Tiago Sousa & João Correia – Insónia

Press material

• Conch 005 – release sheet (PDF)
• Conch 005 – release sheet (TXT)
• Conch 005 – cover front (TIF, CMYK, 300dpi)
• Conch 005 – cover back (TIF, CMYK, 300dpi)
• Conch 005 – cover front (JPG, RGB, 72dpi)
• Conch 005 – cover back (JPG, RGB, 72dpi)

boomkat.com
Another one of those incredible records that appears out of nowhere and absolutely floors us – housed in a sublime vinyl edition printed up in an extremely limited run – fans of Nils Frahm, Peter Broderick, Rachels, Max Richter or The Necks – DO NOT MISS!!!!! The Humming Conch label introduced itself earlier this year with the wonderful Celer release Capri and now continues to impress and raise its stock with this new limited edition vinyl pressing from the mysterious Tiago Sousa, who teams up with drummer (and co-producer) João Correia and clarinetist Ricardo Ribeiro. Sousa assumes the lead roles: he’s the composer, guitarist, organist and pianist, fashioning a delicate and utterly sublime sequence of instrumentals, each captured via recordings made “in a small bedroom at Barreiro”and mastered by none other than 12k’s Taylor Deupree. Insónia is Sousa’s fourth record and draws upon his accumulated knowledge of classical, experimental and popular forms, all blended into a single suite of compositions. ‘Movimento’ opens the album exchanging forlorn sounding piano motifs with downbeat strung guitar passages that will leave you gasping for breath The latter half of the A-side is especially strong, drawing to a close with unaccompanied recordings ‘Reflexo’ and ‘Insónia’. The title track in particular is just exceptionally beautiful, a piano solo that might be the most accomplished, well-made piece of its kind since Gonzales turned his hand to the format five years ago. You can hear the influence of Satie, or even Chopin’s Nocturnes at work here, and Sousa’s poised, expressive performance is quite magical. Insonia feels more modern, and somehow, more mature than the main thread of classical-styled records that have come our way this year. It’s all too easy for countless Max Richter-ites to assume the language of classical music – to dress themselves up in its vestiges – without actually engaging with its disciplines and heritage on a level that goes beyond the surface, but Sousa and his cohorts never try to be anything they’re not and instead revel in the strange fusion of influences that produced this record. Illustrating this is the switch between ‘Insónia’, a very restrained composition that’s very much in the romantic classical idiom, and ‘Folha Caduca’, which paints an entirely different picture, creating something thats lodged between the supreme post-rock styled eloquence of Rachel’s and the avant-jazz experiments of The Necks. ‘Surrealismo Impressionista’ reaches even further out towards the margins with organ and clarinet drones, toying with suspenseful mimimalism while the piano’s mournful, emotive qualities continue to draw your ear. There are only a very small number of this amazing record pressed up for the world, we urge you to grab one while it’s still in circulation. A must.

Disco Digital
O currículo rock`n`roll de Tiago Sousa não faria adivinhar tão bela «Insónia» instrumental.

Agitador musical da Grande Lisboa desde há alguns anos, Tiago Sousa foi, por exemplo, o responsável pela netlabel Merzbau. Esteve nos Goodbye Toulouse e nos Jesus The Misunderstood e ainda por domínios rock`n`roll é um dos responsáveis pelo festival Barreiro Rocks, cidade onde habitou durante algumas temporadas.

Mas o currículo deste filho de 83 engana quem for ouvir «Insónia», disco com existência exclusiva em vinil. Rock`n`roll? Nem vê-lo. Guitarras? Guardadas a um canto. É a memória de compositores como Debussy, Chopin ou Ravel que abre o caminho para uma das mais belas obras de final de ano. Sem o apelido «nacional».

«Insónia» é todo ele simplicidade e, aparentemente, tranquilidade, mas há um domínio de inquietação na personalidade de Tiago Sousa que o leva a arriscar em território bem mais erudito do que aquele que alguma vez havia revelado.E já com uma considerável capacidade técnica ao piano.

