groupes

GROUPES ACTUELS

WINDS DOORS POPLARS

Rodolphe Alexis_diffusion électroacoutique, field recording & Stéphane Rives_saxophone soprano

Le projet compositionnel expérimental Winds Doors Poplars consiste en l’interpénétration des modes de jeux et des mises en espaces ; en la rencontre du support fixé avec le jeu instrumental, de l’acoustique avec la projection quadriphonique.

« Deux univers sonores sans lien direct à l’origine, deux situations différentes qui (…) questionnent l’écoute et le hasard. Une approche aussi du placement de l’instrument dans une forme de paysage. Intriguant et jubilatoire ! Recommandé » -Metamkine-

Winds Doors Poplars - Rodolphe Alexis & Stéphane Rives ℗ 2014 Herbal International 1401 - Herbal

2019 Séminaire de Yann Toma et François Noudelmann - La Sorbonne (Paris)

2016 Instants Chavirés (Montreuil)

2016 Université de Rennes (France)

2016 Atelier MURR (Paris)

2016 Apo33 - Erase-N+ (Nantes)

2015 Le Lieu Multiple, Planetarium (Poitiers)

THE IMAGINARY SOUNDSCAPES

Le duo est né à Beyrouth en mai 2010.

Stéphane Rives & Frédéric Nogray_ sonographies et oscillateurs Dark Energy II mis en feedback

The Imaginary Soundscapes puise son inspiration dans ses escales beyrouthines. La musique découle d’une certaine relation à l’espace, à l’acoustique de cette ville chargée d’histoire, et d’un rapport au temps qui lui est propre. Le Liban est un territoire en changement, fait de multiples bouleversements, et en renouvellement permanent. Les compositions n’ont pas vocation à documenter l’environnement sonore de Beyrouth mais traduisent le vécu d’expériences intimes issues de la rencontre avec cette géographie affective qui pousse à une nouvelle évaluation des aspirations individuelles. La métamorphose opère dans la réécriture vers l’abstrait des matériaux émergeant d’un chaos quotidien avec lequel il est nécessaire de pactiser.

"field factory" - The imaginary soundscapes ℗ 2014 Taalem alm101 - Taalem

A way out by knowing smile - The imaginary soundscapes ℗ 2011 - Ruptured

2015 LIVE sur Radio Libertaire - émission EPSILONIA

2014 Le Placard Festival pour casque (Paris

2014 Entrelacs Verts - Ackenbush (Malakoff)

2011 Beirut Art Center - Beyrouth (Liban

2010 Walimat - Beyrouth (Liban)

The Imaginary Soundscapes Facebook fan page :

The Imaginary Soundscapes Soundcloud :

UNDER THE CARPET

The band is a musical trio based in Beirut, formed in 2011 by Swiss musician Paed Conca, French musician Stéphane Rives, and Lebanese musician Fadi Tabbal.

Under The Carpet was formed with the specific intention of creating a musical form that would consist of a meeting between their different styles, a merging and collision of music genres, a certain idea of improvised pop music. At the essence of Under The Carpet is the idea of melody, of a defined melodic line, upon which the three musicians are free to improvise at will, yet always returning to this initial melodic idea, building upon it, enriching it with successive layers of sound, transforming it into one or a series of compositions.

The initial starting point is a ‘pop’ idea, slowly but surely deconstructed, abstracted, in order to be rebuilt along lines of playing and communication that befit the three musicians’ specific idioms. Tabbal utilizes the electric guitar as his main instrument, and uses it along a decidedly ‘western’ approach, favoring blues and rock-derived inflections. He also relies on an iPad to create layers of rhythm and electronic percussion. Rives is an astonishingly skilled saxophone player, and relies on various sounds coaxed from his instrument and transformed electronically through his laptop. Conca uses both an electric bass and a clarinet to enrich Under The Carpet’s tapestry. His bottom-heavy lines and considerable experience provide impetus and direction to the music, driving it forward with ease and momentum, reminiscent at times of his fine work with Praed, his duo with Lebanese acoustic bass player Raed Yassin.

While the music created by Under The Carpet hints at different musical traditions, owing as much to western rock forms (Tabbal’s guitar), European improvisation (Rives’s treated saxophone and electronics) and experimentation (Conca’s bass and clarinet-playing), the end result feels cohesive, dynamic, rich in layers and meanings, and overall respectful of its varying origins.

Under The Carpet is an important project, as it bridges the gap between different musical traditions; it puts forward music strategies designed for a modern age of improvisation, informed entirely by pre- existing musical idioms and an overreaching instinct for melody.

Under The Carpet - Paed Conca, Fadi Tabbal & Stéphane Rives - ℗ 2012 Ruptured

2015 ZOOM IN Festival - Bern (Suisse)

2012 Metro Al Madina - Beyrouth (Liban)

2012 Em Chill - Beyrouth (Liban)

2011 Beirut Art Center - Beyrouth (Liban)

Under The Carpet Facebook fan page :

Under The Carpet Soundcoud :

