Esthema
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Interviews
Forum Description: Original interviews with Prog artists (which are exclusive to Prog Archives)
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=70755
Printed Date: December 18 2024 at 03:20
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Esthema
Posted By: toroddfuglesteg
Subject: Esthema
Date Posted: August 28 2010 at 05:38
|
Esthema are a progressive folk band with wide, eclectic influence, including various jazz fusion branches (such is Al DiMeola) to avant moments (fans of John Zorn will recognize them). Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts, the band is compirsed of five members: Andy Milas (guitar), Bruno Esrubilsky (drums), Ignacio Long (bass), Onur Dilisen (violin) and Tery Lemanis (oud/bouzouki). Their folk influences are rooted in Greek/Turkish/Balkan music. Traces of metal and New Age music are also present. I got in touch with them. Andy Milas answered my questions. --------------------------------------------
Your biography has been covered in your
ProgArchives profile so let's bypass this and go straight to the
meat.
Please
give me your (long or brief) thoughts and lowdowns on.......
 Apart From The Rest from 2007 Apart From The Rest
released in July of 2007 came together as all the parts of Esthema
were being put together. I started writing Consequence,
the first piece on the CD with only an idea of what the whole would
be and sound like. I knew I wanted to incorporate all the musical
elements that I enjoyed – progressive rock, jazz, and Greek music.
As the unit came together with Tery Lemanis (oud & bouzouki),
Onur Dilisen (violin), Jack Mason (bass), and Carl Sorensen (drums)
so did the CD. I was writing the pieces and the arrangements came
together as we rehearsed. Once Esthema was whole, I really wanted to
record the CD as soon as possible in order to capture the excitement
of new compositions and arrangements and the exploration of getting
to know one another musically and personally. I think we definitely
captured an unforgettable moment in time.
Since
its release Apart
From The Rest
was voted as one of the Top 25 independent recordings of 2008 at
Indie-Music.com and in 2009 compositions from the CD were chosen and
featured at the critically acclaimed Waterfire Providence in
Providence, Rhode Island. Joel Simches from Boston’s Noise Magazine
stated, “this
recording is nothing less than a true celebration of a number of
different styles of world beat, jazz, rock, ethnic European and
Middle Eastern traditional music” and
John Collinge from Progression Magazine called it “a
seamless blend of Eastern and Western motifs: Ethnic scales and
meters intertwine delightfully with jazz-rock drums and bass beneath
jazzy improv and winding melodies.”
 The
Hereness and Nowness Of Things from 2009 The writing for The
Hereness and Nowness of Things,
released November 3, 2009 had started as soon as Apart
From The Rest was completed. If my
memory serves me correct some ideas were even around during the
recording of AFTR.
With the compositions for the new CD I really wanted to explore some
areas that we didn’t on the first CD. As you can tell from pieces
like Eastern Dance, Forward Motion,
and Four
Colors, we explored a much more
“World Music” sound. The compositions all have very specific
eastern rhythms from Greece and Turkey (as well as other Near Eastern
countries) and use scales that capture that vibe. Not to say that we
didn’t put our own twist on a very traditional sound, but we
purposefully didn’t stray too far. With a composition like
Arrhythmia we
wanted to venture into a more soundtrack-like, one could even say
symphonic piece, really centric on mood and with the help of our
guest cellist, Robin I think we definitely achieved the sound we were
striving for. With the closing piece, On
& On the goal was a more straight
ahead rock vibe. This is definitely not an all power chord piece in
4/4, but it is a side of Esthema that we wanted to explore and will
probably do more so in the future. Pieces like Change
of Season and Illusion
of Truth, I believe
are definitely the most Esthema like
pieces, longer in form, with many changes, and no real set pattern.
The Hereness and Nowness of Things
helped us gain more exposure than we had even anticipated, but very
much wanted. In April 2010 Guitar Player magazine reviewed the CD.
Barry Cleveland wrote, “Drawing on
advanced musical studies and international performance experience,
the group plays at a truly
world-class level, with authenticity, aplomb, and exuberance.” In
addition to the Guitar Player magazine review, we have also been
reviewed by Prog Archives, Progression Magazine, Skope Magazine,
Phosphorescence Magazine, ProgNaut.com, Progressor, Progressive Ears,
RockLine in Slovenia, Indie-Music.com, The Noise Magazine and more.
In April 2010, along with a review, we were also featured in Skope
Magazine. Along with so many great reviews, we have been nominated
for the Top 25 Award at Indie-Music.com (results at the end of the
year) and we are also seeing a great deal of interest from radio
programs/stations. Across the US we have been picked up by a number
of programs. And a few months ago, we were featured in our own
short-film/bio ( http://www.esthema.com/video.html - ). What have you been doing after the release of The Hereness and Nowness Of Things? Since the release
of The Hereness and Nowness of Things,
Esthema has been trying to capture the attention of as many people as
possible via performances, radio play, reviews, magazine features,
and radio features. We have been sending out CDs to all that are
willing to listen. Because our music incorporates sounds from many
varied genres and styles of music, both eastern and western we
believe that there is a huge domestic and international audience for
Esthema. We just need to find a way to get the music to them.