Posto isto, convém explicar que Tiago Sousa não é Maria João Pires porque a memória de outras vidas não foi apagada. A leitura não é óbvia mas a sofisticação vem não só de autores contemporâneos como Erik Satie como da proximidade com outros universos. Contudo, melhor que explicar é ouvir. De preferência em silêncio.

diário de notícias
Eis mais um interessante exemplo de cruzamento de linguagens e, mais que tudo, vivências. Tiago Sousa ( que assina as composições) começou pelo piano, descobrindo cedo um interesse quer pela música de Chopin quer pelas obras dos impressionistas. Insónia é um disco que, com as características de um auto-retrato, nos dá conta de como essas memórias antigas retomaram protagonismo na procura de uma identidade que assim se nos revela ainda em construção, sem polimento, crua e honesta. Acompanhado por João Correia (percussão) e Ricardo Ribeiro (clarinete), Tiago vive acima das fronteiras dos géneros, traçando um mundo seu onde as heranças “clássicas” partilham espaço com ideias que escutou noutras vivências mais próximas do underground nas perfierias da cultura pop/rock. Assim entende uma música que ora ecoa a Satie ou Debussy, ora sublinha marcas do tempo que vivemos. E que, acima de tudo, tenta expressar tão fiel quanto possível que músico é este e o que procura. com edição em vinil, Insónia não é o destino final, mas um caminho. Mantenhamo-nos acordados para o acompanhar.

ípsilon
Ao longo do seu percurso Tiago Sousa tem dado mostras de não se reger por convenções estilísticas. À frente da editora Merzbau impulsionou projectos portugueses tão diferentes como Noiserv, B Fachada, Lobster ou Frango, oriundos de fações como a pop, o
rock ruidoso ou o experimentalismo. Mas mesmo sabendo-se isso, “Insónia”, o seu terceiro álbum, lançado na editora alemã Humming Conch, acaba por surpreender.
Possui o tipo de espontaneidade que encontramos nas primeiras obras, apesar de já ser o seu terceiro
disco. Não é álbum facilmente categorizável. São sete peças instrumentais impressionistas, construídas maioritariamente por Tiago Sousa a partir do piano (toca também guitarra acústica e órgão), rodeado ocasionalmente pelos discretos, mas influentes, apontamentos percussivos de João Correia e pelo clarinete de Ricardo Ribeiro.
Há alusões à música clássica contemporânea, ao jazz, ou mais remotamente, a formatos pop mais livres, mas o que sobressai no conjunto, independentemente das escolas onde se inspira é o apuro formal na construção dos ambientes nocturnos e o libertar de
melodias emocionantes tocadas com enorme simplicidade.
É música de respiração interior, mas que não se fecha na sua redoma, procurando o espaço de partilha. Às vezes parece que Tiago acaricia as notas, espaçadamente, aspirando o silêncio, desenhando-o plasticamente como em “Movimento”, “Pêndulo”, ou “Insónia”.
em “Folha Caduca”, “Passos” ou “Surrealismo Impressionista” há mais laboratório, desejo de experiência, sem nunca serem abandonadas as sequências harmónicas, os contrapontos melódicos, um rasto de formas fluidas e de sons crepitando e projectando uma geografia intima onde apetece permanecer.

flur.pt
Tiago Sousa não deveria ser um nome estranho. Esteve à frente da mui nobre editora Merzbau, que editou em formato físico e digital nomes tão diversos como B Fachada, Frango e Lobster e, como músico foi fundador dos Goodbye Toulouse, tocou com os Jesus The Misunderstood, mas tem-se destacado mais a solo, no seu piano, onde compõe peças intimistas que tanto tocam no universo de Rachels, Max Richter ou Sylvain Chauveau, como desvendam influências de Chopin e Satie. “Insónia” é o seu quarto álbum a solo, aqui ajudado por João Correia (percussão) e Ricardo Ribeiro (clarinete). São peças que expiram liberdade, bem trabalhadas, que gerem bem o seu tempo e espaço, aprofundam o ambiente intimista que criam, não deixando essa sugestão meramente ao acaso. É música onde apetece estar, habitar, e voltar a ela como se fosse uma primeira vez. A edição da Humming Conch é muito limitada. A capa é ilustrada pelo nosso Pedro Lourenço.

bodyspace.net
Declarado o fim da Merzbau, talvez a mais importante netlabel portuguesa da década, Tiago Sousa dedica agora a sua concentração exclusiva à carreira a solo. E faz ele muito bem, uma vez que os discos Crepúsculo e The Western Lands indiciavam já um potencial imenso. Este álbum é a afirmação definitiva de um músico na verdadeira acepção da palavra – multi-instrumentista, com uma rara sensibilidade que atravessa estilos. O piano é o coração deste disco, é a partir do piano que se desenvolve uma poderosa força emotiva, explorada de forma obsessiva em sete temas/movimentos. Sobre Insónia paira um conjunto de referências, especialmente da música clássica/contemporânea do século XX, do minimalismo embrionário de Erik Satie até aos momentos mais claros de modernidade (ecos de Philip Glass, Michael Nyman e Terry Reily), incorporando também vestígios de jazz contemporâneo controlado. Embalado nestas coordenadas Insónia encerra uma dimensão épica.

