OGOGO/Linden album reviews

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from Gothtronic    The Netherlands

OGOGO + Linden
 

This album is created by a musician called OGOGO, also known as Igor OGOGO. The Linden connection to the album comes from Ron Linden, who’s a painter, and this is where Igor has his tracks based on. Nice is that those paintings are also in the booklet, so you can listen to the song and see where the inspiration came from. Musically the album is all over the place. From more jazzy improvisations to some rock tunes, and abstract beats/breakcore approaches to experimental sound structures. For a lot of the tracks it’s a pretty noisy affair. The first track, ‘Eye Spring’, is a kind of improvisational jazzy rock. The second track, ‘Flygel’ continues with these jazzy sounds and fuses it with some beats and background noise. With the third track, ‘Pidgin’, we get a combination of break-beats, guitars, organ sounds and industrial elements. The fourth track, ‘Obdura’, uses a lot of beats and mixes it with speedup vocal samples and samples of birds. An interesting track is track 9, ‘Murdrus Dueluct’, which starts with a funny melody and beats and later fuses it with drum ‘n bass sequences. Near the end the melody get pretty weird and gets more break-beats. It’s a kind of alternative drum ‘n bass song. The track hereafter, ‘Shem the Penman’, is a really weird and fucked-up jazz track with a lot of hard beats. This should fit nicely in Lynch’s ‘Lost Highway’. The twelfth track, ‘Ussur’, is also interesting in its use of some distorted vocoder sounds. This album is a pretty weird experience, but it’s also interesting because of its inspirational material from Linden. Sometimes the tracks sound like the paintings were run through some software which creates sounds of the colors, especially in the more abstract segments. An interesting album, especially if you’re into the work of this painter.   Band: OGOGO(int) Label: III Records Genre: experimental (experimental / avantfolk / avantgarde / electro-acoustic) Type: cd   Grade: 7.8 Review by: Fabian Website: http://www.iiirecords.com/OGOGO-Linden.htm

 

 

          Ogogo - Linden Heathen Harvest

Contributed by: Batcheeba&Gird09

Artist: Ogogo Title: Linden Label: III Records Genre: Avant Garde / Experimental / Jazz / Noise Track Listing: 01 Eyes spring 02 Flygel 03 Pidgin 04 Obdura 05 Eroscope 06 The key 07 Sabbatarian 08 Preplay 09 Murdrus deluct 10 Shem the penman 11 Ohfey 12 Ussur 13 Eroscope vs.Eye spring (dance remix)   14 Pidgin (TRS remix) Ogogo is IgOr Grigiriev, a Moscow born musician with a wonderfull sense of art, humor and all things avant garde and decadent. But above all he is an exceptionally talented and varied jazz musician with 25 years of creativity and guitar experience under his wings. Linden is an hommage to the painter Ron Linden, and all the tracks are named after Linden's paintings. In short Ron Linden and IgOr have alot in common: The playfullness, the tecnique, they are both unpredictable,they are both hard to label and resist convenience. And they share a certain fascination for eyes.The cd combines Jazz, avant garde, experimental, noise guitar and drums, in surrealistic bedlam reminiscent of artists like Renaldo and the Loaf or Residents. One can hear clear influnces from people such as Stockhausen and Zappa, as well as the aforementioned Residents et al. The cover is of high quality and the booklet consists of a reproduction of Ron Lindens paintings. All over the design is impressively clean, consistently in black and red and very low key. Though IgOr is a outstandingly taltented musician, "Linden" is, sadly, too demanding for me to enjoy fully.The guitar often over powers the other elements throughout the cd, leaving interesting bits somewhat garbled. There are a great deal moments that catches my interest and makes me go "yes this is really interesting!" I love noise, and I love guitar, however there is just something about this the invasiveness of the guitar on this record that makes it less interesting. Something that is quite sad as the intersting parts are very creative and beautifull! As with track 6 "The key", my favorite, and track 8 "Preplay" which I think are the most fitting tracks to compliment the paintings. Subtle, foggy, sneaky and obscure. Maybe IgOr has been trying to capture the very essense of the philosophy Linden works rather then the painting themselves? IgOr and I certainly don't have the same experience looking at Linden's art. To me the paintings are far from chaotic and invasive. The great part of writing this review is I am sure IgoOr couldn't give a rats ass to what anyone says about his work. When you work in this genre, you are most likely to create for your self first, and then the audience. I love that. Let it be said, If you are into IgOr's guitar, you will love this. If you are a experimental jazz fan, "Linden" is so right for you. I am left with the impression IgOr had a blast making this cd. Even though this is so focused, I can't help my self form picturing him laughing and having the time of his life recording this material. It's so playfull and it has a certain "if you can't deal with it, then fuck right of" attitude. The entire cd is packed with mental images and stories. It takes me to the circus, it takes me to the zoo, it takes me down town to a dirty jazz club, it drags me on an LSD trip, pulls me into a nightmare. In short, "Linden" is an explosion of expressions. Being an artist my self I don't label art as "good or bad", I judge it by the technique and ideas contained withing the art itself. Consequently, as a work of art, this record is an "exhibition" I would love to go see. I would discuss it with my peers, I would be marveled and impressed, but I wouldn't buy the paintings.

