Silence Blossoms – Linköping Church, Linköping

Silence Blossoms – Linköping Church, Linköping, Sweden

Aaargh! – EP

Efpi Records is delighted to bring you this four track EP from Anglo-Finnish-Swiss saxophone-bass-drums trio, Aaargh! This exciting release is the work of three brothers from different mothers whose shared love of improvised music (and Monty Python) drew them together from across the globe. The music, described as leading the new and exciting European-wonky-melodic-folk-punk-jazz movement, mixes improvisation and composition seamlessly with each group member’s personality contributing to the overall band sound.

1. Man vs Squirrel

2. The Terrible Moose

3. Punky Tango

4. The Vest

Available now as a free/donation requested high quality MP3 download. Visit the Releases page to purchase and/or download.

Sam Andreae : saxophone

Eero Tikkanen : bass

David Meier : drums

Aaargh! – Helsinki

Aaargh!
Arkadia Bookshop, Helsinki
24th of April – 7pm

Is three brothers from different mothers who’s shared love of improvised music (and Monty Python) drew them together from across the globe. Their music, described as leading the new and exciting European-wonky-melodic-folk-punk-jazz movement, mixes improvisation and composition seamlessly with each group member’s personality contributing to the overall band sound. (Text by Sam Andreae, native speaker)

Sam Andreae (UK) – Saxophone
Eero Tikkanen (Finland) – Bass
David Meier (Switzerland) – Drums

Meet “Aaargh!”

Aaargh! (formerly ATM) are the newest band to join the Efpi family. As there are some new faces in the group and with their first release with Efpi on it’s way we thought it would be nice if you could get to know the chaps a little. So here’s a friendly interview for your enjoyment. Thanks to interviewers Jens Böckamp and Kalle Timmonen for their insightful questions….

Aaargh! – interview 22/04/10

Sam Andreae (UK) – Saxophone
Eero Tikkanen (Finland) – Bass
David Meier (Switzerland) – Drums

Q: What is your favorite color, and why.

David: Blue. Because of the Blue Note (he says this jokingly). Actually, I just like water, but actually that could be green too, or brown.
Eero: I think, urm, maybe red. Because of….. Love.
Sam: I also like blue, because I’m sad most of the time…
David: No, because he’s drunk most of the time. Oh wait, don’t write that, it’s not even funny.

Q: What is your goal in life

Eero: Love.
Sam: I was gunna say love as well. Urm, I guess I’ll settle for being taller than David. YES!
David: To live. (everybody laughs) No, I’m serious! To live it up.

Q: What’s your goal in music

Sam: urm, not happy with that question.
Eero: To make love with the music.
David: To find a personal voice and express myself honestly.

Q: How did you end up playing together?

David: There was no way to avoid playing with each other.
Sam: We seriously dig each other, like seriously. We’re diggin each other and there’s a lot of love between us so that’s why we play with each other.
Eero: Seriously like with a big S.

Q: If you could take only three items with you to a desert island, what would that be?

Sam: I’d take a tool, something useful like a sharp knife. I’d take a sharp knife. (thinking…) I think i would take a frisbee as well, no wait i’d rather take a boomerang. Yep, a boomerang. And infinite supply of pen and paper.
Eero: I would take a big barrel of rum, a pirate instrument, a mandolin and a pirate sword, a sapeli (pirate sword in Finnish, yes they do have pirates in Finland).
David: I would take a macbook and my cellphone and my digital camera.

Q: Who’s your all-time favourite idol?
Eero: My old dog, Rekku
David: Henry Miller, I don’t have an idol.
Sam: Anton’s mum.

Q: What’s your weak spot?
Sam: Short girls
David: My left hand
Eero: My eyes

Q: What’s your sweet spot?
Sam: Short girls
David: Swiss milk chocolate
Eero: My ass

Q: What’s your greek spot?
Sam: Yoghurt
David: Turkish yogurth (later changed into Mount Olympus by request)
Eero: Marathon

Q: Will you still be mine when I’m sixty four?
Sam: Yes
David: (no answer)
Eero: (no answer)

Q: Where do you wish to be in twenty years?
Sam: I wish I’ll have more constancy in my life. And more money and short girls.
(extra question just for Sam
Q: Why short girls?
Sam: I was just built that way)
David: somewhere in Europe
Eero: At home with lovely wife and couple of children

Q: Scarlett Johansson or Snow White?
Sam: Snow white
Eero: Scarlett
David: neither nor

HAQ Tour – Birmingham

HAQ on tour in the UK, final night…

Cobweb Collective night @ The Yardbird, Paradise Place, B3 3HJ

9pm, Free entry

www.cobwebcollective.com

HAQ Tour – London

HAQ on tour in the UK

‘Share The Mishmash’ @ The Others, 6-8 Manor Road, Stoke Newington, N16 5SA

8pm, £5/3

Very excited to be sharing the stage with Ruth Goller and Alice Grant’s amazing vocal duo “Normal Gimbel” – so get down early!

Efpi reviews by The Jazz Mann

Ian Mann (aka the Jazz Mann) has taken a listen to both the HAQ and Beats & Pieces EPs for his excellent blog, also entitled The Jazz Mann. The site is a great resource for reviews of CDs and gigs, as well as a comprehensive news and listings section – check it out!

Of HAQ’s EP. 1, Ian writes (full review here):

Promising, largely improvised contemporary music… squalling tenor, muscular guitar chording and abandoned drumming.

and of the Beats & Pieces EP (full review here):

Beats & Pieces is no polite youth jazz orchestra and this EP is an invigorating and often surprising listen… packed as it is with youthful exuberance, fiery playing and a high degree of technical skill.

Perhaps my favourite passage from either of the reviews is the following taken from the Beats & Pieces review:

It comes packaged in a cool, handmade cardboard sleeve made entirely from recycled materials. The packaging is significant, it emphasises the DIY, almost punk, ethos of the project and the fiery nature of much of the playing reflects that.

Punk, like it! Cheers Ian! And don’t forget to check out the site at www.thejazzmann.com