textura
On occasion I’ll familiarize myself with a new recording by playing it the first few times while reading the newspaper or some such thing—the idea being that the material will seep into consciousness subliminally before being given the fullest attention when being reviewed. At such times, I’m sometimes startled to hear the beauty of a particular piece assert itself, and that’s precisely the reaction I had when, giving Insónia my fullest attention, I heard its title track as if for the first time. Pianist Tiago Sousa (the founder of the now-defunct, Portugal-based netlabel Merzbau) gives the melancholy piece a stark and dramatic reading whose beauty sneaks up on you. It’s hardly the only memorable moment on the recording: “Reflexo” also stands out as a brooding, emotionally-charged exploration, as do “Pêndulo,” which Sousa augments with sprinkles of João Correia’s percussive accompaniment, and “Passos,” an elegant and impressionistic nocturne.

Though much of Insónia, Tiago’s fourth record, features ruminative piano-based settings, often reminiscent of Satie in their simplicity and lyricism and of Debussy in their impressionistic meander, other tracks include contributions from Correia and clarinetist Ricardo Ribeiro (“Movimento” features both piano and classical acoustic guitar playing by Sousa). It’s an album of varying moods—wistful and melancholy one moment, aggressive and turbulent the next—that was recorded in a small bedroom at Barreiro; consequently, one sometimes hears faint traces of human activity alongside the material proper. Ribeiro adds multi-tracked clarinet playing to “Folha Caduca,” which in turn adds a jazzy dimension to the recording, while “Surrealismo Impressionista,” more psychedelic than impressionistic, exudes the flavour of a Dionysian fever dream, with clarinet, organ, and percussion simulating the dizzying movements of a whirling dervish during its ten-minute running time. It’s not hard to understand how one could overlook the recording’s charms as it’s not the kind of material that shouts from the rooftops. Though its tasteful piano-and-drums settings are understated creations, a close listen reveals it to be music of high calibre indeed and certainly worthy of one’s attention.

Blow Up magazine (Nicola Catalano)
Figura attivissima nella scena underground portoghese, fondatore della netlabel Merzbau e già titolare di tre dischi solisti alla verde età di ventisei anni, Tiago Sousa licenzia il suo nuovo album per la tedesca Humming Conch, stavolta coadiuvato dal batterista João Correia e dal clarinettista Ricardo Ribeiro. Con loro disegna tessiture fragili e un po’ languide, lui saldamente ancorato al pianoforte (più organi e chitarre), introverse partiture classicheggianti cui ancora difetta una spiccata personalità. È giovane e si faràŠ (6)

EARlabs (Sietse van Erve)
A modern take on the classical piano music by composers such as Erik Satie. Minimal in approach but combined with free drums and other experiments.

The album Insónia is credited to two musicians being Tiago Sousa & João Correia from Portugal, though the music is compossed by Tiago Sousa and he got helped by João Correia on the parts of drums. On the disc I have here are seven pieces of music in written in a traditional classical way for guitar, piano, organ but spiced up with drums. Sousa’s interest for the music written by Erik Satie and Claude Debussy is a given fact and while listening to the music this is directly clear. Minimal, though melodic pieces of piano music appear on this album. An intimate feeling is created. But the music does not always stick to this, for example in the first piece Movimento the first minutes we hear a soft piano piece, which turns into an acoustic guitar piece with a big influence from Robbie Basho’s folk style. And when we near the end things get nasty. The acoustic guitar is detuned and a dissonant simple melody is filled in with a haunting organ and minimal drums. The first time you hear this it is quite annoying how the dissonant tones float, but it is clear this has been done on purpose. Finally things turn into a soft ending. Through out the album similar pieces return, but always with a different twist to it. Sousa really distinguishes from other musicians in the same field due to the drums in the music. It puts the accents at exactly the right pieces. Specially in the parts where they go free. For example in the piece Folha Caduca the tension is accented a lot by the drums. And when near the end also the clarinet is added a very special atmosphere is set. Some of the themes return with small changes, making the album sound as a whole. And always the influence from Satie in mind.