 

 

Ogogo/Linden  - All About Jazz

Igor | III Records

By Glenn Astarita Russian-reared guitarist Igor throws the book at any musical notion that might hint at being conventional. With these frenetic solo pieces, the artist's works are based on the abstract paintings of Ron Linden, depicted in the album booklet. Here, Igor's electrified guitar parts are designed upon fragmented and interweaving passages, spiced with bizarre discourses and quirky EFX treatments. He injects a touch of humor into various movements via siren sounds and alien chatter then employs distortion techniques while dishing out ringing harmonics in spots.  Igor shifts strategy with a nanosecond's notice atop asymmetrical electronic percussion grooves. It's a high-tech endeavor recorded at a Los Angeles studio, where progressive-rock stylizations are largely decoded and refreshed into avant-garde components. He pursues a modulating string of musical events, that is semi-structured and, by the artist's own admission, somewhat chaotic. On "Eroscope," Igor's fuzz-toned guitar parts ride above an antiquated keyboard sound, although it seems that all of the artist's music making originates from his numerous guitar-based processing techniques. He executes streaming midi or guitar-synth noises during "Preplay," and perhaps queries the meaning of life via circular choruses, abetted by bombastic electronics and dark environs on "Eroscope vs. Eye Spring (Dance Remix)." However, it would be amusing to witness someone trying to dance to any of Igor's workouts. Igor's discombobulated program is quite relentless. Yet he's a man who constructs a steely-edged stance of the universe amid his crazed out musicality. It's not casual listening by any stretch. On the flip side, he uses the studio as a vantage point for these uncannily attractive vignettes that should serve as a source of interest for those who thought they've heard it all. Igor at All About Jazz. Visit Igor on the web. Track listing: Eye Spring; Flygel; Pidgin; Obdura; Eroscope; The K; Sabbatarian; Preplay; Murdrus Dueluct; Shem The Penman; Ohfey; Ussur; Eroscope vs. Eye Spring (Dance Remix); Pidgin (TRX Remix). Personnel: Igor: guitars. Style: Beyond Jazz

 

by Andrea Ferraris - Chain D.L.K. - Italy

Category: Experimental / Avantgarde / Weird & Wired / Odd / Field Recording

Artist: IGOR OGOGO 
Title: Linden
Format: CD
Label: III records
 

"Linden" is an interesting cd that shows that there're still some interesting labels like III Records that beside being mainly focused on jazz the way we know it, put out some experimental material crossing the boundaries of the genre. Sure, Igor Ogogo guitarism in quite far from jazz to say it all but in some ways he can be compared to artists such as Bill Laswell who despite their background crossed their personal Rubicon by experimenting with sound, metrics and ideas. While having compared Ogogo to Laswell to be honest his extravagant work for guitar and electronics (and most of the times the sound of the guitar itself is heavily filtered with pedals, laptop or who knows what else), reminded me more of some experimental work by Marc Ribot (I'm referring to the "book of heads" era) and mighty Elliott Sharp. From this two names I've written you've probably understood we're dealing with electric guitar here, but while his playing is really dynamic it's still really far from sounding rock. Sure, the electric guitar and the fact he most of the times works with weird melodies may bring forth the shadow of Derek Bailey, but I'd say this' much close to some work to another famous name like Fred Frith, above all when he's not trying to sound classical, contemporary or when he's not working on soundtracks. It's an abstract but yet melodic effort, and It goes really well with the images I assume that have been painted by Ogogo himself. The most of the tracks are quite short and have an average length of tree minutes circa: it's funny cause this one of the many things that tent me to say this' cd in a way is a "collection of small painting".