Although the progress sometimes seems slow, we know our efforts are
working. Sales of our CDs and mp3s are happening all over the United
States, South America, Europe, and Turkey, and more and more radio
programs have placed Esthema on their roster. In addition, I have
started writing new material for a future recording.
How is the creative and song writing processes in your band? The
creative/writing process usually starts with me (Andy). I am credited
for the writing of all but one composition, Four Colors that Onur
wrote. But the magic for all the compositions happens when we start
rehearsing the pieces and the arrangements start coming together. I
end up usually bringing an all-acoustic guitar recording of the piece
comprising of melodies, grooves, chord changes, and such. For some
sections I may write the exact bass line that I want or exact harmony
for a given section, but these sections are few and far between. Then
once Tery, Onur, Ignacio, and Bruno get their hands on the pieces and
we start working them through, that is when they take on a whole new
life. And the beauty is that the compositions are ever evolving and
growing. They really have a life of their own. New arrangements are
constantly happening at rehearsals and performances. There are
constant surprises. As a composer, it is probably one of the most
remarkable things - working with musicians that give so much of
themselves that each time they play a composition a part of who they
are is left behind. Just to give those of us who are unknown
with your band a bit of a reference point or two: How would you
describe your music and which bands would you would compare your
music with? There is very little truly original music.
All music we hear (and Esthema writes) comes from somewhere. The
categorization is just difficult because sometimes things can’t be
neatly put into a category. I could probably sit down and break down
our compositions and tell you the influence(s) that a particular
section is from. In a July 2010 review of the CD in ProgNaut.com,
Terry Jackson states “If I had to compare them to any recording or
band, I would say Yo-Yo Ma’s Soul of the Tango or a prog-classical
Gypsy Kings. There are also echoes of King Crimson, California Guitar
Trio and especially Azigza.” Later in the review he also draws
comparisons to Spyro Gyra and Hiroshima. Peter Braidis a reviewer for
Indie-Music.com wrote “If Rock fans were able to enjoy the
Page/Plant tour of '95-'96 and heard all the Middle Eastern
arrangements to various Led Zeppelin songs with an open ear, than why
not Esthema? The track "On & On" is the closest to
being maintsream or Rock oriented, largely due to the killer electric
guitar solo by Andy Milas which shows a heavy Jazz Fusion influence
from acts like The Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return To Forever.”
Others have mentioned names like Shadowfax, “an amped up Loreena
Mckennitt without vocals,” and Jaz Coleman and Anne Dudley.
As composer, I can tell you my influences
come from a variety of artists & styles - Avishai Cohen, Garrison
Fewell, Fates Warning, Tool, Porcupine Tree, Al DiMeola’s World
Sinfonia, Strunz & Farah, and the music of Greece from the 1920’s
through today, to name a very few. There are so many more. I can’t
say that we actually sound like any one of these particular artists
but we have the elements.
In describing our music I always use the
phrase World Fusion. One of our reviewers stated that all music is
World Music and they were so right. So for us World Fusion is
absolutely apropos. We are fusing music from various genres, styles,
and cultures - a fusion of music from our World. Our compositions
will feature odd rhythmic patterns reminiscent of bands like Tool and
eastern rhythms like a Karsilama. We combine western modes and scales
like Aeolian and Harmonic Minor with eastern scales/maqams like
Houzam and Sabah. In “Change of Season” from The
Hereness and Nowness of Things, we
start with an eastern taxim (solo) and midway through the piece we
are in a full swing with the bass soloing over changes.
Reviewers have used terms like…
“...very
romantic, beautifully rich and melodic,”
Terry Jackson, ProgNaut.com
“…evocative
and dramatic throughout.” Dean
Pedley, Sea of Tranquility
“…transcends
boundaries and has melody, originality and spark.”
Dean Pedley, Sea of Tranquility
“…breathtaking
world fusion music.” Peter-Braidis,
Indie-Music.com
“…the group
plays at a truly
world-class level, with authenticity, aplomb, and exuberance,”
Barry Cleveland, Guitar Player Magazine
“…great
slab of east meets west, jazz meets world, art meets earth.” Joel
Simches, The Noise
“…an
emotional experience that is dramatic and cinematic.” Todd
Sikorski, Skope Magazine
To my knowledge, you have released two albums on your own. What is the pros and cons of going it alone with regards to manufacturing, promotion and distribution? The do-it-yourself (DIY) route definitely has
its pros and cons. As you can imagine, one of the biggest cons is
cost. The worst thing is having something to say and not being able
to do so in the manner that you would like because you are on a fixed
budget. Of course, in our case I went over budget but it is always in
the back of your mind. And regarding promotion and distribution, what
ends up happening after you have the product in your hand you have to
find people willing to listen and support it. When you have people
already established in the business that are working with/for you
promoting and distributing you, you also have their reputations,
contacts, and experience working for you. Doing it on your own you
need to build a reputation, the contacts, and experience. People are
not always as willing to work with someone they have never worked
with and do not have a proven track record.
