 03/2013-

„With him magic on the keyboard is pure alchemy and a mix of the most different sounds. He has proved in various jazz combos that he can subtly create a delicate balance between Orient and Occident, between jazz, classical music and pop and that he manages to let shine light and darkness.

And that is exactly what he is doing in a melodious and charming way in his second opus.“

-Henning Bolte, Jazzthetik-


„Without a doubt Franz von Chossy has succeeded in creating a coherent piece of music which clearly stands out from the usual crossover jazz.“

-Christoph Giese, der Westen 02/2013-


“A wonderful album by a great pianist.“

-Dr. Peter Kleiß, Saarlaendischer Rundfunk 2-


Franz von Chossy was born in Munich, where he started playing the piano as a six-year-old. Through his mother he came to know classical music and his Ukrainian grandmother encouraged him to play folk music on the accordion.

Von Chossy moved to the Netherlands to study at the conservatory of Amsterdam with Rob Madna, Karel Boehlee and Rob van Bavel in 1999.

In 2003, he moved to New York to study at the Manhattan School of Music, where he was taught by Kenny Barron, Garry Dial, Dave Liebman, John Taylor and Kenny Werner, among others. In New York Franz also studied film composition with Edward Green.

He won the “Dutch Jazz Competition 2006" with his Trio because of his 'original, dynamic and often virtuoso (inter)play'. Franz won the "Best Soloist" award during the same competition for his 'subtle, spatial and personal play'. In 2009, he won 2nd prize in the international Montreux Jazz solo Piano Competition. In 2011 he founded a Quintet with Alex Simu on clarinet, Jörg Brinkmann on cello, Jeffrey Bruinsma on violin and Yonga Sun on drums. He has released several albums under his own name, which were highly praised by the music press.

Franz von Chossy has performed throughout Europe and the US as well as in Asia (China, India, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey) and Africa (Tunisia, Marocco), Australia.  With his superb talent for improvisation allowing him to switch between different styles without any effort, von Chossy is also a valued member of jazz combos such as the Pascal Schumacher Quartet and Arifa, touring the world with them. Every once in a while he also gives solo concerts on church organ.

„Von Chossy‘s jazzy, rhythmically vital manner of playing is compelling and he possesses an excellent technique. Another distinctive feature is that the musicians accompanying him can freely develop their individual style. (...).

Von Chossy fabricates melodious and harmonic snap shots, taking the listener on an almost meditative journey. A thrilling album of substance.‘

- Jazzpodium, 07/2012-


„Von Chossy borrows inspiration from modern melodious classical music, ranging from minimalism’s splitting of themes, chamber music’s compact violin sound to Grieg’s sadness in minor. The most important counterpoint to the by trend repetitive themes are three rhythmical outbursts by drummer Yonga Sun, thus creating structure and commentary and presenting an extraordinary and conclusive opus.“

-Jazzthing, 06/2012-


Website - http://www.franzvonchossy.com/

Deeply prolific Bristol-based house connoisseur Andy Compton has released over a dozen albums and close to 100 EPs (either under his own name or as part of The Rurals) on his essential Peng label and imprints like Ralf GUM’s GOGO Music, Chicago’s LARGE Music, Seasons, Viva, Hed Kandi and many others.
Since he started playing and producing music at the age of 16, Compton has looked towards jazz, soul and African music to define his unique sound, which he’s described as “Afro Devon Deep”.
Output from Peng and The Rurals has been the focus of four South Africa-specific collections on House Afrika: 2002’s ‘Sunday Sessions 1’, 2005’s ‘Sunday Sessions 2’, 2010’s 4-CD set ‘House Afrika Grooves’ 2011’s ‘Kholofelo Remixed’, which features a lustrous line-up of top-notch remixes of his material, no less than eight of which come from South African producers. and, most recently the “Experience Peng” tripple pack CD now available on Universal.
On his previous – and surprisingly, given the popularity of his work in SA – first trip to South Africa at the end of 2010, Compton described the original ‘Kholofelo’ album as having “influences from the African music, added to the deep, soulful house I generally produce,” and said he thought it was only natural to get his favorite SA producers involved: “To give it that South African vibe.” He added that deep African house is his “favourite kind of music at the moment, because it has a raw energy. I personally love the rhythms, the beats.”
Since discovering house music in the early ‘90s (and hooking up with vocalist Marie Tweek to form The Rurals), Compton has released a dazzling array of music and worked with an army of artists (from Motown legends to budding underground names like Pirahnahead). He’s been featured on the cover of the seminal DJ Magazine and had his music used in TV show Six Feet Under, while tunes like “Sweeter Sounds” have become bona fide anthems at spots like NY’s Shelter.
Compton has generally turned heads and twisted bodies with his thumping brew of electronic beats swathed in coolly-crafted melodies, with Peng becoming one of the premiere labels on the planet, garnering support from house big-hitters like Louie Vega, Larry Heard, Mark Farina and Osunlade.
All this has solidified Compton’s reputation as one of the most respected house music players on the planet.
website: http://peng.co.uk/

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