Home » Jazz News » Recording

Andreas Kapsalis Goran Ivanovic Guitar Duo Release "Blackmail"

Source:

Sign in to view read count
The Andreas Kapsalis Goran Ivanovic Guitar Duo has recently released Blackmail, their first studio record since their 2009 self-titled debut. Greek-American ten finger guitarist Andreas Kapsalis and Serbian-American nylon string classical guitarist Goran Ivanovic continue to experiment with the boundaries of jazz and classical guitar music, mixing in accents they picked up touring the world over the last four years. An intriguing album of eleven new acoustic guitar compositions, Blackmail is an unguarded moment of self-expression for the prodigious Chicago-based guitar duo.

Recorded over the course of four days at Chicago's The Drake studio, Blackmail takes its name from the 1929 Alfred Hitchcock film, which Kapsalis and Ivanovic imagined themselves scoring. Indeed all the songs on Blackmail share a dramatic quality, complete with plot twists, rising action, climax and resolution. Tellingly, when asked about their influences, both Kapsalis and Ivanovic name artists working in mediums other than music, from filmmakers to novelists. To hear Kapsalis tell it, storytelling is not just the duo's inspiration, it's also their goal.

“We're basically composing works inspired by films, books, folklore, myths and even realities," says the self-taught Kapsalis. “We approach composing with the mentality that we're here to tell a story, albeit with guitars."

“Many of the songs on Blackmail are fast, furious, dramatic, chaotic compositions, full of tempo changes, highs and lows," explains Ivanovic, who studied classical guitar at the Mozarteum University of Salzburg. “To us, they explore a lot of mysterious moods and feelings."

Blackmail is also in part informed by the duo's travels and relentless concert tour schedule. Over the last four years, Kapsalis and Ivanovic's touring has taken the pair to India, Spain, Poland, Germany, Canada and France, as well as across the United States. The Duo, already inspired by a hodgepodge of musical styles including Greek, Arabic, Spanish, Gypsy, Flamenco and Balkan folk traditions, expanded their sphere of influence to include new discoveries like Brazilian Choro. The result is eleven new songs full of complex rhythmic variations, with the Duo's virtuosity on full display.

Visit Website | Purchase

For more information contact .

Comments

Tags

News

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.