I have heard this said, read about it, and
now am experiencing it first hand; the music industry has drastically
changed over the course of time. Artist (art) development is not part
of the industry. The industry, like any other business is in it to
make money and given the changes in the recording industry, artists
almost need to come with a guarantee. That is why so many
contemporary artists end up looking and sounding so much alike. Given
these circumstances, performers and artists straying from what is
popular at the given time do not have many choices. We are almost
forced to do it ourselves.
The positive to the do-it-yourself route is
that there is complete artistic freedom. When an artist’s
boundaries are only defined by their own limitations, so much more
can happen. You no longer think about what was and is, but what can
be. It encourages exploration. I think that is one of the reasons we
have been able to release two recordings that have transcended so
many boundaries and have fused so many various styles and worlds of
music.
How easy/difficult do you find it to get gigs and tours these days? The truth is we have not looked for tours. As
far as individual gigs are concerned, we mostly perform in
Massachusetts and the New England/New York area. Regarding ease of
acquiring gigs, the categorization of our sound is sometimes
difficult and that leads to difficulty in sometimes placing us. A
purist of any style of music, no matter whether it be Jazz, Prog
Rock, Fusion, and in our case, Near Eastern may not be completely
satisfied with our sound. We take elements from all this music and
combine them into one package. Some club owners and promoters, love
it and take the chance, others feel that it is too difficult to place
given the demographic of their audience. And in respect to touring, I
feel that in order to fully benefit from a tour, a newer lesser known
artist such as Esthema would either need to be placed on an opening
slot for say an artist like Avishai Cohen that already has an
established audience or they need to create a buzz and demand in the
area they are touring. At this point an opening slot on a tour has
not presented itself and as I have mentioned, we are working on
creating that necessary buzz. Playing to empty houses because people
don’t know who is in town doesn’t benefit anyone.
Is any of you involved in any other bands besides of Esthema? Everyone in the band is involved in multiple
projects.
Onur (violin) is a member of the Plymouth
Philharmonic Orchestra, Dorchester Symphony Orchestra, and Freisinger
Chamber Orchestra. He also performs with the Turkish Ensemble Dunya,
the Tery Lemanis Pan Middle Eastern Ensemble, and the George
Kaminaris Band (Rembetika).
Tery Lemanis (bouzouki & oud) heads his
own Pan Middle Eastern Ensemble on bouzouki and oud, the Tery Lemanis
Ensemble, Jazz Trio, Tery Lemanis Trio on guitar, and Frank Zappa
Tribute Band on guitar and vocals, The Brain Police. He also performs
with Dancing Gypsy Band on oud (traditional Arabic/Middle Eastern),
Dudochka on guitar (Balkan/Eastern European and the George Kaminaris
Band on bouzouki (Rembetika)
Ignacio Long (bass) performs with numerous
Jazz ensembles in the Boston/New York areas, such as Pablo Eluchans
Trio, Pablo Eluchans Trio, Pablo Eluchans Trio, Tery Lemanis Trio,
Italo Cunha, Carmen Spada Project. Also being fluent in all South
American Styles, he performs with an endless number of Brazilian
Axé/Samba, Latin Jazz, Uruguayan, Argentinean, Latin Pop, Brazilian
Pop, and Salsa bands like Kenny Kozol, Latinova, The Gringo Kings,
Samba Tremeterra, Tais Alvarenga, Nando Michelín, Fernandito Ferrer,
Paula Andrea, Mari Rosa, Sonho Meu, Los Orientales, lead by Florencia
Gonzalez and many many more. Ignacio also co-heads his own
Argentinean rooted Jazz ensemble Urban Gauchos along with Tomás
Murmis.
Bruno Esrubilsky (drums) performs with
Alternative Pop singer/songwriter Kris Roche, Indie Pop Rock
singer/songwriter Ann Driscoll, singer/songwriter Emily Elbert, and
Pop Rockabilly singer/songwriter Zac Taylor. He also performs with
Latin Pop Rock songstress Silvina Moreno, World/Asian Jazz Fusion
artist Steven Chelliah, composer/guitarist Kentaro Sugiyama, and
Brazilian artist Tais Alvarenga.
For me, my concentration is spent mostly on
Esthema. I do still perform with local Greek bands, in addition to
the Tery Lemanis Pan Middle Eastern Ensemble but I my focus needs to
remain on Esthema.
What are your plans for the rest of this year and next year? We are
entertaining the possibility of doing an all-acoustic possibly live
recording containing some old and some new material in 2011. But
can’t say for sure at this time. I really love the things I am
writing and if things continue I may try and push for another studio
recording for late 2011. Tough to say at this point but one thing is
for sure, we are going to continue to work to get our music into the
ears of as many listeners as possible. Thank you to Andy for this interview Their PA profile is http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=5531 - and their homepage http://www.myspace.com/esthemamusic -
|
