TIT (Total Improvisation Troop) was conceived in 2011 as a transmutable ensemble, a “live” laboratory involving sound art, electronics, traditional acoustic jazz set-ups and world instruments. The TIT itself is a modular structure for freedom, its various incarnations celebrate the breach of stylistic borders through a variety of strategies which can be followed or ignored. The focus in this project is improvisation but with a perspective broad enough to encompass ”energy” playing and” textural” playing. The excerpts featured in this CD were compiled from three different live performances, namely MAN OF WAR, TITANIUM ALLOY and TIT IS A BIRD.
.
.
MAN OF WAR
First set of a live performance at La Sala Rossa, Montreal, December 28 2012
1. MAN OF WAR 33:33
TITANIUM ALLOY
Three excerpts from a live performance at La Brique, Montreal, July 13 2013
2. TITANIUM 6:43
3. LACEMAKERS OF BEDLAM 4:16
4. SALMAGUNDI 4:51
TIT IS A BIRD
Two excerpts from a live performance at La Brique, Montreal, March 2 2013
5. CLOTHESLINE 3:51
6. BIRD’S-EYE VIEW 5:52
TOTAL TIME: 59:07
CATALOGUE #: atrito-afeito 003
ARTITS: TOTAL IMPROVISATION TROOP
Karoline Leblanc – piano, synthesizer, gongs, hair clipper, shakers & flexatone
Donna Blicharz – cookie tin & electronics
Marc Gaetani – bass clarinet, jaw harp & toys
Xarah Dion – synthesizer
Vergil Sharkya’ – synthesizer
Lawrence Joseph – electric guitar & home made electronics (theremin, crackle box, FM synth & wave oscillator)
David Dugas Dion – electric guitar & electronics
Alex Pelchat – electric guitar & electronics
Alexandre Corbeil – electric guitar & electronics
Slava Egorov – bamboo flute, autonomous singing bowl system & home made electric lyre (RAMA)
Paul Serralheiro – trumpet & trombone
Geneviève Gauthier – alto saxophone
James Annett – viola & modified bulbul tarang
Stéphane Diamantakiou – double bass
Peter Burton – double bass
Paulo J Ferreira Lopes – drums
TITLE: MAN OF WAR
FORMAT: CD-R
CARDBOARD SLEEVE
STAMPED DISC
LIMITED EDITION OF 100
RECORDED: Montreal 2012 & 2013
RELEASE DATE: September 19 2014
.
.
mink monk pink punk (USA)
September 2015 by Josh Ronsen
Total Improvisation Troop – Man of War
This is an absolutely stunning large ensemble from Montreal, featuring some fourteen creative musicians I have never heard of, most of them playing multiple instruments, acoustic and electric, and some, Slava Egorov and James Annett, playing “home made electric lyre” and “modified bulbul tarang.” Trombones, double basses, pianos are no less welcome. All live hometown performances, the six tracks span from the jungle-like calls and textures of “Salmagundi” to the thirty minute title track, spreading tentacles of energy in eight different directions. Parts of this sound like they were lifted from a 1972 ESP LP, just wonderfully eclectic and impressive. Drummer Paulo J Ferreira Lopes and keyboardist/percussionist/etc. Karoline Leblanc may be the leaders, or at least organizers of the group. The music sounds egalitarian, everyone working to make everything as interesting as possible.
.
le son du grisli (France)
Avril 2015 par Luc Bouquet
Troupe d’Improvisation Totale – Man of War
Tout est dans le libellé : TIT (Total Improvisation Troop ou Troupe d’Improvisation Totale). Réunis autour de la pianiste Karoline Leblanc, une quinzaine de musiciens improvisateurs affrontent la matière. Toutes et tous accrochés à une horizontalité anxiogène, ils ne vont que rarement instruire le crescendo mais plutôt entretenir une couleur avant de lui dessiner de fines nuances.
Man of War est le premier set d’un concert donné à la Sala Rossa de Montréal en décembre 2012. La matière est solide et ne verse pas dans la surenchère. Une trompette (Paul Serralheiro) s’affranchit du territoire puis laisse les guitares (Alex Pelchat, David Dugas Dion, Alexandre Corbeil) envahir le cercle. Après une (re)tombée en silence, l’improvisation retrouve l’angoisse originelle, les miaulements d’un saxophone lointain (Geneviève Gauthier) attisant quelques frayeurs bien (re)senties. Plongées ligetiennes et saillies métalliques seront convoquées le temps de courts extraits de deux concerts donnés quelques mois plus tard à la Brique, toujours à Montréal. A suivre, me semble-t-il…
.