Review by: Andrea Ferraris

OGOGO ‘Linden’ - www.kathodik.it  - Italy

(III Records)

Non voglio generare a tutti i costi del malanimo nei confronti di Igor (OGOGO, il moniker prediletto anche per progetti non solisti) e del suo “Linden”, però, non posso neanche esimere la mia coscienza dall’affermare con convinzione che questo nuovo lavoro per la III records è semplicemente un supplizio, una botta di metallo piombato sugli stinchi. 14 tracce, una più pesante dell’altra, chitarra chiaramente ravvisabile, mascolina, strutture improvvisate secche di fantasia e schematiche, si scopre sempre Ogogo a quale direzione intende ambire; basta il primo accenno e già immagini come procederanno i vari mood armonici e timbrici disposti sui brani, siano essi d’ispirazione spezzettata e arty (Eye Spring), appesi a solismi quasi sghembi di chitarra post-fusion (Flygel corredata da un crescente sciame di urticante rumore bianco), voltati a danzare con il supporto di aritmie percussive che ipotizzano la presenza di una sporca drum-machine dietro l’angolo (Pidgin, tra le più decenti perché confinata in una assurda ipotesi di sfalsata d ‘n’ b, la verve più classicamente jungle-clash in Murdrus Dueluct)…
I presupposti per una riuscita almeno sufficiente c’erano, visto il progetto rizzato sulla correlazione tra suono e figure pittoriche, vale a dire sonorizzare 14 tele spuntate dal catalogo del painter contemporaneo Ron Linden, pittore ‘perseguitato’ creativamente da un tripudio di forme geometriche ed ellittiche adagiate a giochi policromatici, bassi e opachi. Di conseguenza, una gamma di tonalità che si infrange come acqua sugli scogli quando viene collegata alle eccentriche, o meglio nevrasteniche, informalità di Igor. Stando alle note l’elettrica dovrebbe essere la sola responsabile del general-caos ma a conti fatti è impossibile pensare ciò: si è travolti come disgraziati sciatori fuori-pista da una valanga di campionamenti auto-ri-generati dalla stessa oppure esterni e infinitamente dozzinali.
Un assaggio?
Che ne dite dell’acuto miagolio ‘looppato’ in Obdura, da manicomio, oppure delle vocine di The K, suppongo sempre d’origine animale o di qualche oscuro mutante; quel fastidioso piagnucolio sarà una gallina oppure un dolce infante appena venuto al mondo?
Poco c’interessa ma soprattutto per una volta tanto datemi retta, girate alla larga da “Linden”, e se proprio ci tenete, andate a ritroso nel tempo e provate come ignoti gratta & vinci a scoprire i primi works… sarete sicuramente più fortunati del sottoscritto.

Recensore: Sergio Eletto
Link Correlati: III Records - Promoting Jazz and Avant-Garde music

 

Rigo Dittmann - Bad Alchemy Magazin - Germany

OGOGO OGOGO/Linden (iii Records 024384): Linden malt, OGOGO aka igOr ließ sich von 12 seiner Bilder zu Musik inspirieren.

Obwohl Gitarrist, ist das keine Gitarrenmusik im engeren Sinn, vielmehr abgedrehte Gitarrensounds auffrisiert mit Drummachinebeats, Bassgeknurr und elektronischem Geschwurbel. Das Ganze spielt sich in Los Angeles ab, aber igOr entpuppt sich als Russe, als niemand anderes als der Igor Grigoriev aus Moskau, der mit Asphalt und Roof Ende der 80er auf BA 13 Beispiele für Soviet Avantgarde Jazz lieferte.