THE INCOMPETENTS

Maya Aghniadis : Drums, Percussion, Backing Vox

Paed Conca : Bass, Percussion

Stephane Rives : Keys, Synthesizers, Soprano Sax

Fadi Tabbal : Guitars, Harmonica, Synthesizers, Beat Machine

Serge Yared : Vocals, Guitars, Keys, Percussion, Xylophone

The Incompetents is a musical project Serge Yared started with Fadi Tabbal (arranger, producer, multi-instrument player) in 2007. It came to life almost by accident in November of that Year. Serge was singing with his distinctive out-of-tune voice at Fadi’s Tunefork Recording Studio when Tabbal suggested recording an alternative folk album where he could handle all the other instruments and help yared arranging the songs he had written so far. One song leading to another they ended making what many consider to be one of Beirut’s music U.F.O.: “More Songs From The Victorious City” (2008). It was a mixbag of 60’s type of soul ballads (“Bullets Gently Flying Over My Head”) with Captain Beefheart tuneless rants (“Urinal Cannibal Blues Pt. 2”) with an 8 mins closing prog-rock song (“Monster Song”). The band’s visual identity is also very important. They asked artist Alfred Tarazi (from the “Feel Collective”) to be in charge of the artworks. He came up with the mascot monster christened “Roro” and has been producing since, most of the band’s cryptic visuals.

To translate the album visually the album on stage they had to form a band. Abed Kobeissy (bass, guitar, percussion, backing vocals, keyboards, bouzouk etc.) joined them, with Amine Daher (drums) in August 2008. Amine was replaced in 2010 by Marc Codsi (from Lumi and former Scrambled Eggs’ guitar player) and in 2011 by Maya Aghniadis. Stéphane Rives (soprano saxophone, keyboards, synthesizer) joined them in 2010 too. They have been invited to perform in several prestigious venues and festivals in Lebanon such as: BO 18, Basement, Fête de la Musique, Hamra Street Festival, Deir El Qamar Festival, the Beirut Music & Art Festival (BMAF), Wickerpark etc.

Early in 2011 they released an E.P. titled: “I’m Really Important Back Home” (2011). The sound was abrasive, more focused and angrier. The songs were tackling political issues such as youth drunken ironic detachment (“Urinal Cannibal”) or post-revolution disillusionment months before the Arab Spring started (“Red Antarctica”). After the E.P. release, they had another line-up change with the departure of Abed Kobeissy and his replacement on the bass by Paed Conca.

During summer 2011, most of the members were away leaving the band reduced to its core duo: Fadi and Serge. They made a series of semi-acoustic concerts revamping the repertoire and adding a couple of new songs. This set was recorded at Tunefork Recording Studios ad was released in October (“No Applause: Live at Tunefork Recording Studios”). With the band returning they made it a twin project with a second live-in-the-studio album — only this time with the full band (“Honor Your Mistakes As A Hidden Intention” released in 2012).

In December 2012 they released their 3rd studio recording: “Of Narcissism… and Minor Differences”. Five years on since their inception the Incompetents’ recognition is starting to cross their native Lebanon’s borders. The album was distributed by Cargo Records (London), French clip director Henri-Jean Debon (Noir Désir, Asian Dub Foundation, Danielson Family, Louise Attaque etc.) shot the dark “Missing Frequencies /This Gun For Hire” and they were booked to give their first concert abroad in Paris in December 2013 (la Boule Noire).

Of Minor Differences... And Narcissism - The Incompetents ℗ 2012 - The Incompetents

I'm Really Important Back Home - The Incompetents ℗ 2011 - The Incompetents

2016 Yukunkun - Beyrouth (Liban)

2015 Metro Al Madina - Beyrouth (Liban)

2013 La Boule Noire - Rising Beirut (Paris)

2013 Wicker Park Music Festival (Liban)

2013 Yukunkun - Beyrouth (Liban)

2012 Radio Beyrouth (Liban)

2012 Yukunkun - Beyrouth (Liban)

2011 Em Chill - Beyrouth (Liban)

2011 Beirut Art Center - Beyrouth (Liban)

2011 DRM - Beyrouth (Liban)

2011 Fête de la musique Beyrouth (Liban)

2011 Em Chill - Beyrouth (Liban)

2011 Beirut Music and Art Festival (Liban)

2011 The Basement - Beyrouth (Liban)

2010 Em Chill - Beyrouth (Liban)

2010 Demo - Beyrouth (Liban)

The Incompetents Facebook fan page :

The Incompetents site officiel : theincompetents

QUARTET DE SAXOPHONES

Marc Baron : saxophone alto

Bertrand Denzler : saxophone ténor

Jean-Luc Guionnet : saxophone alto

Stéphane Rives : saxophone soprano

Cet ensemble réunit quatre saxophonistes qui ont développé un langage personnel en travaillant sur les registres spécifiques de leurs instruments : registres à la fois inhabituels ou extrêmes, mais aussi registres propre au saxophone dans sa façon de fonctionner : transitoires, régimes de vibration, souffle, etc. Ensemble, ils ouvrent un espace de fréquences et de textures qui n’est pas sans évoquer la musique électronique, tout en conservant le grain des timbres acoustiques. Ils élaborent une pièce musicale en perpétuel devenir, une œuvre unique et multiple qui évolue sur le fil du temps réel à chaque concert. Portée par une pensée collective source de formes, la musique de ce quatuor de saxophones combine l’expérience physique du son que certains compositeurs comme Scelsi ont pu rechercher avec une spéculation propre à la pratique de l’improvisation : influences à fronts renversés … soleils croisés, spéculer sur l’acte dans l’instant tout en cherchant une physicalité de la forme : un monde à l’envers, la réalité d’un spectre.

Créé en en 2002, le quatuor s’est notamment produit dans le cadre de nombreux festivals en France, en Suisse et au Portugal