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In March this year Danish drummer, Lasse Schjerning released his new and ambitious debut EP titled “Lasse Schjerning Meets Pedro Martins & Frederico Heliodoro”. The music has been described as unique Nordic elegance, simplicity and minimalism in symbiosis with Brazilian romance, passion and saudade.
On this recording the trio explores the sonic universe between two cultures while at the same time showing great respect and passion for the music’s honesty. This intriguing cross border encounter is the culmination on an intense and stimulating musical stay in Berlin, where the trio met in the spring of 2018. The three quickly found a connection and a mutual curiosity for the deeper layers in the music.
It is precisely this curiosity and high level of ambition that has driven the young and forward-looking drummer Lasse Schjerning since he first grabbed the sticks at a young age. The two Brazilian musicians in this project, Pedro Martins and Frederico Heliodoro, considering their young age, have already notched up an impressive list of credits and are regular members in bands, with musicians such as Kurt Rosenwinkel, David Binney and KNOWER.
When speaking of the album, Lasse stated “Pedro and Frederico have always been two of my favourite musicians and composers in the world and they have formed me musically and compositionally. Writing songs with them in mind is so motivating, inspiring and above all, a constant learning process.”
Throughout the album, the three musicians weave seamlessly through the material showing great virtuosity yet always tasteful. Both Pedro Martins and Frederico Heliodoro play superbly on this album displaying an amazing sense of musical maturity for players so young. Schjerning’s contribution strikes exactly the right balance providing a strong basis for Martins and Heliodoro to explore and at times stepping to the forefront to drive the music in unexpected directions.
The trio recorded the debut EP in Copenhagen as the culmination of a two-week tour in March 2019. Culled from ten originals, written for this exact group, the album presents two originals by Lasse Schjerning, one by Frederico Heliodoro and one written by Brazilian guitarist and composer, Daniel Santiago.
In summing up Lasse stated, “The process of making this music and EP is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever been a part of. I hope the listener can hear the honesty, the growing friendship and the pure joy that we experienced making this music.”
I could not agree more with the last sentence above, from this listeners perspective the comradery and honesty is present in every note. I highly recommend this album.
The album is now available on all digital platforms with an exclusive Japanese CD release on Mocloud Records scheduled for July 2020.
Line-Up:
Lasse Schjerning: drums, voice | Pedro Martins: guitar, voice | Frederico Heliodoro: bass, voice.
Track Listing:
1. Intro | 2. The Upbeat Song | 3. Interlude #1 | 4. Ballade | 5. Terra Molhada (Daniel Santiago) | 6. Interlude #2 | 7. Savassi Futuro #2 (Frederico Heliodoro) | 8. Running time: 34:44
All compositions by Lasse Schjerning except where noted.
Release Date: 12 March 2020
Format: Digital
Label: Self Release
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Last modified: June 19, 2020