Dass er das Zeug zum Gitarrenhelden hätte, zeigt er mit dem knurig rockenden ‚Pidgin‘, dass er klassisch ausgebildet ist, hört man sehr deutlich bei ‚The K‘, eine bizarre Mixtur aus Barock, Elliott Sharps Fibonacci-Phase und Frippertronics-ähnlichem Duktus, mit präparierter Gitarre. Nicht weniger bizarr ist ‚Obdura‘, durchschrillt von Pfauenschreien und Sirenengeheul, die als Leitmotive durch w! eitere Stücke geistern. Fake, Humor, Weirdness sind bei igOr obligatorisch, sein D‘n‘B-Verschnitt ‚Murdrus Dueluct‘ ist so abstrus wie der Titel. ‚Shem the Penman‘, auf fast-forward beschleunigt und von Saxophonen durchspotzt, führt direkt zu Finnegan‘s Wake, die Fuzztirade ‚Ohfey‘ hat es treppab eilig, um sich im Keller vor Lachen auszuschütten. Autsch, ‚Usur‘ sticht einem Sinuswellen durchs Trommelfell, die Gitarre - oder ein Stimmsample? - loopt wie ein durchgeknalltes LaLalalalaLa, ein Telefon bimmelt aus dem letzten Loch und immer wieder - Autsch!

Jetzt noch zwei Remixe, aber Delirium lässt sich nicht mehr toppen, selbst wenn igOr zwei Stücke ineinander vermanscht, um nach Mussorgsky auch noch Ives zuzublinzeln. [ 60 rbd]
 

Jeremy - Ampersand Etcetera - Australia

I am not sure how this came to me - iii records are based in Japan, and Ogogo is Igor (guitars, though there seems to be other instruments) and the album is Linden. It is based around 12 paintings by Ron Linden that are reproduced in the quality booklet. The paintings are flat semiabstract images, painted with muted colours. Some feature curved diamond shapes, that the final image, USSUR, confirms are eyes. Some represent three-dimensional cubist still lives, others flat compositions or almost calligraphic or musical notations of the eyes and stave bars. Anyway, on the whole non-figurative and a big ask to create a musical interpretation. While I can see some trends in the music, I am not sure my reading of the music/image relationship is the same as Ogogo's - but that is irrelevant as it is the music which counts. There are four 'styles' that I can identify on the album.

 

The first three tracks (Eye spring, Flygel and Pidgin) follow a pattern that seems common of putting the most confronting music first. These comprise extremely choppy D'n'B percussion with guitar pulses and sorties together with some found sounds, but also with patches of calm. Initially these are not inviting tracks, but repeated playing provides more access. The style crops up again later in the album - Murdrus dueluct is another that is fast and distorted.

 

OK, my second category is electronica: comes in both fast and restrained, and takes the guitar/percussion mix and adding other instruments and more samples. Sabbatarian is full on with water sounds, choppy organ and a skittering guitar and has voice samples in near the end, the crackles, wargame tones and abstract noises of Preplay actually reflect the images. Shem the Penman is fast distorted and chopped/cut, changing density (and neither image nor music recall Finnegans Wake to me), and more chopping eruptions on Ussur.

 

Strangely classified by me as musical, or perhaps simple would be better: Eroscope features a slightly distorted keyboard melody, which is varied and modified with subtle restraint, Ohfey is a guitar solo with some gentle electrobacking.

 

Finally more structured pieces: Obdura moves through a solid rhythm loop and burr, a voice and plane sample, peacock calling, a mower the rhythm returns, peacock returns then drum and voice and finally a crushing crackle in the last half minute. My favourite The K is a long piece featuring a goose, rhythm guitar and a baroque like melody which weave in and out through each other. A beautiful light touch in this almost 9 minutes (any track featuring a goose has my vote, and an album with peacock is furtehr ahead!).

 

Two additional tracks: Eroscope vs Eye spring (dance remix) puts the rhythm of the first under the musicality of the second, to good effect, while the TRS remix of Pidgin is a reasonable reinterpretation but not at all radical.

 

On the album these tracks, other than the last two and the bursting of the first three, are mixed and shuffled together. The sequence works pretty well, and the elements which flow through (sirens, bird sounds) give the whole some coherence. Definitely an album that gives you access to its complexity and pleasures after a few listenings have got you in tune with the aesthetic. Not one to relax to but rather stimulating.