Revue & Corrigée (France)
Mars 2015 par Cyrille Lanöe
Troupe d’Improvisation Totale – Man of War
Le label montréalais Atrito-Afeito augmente la cadence et sort son troisième disque. Après deux soli ou presque par Paulo J Ferreira Lopes et Karoline Leblanc, c’est ensemble qu’ils créent une Troupe d’Improvisation Totale en 2011. A leur initiative, ils ont monté ce projet de seize musiciens d’horizons aussi variés que l’électroacoustique, l’électronique et le free-jazz. Dans cette impression de retour à la pratique en ensemble (mon dernier exemple en tête est le Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit), nous assistons à un bel exemple de cette approche du matériau, d’approche de la verticalité sonore en groupe, mêlant leurs horizons dans une balade sonore douce comme sait le faire le trombone sur cette très longue belle première pièce, « Man of War », de plus de trente minutes. Ce qui laisse alors une petite demie heure aux deux autres pièces, « Titanum alloy » et « Tit is a bird ». L’oiseau est d’ailleurs une belle image à cette balade sonore dont je parlais. C’est assez aérien effectivement. On retrouve cette fraîcheur d’un autre endroit montréalais de pratique collective, mais dans un esprit plus rock, La Casa del Popolo. En premier lieu dans un esprit plus jazz. Dans un second temps sur des nappes électroniques minimales, puis sur des boucles électroacoustiques proches d’un autre ensemble, le Mimeo, pour terminer sur une note plus contemporaine, plus tonale.
La dernière pièce laisse parler les cordes sur « Clothesline ». Un très beau moment acoustique attrayant. Tout comme sa collègue « Bird’s eye view », qui clôture la chose dans une improvisation libre hypnotique. Je risque de me répéter mais il se passe des choses intéressantes sur ce label, encore une fois.
.
The Sound Projector (UK)
March 12 2015 by Ian Sherred
Total Improvisation Troop – Man of War
Man of War from the Total Improvisation Troop, who aren’t afraid to use the acronym TIT. Rightly so. After all, as one section of this CD informs us, “Tit Is A Bird”, and much of this music sounds like the contact calls of an amorphous, roving flock, although not one containing any birds you’re likely to see at your peanut feeder. TIT can also stand for “Titanium Alloy”, which is the other pole of the group’s sound – metallic, clangorous, vaguely sinister.
Man of War comprises six tracks taken from live performances across various venues during 2012/2013. The title track is 33 minutes long, and is surprisingly delicate and diffuse given its martial name, almost fading away to silence at one point. The following three tracks are the “Titanium Alloy” selection, including ‘Lacemakers in Bedlam’, which should give you an idea of the sound, if you bear in mind that the lace is being made with metal wire. Finally, we have the “Tit Is A Bird” section, two tracks which lie somewhere in the middle of the TIT spectrum.
The recording features 16 musicians overall, playing everything from electric guitar, trumpet and trombone to hair clippers and cookie tins, all wrapped up with lots of electronics. The nucleus of the group seems to be Karoline Leblanc (synthesizers, gongs) and Paulo J. Ferreira Lopes (drums), but this really is an ensemble piece. Everybody joins in, everybody is given space to play, nobody grandstands or shows off.
Clearly, there are some good nights out to be had in Montreal for anyone who enjoys free improvisation. Encouraging evidence of a vibrant and healthy scene.
.
Kathodik (Italy)
February 22 2015 by Marco Carcasi
Total Improvisation Troop – Man of War
Concepito nel 2011, il TIT (Total Improvisation Troop) è ampio laboratorio strumentale dedito alla ricerca elettroacustica/impro jazz.
“Man Of War” raccoglie sei tracce estratte da tre live tenuti in quel di Montreal.
Belle ammucchiate umane dove tutto par sufficientemente sotto controllo.
Nessun accatastamento (casuale/scriteriato).
Materiali acustici lasciati fluir liberamente, qualche scontro inevitabile, ampie zone di non distensiva riflessione.
Brandelli di tradizione jazz, innestati su azioni collettive di raschiante concretezza, tra pigolamenti e traforazioni assortite.
Moduli espressivi ad incastro e contaminazione rugginosa fra generi.
Tira una bell’aria in quel di Montreal.
Daje!
.
Decoder Magazine (USA)
January 20 2015 by Bryon Hayes
Total Improvisation Troop – Man of War
In the late 1960s, a number of pioneering ensembles sprouted up in England, focused around the notion of free improvisation. AMM and the Spontaneous Music Ensemble are probably the most notable, yet it was the less conspicuous People Band that really took to the idea of total freedom in music, and pushed even that notion to its extreme. Always changing and growing, blurring the boundaries of what “instruments” and “audience members” were, this cabal of merry maniacs has almost been forgotten. A couple CDs available from the Emanem label are all that remains of the group’s recorded output, although they still perform to this day.
The Montreal-based Total Improvisation Troop takes the torch from that enigmatic English ensemble and reinvigorates it with a modern sensibility. Incorporating electronics, toys and traditional instruments from both the jazz idiom and other cultures, this gang – whose membership is malleable but is centred around multi-instrumentalist Karoline Leblanc – really engages with the spirit of total musical freedom. Man of War documents three of the Troop’s performances from around Montreal between 2012 and 2013. The title track is a lengthy set of fiery free jazz banged out by a dozen skilled improvisors. The three-part “Titanium Alloy” is a bleary-eyed, gelatinous noise-scape that swells with electronic glee. Somewhere in between these two extremes lies “Tit is a Bird,” in which the group attempt to recreate a horror film soundtrack from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. This really is essential listening…
TIT IS A BIRD Photo: Ghada Belhadj
.
atrito-afeito 