Tiago Sousa managed to make a good album which easily could fit in the (modern) classical music collection, but with the same ease wouldn’t be misplace in the ambient or jazz world. I limited vinyl release, which comes with a recommendation. Just waiting for a bigger breakthrough… (8)

Cyclic Defrost (Joshua Meggitt)
Strange contrasts abound on this recording by Portugese pianist and composer Tiago Sousa, founder of the now-defunct Merzbau label, and drummer Joao Correira. Mastered by digital perfectionist Taylor Deupree, ‘Insonia’ nonetheless retains a slapdash bedroom aesthetic, and the music itself veers from jangly post-rock through wispy neo-classical and even flamenco, without raising too many eyebrows. Correira favours a rattly pots and pans approach; Sousa also plays guitar and organ, and they’re joined on a few tracks by Ricardo Ribeiro on clarinet.

This range of styles is apparent on opening ‘Movimento’, as Sousa moves from patient block chords on piano then onto Spanish guitar flurries, before the drums start kicking us into Chicago territory. ‘Pendulo’ explores pretty melodic phrases reminiscent of Sakamoto’s vision of Satie, while ‘Foula Cadouca’ interrupts the introductory hymn-like dirge with pacy Middle Eastern clarinet runs. The rich organ throb which underlies final ‘Surrealismo Impressionista’ is particularly efffective, with the wind trio lazily improvising over the top like an amateur version of The Necks. Here, Sousa and Correira’s restless approach shows promise, but it generally proves frustrating, it being difficult to catch their fleeting, or fleet-footed, ideas.

The Silent Ballet (Andrew Whitaker)
Portuguese composer Tiago Sousa is perhaps better known as the founder and editor of Merzbau (a pioneering net label), which closed down last year. While losing a forward-thinking music outlet is certainly lamentable, if it allows Sousa to focus on his solo recording it may very well be a blessing in disguise. Insonia, Sousa’s fourth outing, is a record of simple elegance and romantic melancholy derived almost entirely from piano, presented as a limited CD release from the Berlin-based Humming Conch.

The opening track, “Moviemento,” sets the emotional tone for the majority of the album with poignant piano lines gently ascending and descending, punctuated by the spectral percussion of co-producer Joao Correia. The piano gives way to a solo guitar melody that transforms into a bossa nova dronescape of contrasting organ and guitar over a hesitant 6/4 rhythm, before resolving back into the solo guitar melody. This blend of emotive ambience spiced with tight band-oriented movements creates Insonia’s strongest moments, wherein Sousa’s compositional restraint is highlighted by brief snapshots of possible complexity.

This is not to say anything is lacking from the album’s more subdued songs, as the solo piano pieces are often the most expressive. The titular fourth track, for example, provides more narrative in six-plus minutes of instrumental meandering than all but the best lyrists can supply within traditional storytelling. The vast open space of this and similar tracks provide fertile ground for soundtracks, and at times it brings to mind some yet-to-be-made Michel Gondry or Charlie Kaufman flick. As pleasant as these dreamy numbers are, it is on songs like “Folha Caduca,” where Sousa’s piano is complimented by Correia’s impressionistic kit work and Ricardo Ribeiro’s clarinet, that the album realizes its greatest potential.

The album’s only weakness is the sense that it goes to the same place too often, particularly on nebulous tracks like “Reflexo” and “Surrealismo Impressionista.” Sousa’s piano and organ playing on these two tracks is lovely but lacks the conceptual direction of “Moviemento” or “Folha Caduca.” It is difficult to imagine a way to fix this without sacrificing the limited sound pallet and long rests that define Insonia. However, without its threnodial characteristics, the album’s more fleshed out and energetic movements might be less impactful. Perhaps by incorporating nominal field recordings or other post production elements, Sousa could broaden the spectrum of textures while preserving his ethereal architecture.

With Insonia, Tiago Sousa cements his place as one of the most distinct voices to emerge out of the current wellspring of piano driven minimalism. Listening to the album, I recalled a quote from a late 60′s Miles Davis interview in which Davis said something along the lines of: “Music is not about the notes you are playing, it’s about the silence in-between those notes.” That statement seems particularly accurate when discussing minimalist composers like Tiago Sousa, who appear to be more interested in constructing moods and atmospheres then in flaunting their virtuosity. As great background music that periodically demands the listener’s full attention, Insonia is an intriguing blend of contradictions. It is both ambient and epic, simultaneously compressed and expansive, with its divergent themes unified by a consistent emotional resonance of blissful heartache that never descends into melodrama. This is highly recommended for any fan of contemporary classical or avant jazz, and a great introduction for folks who have yet to explore these styles of music. (7,5/10)