 

Posted by Jeremy

 

 

by Raphael - "Kulturterrorismus" - Germany

Experimentelle Klangmalerei

VÖ: Label: III Records

Genre: Experimentell, Jazz, Noise

Diese Publikation “OGOGO – OGOGO/ Linden” fördert folgende multikulturelle Begebenheit ans Tageslicht: “Ein russischer Künstler, wohnhaft in Amerika, veröffentlicht auf einem japanischen Label einen Tonträger mit musikalischen Bildbeschreibungen!”. Diese vorher angesprochene Tatsache offeriert alleine schon beim Lesen einen gewissen Reiz, der sich auch durch das komplette Gesamtkunstwerk zieht, welcher im Besonderen Individuen ansprechen dürfte, die sich ausschließlich höchst experimentelle Releases oder puren Free Style Jazz “reinschrauben”. Denjenigen, die stringente Arbeiten bevorzugen, sei von diesem Werk strengstens abgeraten, ansonsten droht der Fehlkauf des Lebens!

Der aus Russland stammende Komponist und ausgebildete Musiker Igor Ogogo gehört zu der Klientel Protagonisten, welche nur so vor Extravaganz und Avantgarde strotzt. In den überwiegenden Fällen entstehen seine Releases ausschließlich durch den Einsatz von Gitarre und Gesang, die bisher schon in Russland, Deutschland und Großbritannien das Licht der Welt erblickten. Diese Bildvertonungen unter dem Titel “OGOGO/ Linden” erschienen auf der in Japan ansässigen Tonträgermanufaktur “III Records”, welche nur “durchgeknallte” Medien mit Jazzeinschlag auflegt. Igor OGOGO nahm als Grundlage bzw. Inspiration Bilder des surrealistischen Malers Ron Linden, der schon in unzähligen namhaften Galerien ausstellte, einige Preise einheimste und an Kunsthochschulen lehrt(e). Im Booklet bekommt die Konsumentin bzw. der Konsument zu allen Stücken das passende Bild gereicht, weshalb sich die Tonkonstruktionen von Igor OGOGO besser (gut) nachvollziehen lassen, wenn sie bzw. er sich damit vernünftig auseinandersetzt.

Die zu vernehmenden musikalischen Darbietungen des Igor OGOGO müssen als schräg bzw. entgegen jeder Konvention betitelt werden. Die 14 Tracks auf “OGOGO/ Linden” spielte der Tonakrobat komplett ohne Mithilfe ein, das “Hauptohrenmerk” liegt vordergründig definitiv auf unterschiedlichsten Gitarrenklängen, welche das Spektrum zwischen richtigen Riffs bis hin zu puren Krachphasen bedienen. Im Hintergrund ereilen die Rezipientin bzw. den Rezipienten elektronische Collagen die einem Wechselbad aus Noise und Ambient gleichen. Stringenz existiert in keiner Sekunde der Gesamtspielzeit, aber dafür regiert das Chaos in Reinkultur, wodurch leider ein wenig der Wiedererkennungswert unter den einzelnen Songs verloren geht. Echte “Krachfetischistinnen” & “Krachfetischisten” werden diese Arbeit loben und preisen, hingegen der Rest dürfte fluchtartig zum Abspielgerät laufen, um dem Horrorszenario ein Ende zu bereiten. Zum Glück lässt sich über Geschmack nicht streiten (oder doch?) und unter dem Aspekt der Innovation offenbart Igor OGOGO mit diesem Oeuvre ein echtes Schmankerl für Persönlichkeiten, die jeglichem Mainstream entsagen und wenig Wert auf klare Strukturen legen. Der Anspieltipp des Albums “The K” gleicht einer verrückten Melange aus kitschigem Kinderlied und verzerrten Gitarrensolos, welche sich dauerhaft zum Ohrwurm entwickelt.

Fazit:

Wer von experimenteller Kunst nicht genug bekommen kann und vielleicht ein neues Extrem für seine Sammlung sucht, sollte sich unbedingt “OGOGO/ Linden” zulegen, aber bitte auf eigene Gefahr (für eventuelle Nebenwirkungen übernimmt meine Wenigkeit keine Haftung!). Free Style Jazzspezialisten können mal eine Hörprobe nehmen, um diese “Kiste” zu evaluieren, aber bitte mit Vorsicht! Unter den Aspekten “musikalisches Experiment”, “Freigeistigkeit” & “ungeeignet für Mehrheiten” bestimmt ein helles Licht am “Musikhimmel”, aber ansonsten … (Entscheiden Sie selbst!).

Hörbeispiele und weitere Informationen zu Igor OGOGO finden Sie unter folgendem Link:

http://www.myspace.com/ogogoigor

http://igorogogo.com

OGOGO/LINDEN - Dark Room Magazine - Italy

                (III Records)    Time: (48:69)

Se la musica diventa supporto per le tele di un pittore astrattista, è vincolata a mantenere le melodie schematiche o può permettersi di rompere gli schemi per seguire le concettualità di un artista immaginifico? Igor Ogogo ha scelto la seconda ipotesi, e duella con l'artista Ron Linden nella distruzione percettiva e canonica dell'arte. Non è questione d'intelligenza o meno il capire queste particolari forme d'espressione raffinata, bensì di porsi all'ascolto in maniera radicalmente libera facendo sì che sia l'iconscio a percepire i messaggi, così se foste davanti ad un quadro di Linden dovreste aprire gli schemi mentali, estraniarvi dal reale e lasciare che i colori, le forme ed i materiali entrino in voi in maniera subliminale: allora estetica fine a sé stessa e piacere di visione prevarranno sul raziocinio materiale. Inconscio sonoro ed onirico passeggiano insieme irrazionali in noi, anche se difficilmente ci soffermiamo a valutarlo. Così come quei piccoli momenti di magia del mattino al risveglio, quando ancora il cervello è libero dai conformismi che assumerà durante il giorno e si concede gli ultimi sprazzi di dimensione parallela, le immagini sono captate in modo schizofrenico e senza percezione apparente, ma il tutto appartiene alla dimensione inconscia del piccolo patrimonio anarchico e senza regole apparente del nostro inconscio. Igor Ogogo, nato a Mosca (dove tra l'altro ha compiuto studi importanti di chitarra con il maestro Michael Esacoff), cresce artisticamente a Los Angeles. È evidente quanto abbia assorbito dalla cerebrotica sensorialità artistica avant-garde moscovita amalgamandola con l'ossessivo esistere californiano, pieno di nevrosi, opportunità, norme di libertà concettuale. Giunto al sesto progetto con III Records, il Nostro vanta una produzione discografica di 23 album, collaborando con artisti e musicisti di ogni parte del mondo, dall'America all'Italia, fino al Giappone. Tutte le 14 tracce del disco sono un inno al tutto ed al nulla: riff di chitarre violente ed industriali s'inseriscono senza metrica tra i synth e le basi campionate, uccelli e grida d'oche improvvise 'passano' tra i solchi durante il suono di una sirena, come se la masterizzazione del disco fosse stata effetuata a finestre aperte, come se il mondo reale volesse entrare in quell'astratto musicale di Ogogo o nelle tele di Linden. Il mondo che cerca una porta: la porta è in noi, e se lasciamo che i suoni di "Pidgin", della folle "Sabbatarian", dell'ipnotica "Ussur" o della metropolitana "Obdura" entrino, è stupendo scoprire come si possono rompere compendi per poi ricucirli. Lunghissima suite (oltre gli otto minuti), "The K" è un concentrato di musica per il corpo e per riflettere sulla condizione metropolitana ed urbana, slegata nell'insieme ma legata nell'esprimere una summa di disagio, ed anche di nuove estetiche. È fondamentale nell'arte la rottura: senza di ciò non ci sarebbe la creazione del nuovo, l'ordine figlio del caos; penso al futurismo, a tutta l'avanguardia espressiva e teatrale, apparentemente senza senso ma fondamentale nel riformare e nel partorire il novello... la Bauhaus cos'era, se non ciò? Allora la sfida che lancio è questa: nell'era del personal computer cercate le opere del maestro Linden nella rete, mettetele a risoluzione tutto schermo sul vostro pc, estraniate il vostro raziocinio dal reale e fate in modo che le piccole, insensate (apparentemente) alchimie di Ogogo comincino a mescolare suoni, forme e colori con le tele...

Nicola Tenani  

 http://www.igorogogo.com/     http://www.iiirecords.com/

 

Igor OGOGO CD - OGOGO + Linden by toxicpete.co.uk - UK

Play 90 second soundbite of 'Eye Spring' @ 'CD quality'

Time to don those experimental heads again folks as Igor Ogogo once again sharpens his pointing stick and pokes it straight into that grey matter.  'Ogogo + Linden' is a wonderfully angular album of contemporary art-music based on, and inspired by, the paintings of Ron Linden.

Beautifully packaged, 'Ogogo + Linden' comes with sleeve notes showing twelve Linden 'reproduction' paintings the titles of which are used as 'song' titles - get it? Ok, so Ogogo stamps his indelible impressionist mark here with a selection of vibrant, if rather industrial sounding, tracks that rely to an extent on heavily percussive 'beats' of one kind or another 'orchestrated' with great swathes of tangentially slashing guitar and various essentially juxtaposed electro rings, chimes and other avant-garde 'notes'. 'Ogogo + Linden' is something of a living tapestry or 'canvas' in its own right; carrying with it a very free-form organic feel that will probably never quite reach stand-still, rather it'll continue to evolve, develop and grow with time and understanding.

What Ogogo does isn't new of course, many have taken the more convoluted path to music making, some achieved success, other only fell by the wayside. Ogogo seems to have a much firmer grip on the whole ethos of organic avant-garde music; he doesn't seem to lose control of reality and therefore his music doesn't ever become self-indulgent, an easy trap to fall foul of when it comes to musical experimentation. Think of Ogogo's work as a sensual and arousing trip born of sound rather than artificial chemical intake. Think of Ogogo actually planning his work as he studies the art-work closely looking for inspiration and direction. Try to feel what the composer felt during the gestation period of his musical baby.

If you can't let go of your own inhibitions then perhaps Igor Ogogo's experimental musical transgressions aren't for you - but, if you're open to the bold, brash and brave and like to be tested then maybe 'Ogogo + Linden' will give you food for thought. Ogogo gives you the basis for his 'overtures' by providing reproductions of the inspirational images; look into his mind and see if you see what he sees - can you identify with the music and the artistry - does any of it make sense to you? Igor Ogogo's music cannot be pigeonholed in terms of being a specific genre; contemporary experimentalism will always be very much in the eye and ear of the creator and you, the listener, can only try to associate and/or try to find some sort of empathy - you won't actually have walked in Ogogo's moccasins but you may be able to at least try them on for size.

'Ogogo + Linden' is an exciting modern work of some distinction; Igor Ogogo gives you all the 'keys' here to be able to unlock the 'door' and enter his uniquely artistic world and join with him in celebrating the art of Ron Linden. If you take his offered help and use it wisely there's a chance you might enjoy and educate yourself through Ogogo's eyes and ears. If you like a challenge and think you're up to this one, please try 'Ogogo + Linden' by the diversely original Igor Ogogo - I know I've gained something from it and I shall continue to drink from Ogogo's colourful and rewarding cup of musical plenty. Not your everyday music this - testing but absolutely absorbing!

 

Igor - OGOGO + LINDEN from IMPROVIJAZZATION Nation Issue # 85   

This fantastic set of improvised 21st Century works features an artist I'm surprised I'd not heard from before... a decidedly jazz "flavor", yet his guitar reminds me of 2 artists I'm exceedingly familiar with... Bret Hart's early works and my long-time improvising friend Davey Williams (who was one of the first guitarists I ever improvised with).  The "difference" is that Igor has matured his own style and (musically) paints his own aural images for your braincase... you will never be "the same" after your exposure to this adventurous and entertaining CD!  All originals, with reproductions of the Ron Linden paintings that inspired many of the tunes.  Clearly not "just another wild improv", there is a definite sense of direction in his playing/mixing, & I found myself listening back through several times in order to grasp the sonic imagery he was laying down.  It's true that a listener who only goes for AM radio or other adventure-free music won't find this terribly enjoyable - but those who read this 'zine regularly will "grok" that the musical language Igor speaks in transcends all barriers erected by those "blue meanie" types, & will perceive his vision immediately... this album gets our MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for listeners who want something different, fresh & new!   Get more information at www.iirecords.com/igor.htm  

 Rotcod Zzaj

 

 

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