From and To Infinity is a composition by Niels Brouwer, that comprises four movements. Pieces originally composed for bamboo flute orchestra Molucca Bamboowind Orchestra from Ambon City – from piccolo to double bass bamboo flute – are now performed by Nora Mulder on organs. For the new self-titled album, Brouwer has written new arrangements for a unique line-up of organ, recorders, kora, guitar and vocals.
In From and to Infinity, let yourself be carried on the waves to the Moluccan Island of Ambon. The sea, voiced by the organ, connects it to the rest of the world. Prepare yourself for a journey of contrasts and parallel universes. You will experience singing in an ancient language, the ferocious breath of the organ, the microtonal keys of Balinese gender, the bright strumming on the guitar and West African kora, an unbound recorder, and a gritty e-guitar with percussion. It is acoustic versus electronic, mechanical versus organic, spherical versus rhythmic....
read more
From and To Infinity is a composition by Niels Brouwer, that comprises four movements. Pieces originally composed for bamboo flute orchestra Molucca Bamboowind Orchestra from Ambon City – from piccolo to double bass bamboo flute – are now performed by Nora Mulder on organs. For the new self-titled album, Brouwer has written new arrangements for a unique line-up of organ, recorders, kora, guitar and vocals.
In From and to Infinity, let yourself be carried on the waves to the Moluccan Island of Ambon. The sea, voiced by the organ, connects it to the rest of the world. Prepare yourself for a journey of contrasts and parallel universes. You will experience singing in an ancient language, the ferocious breath of the organ, the microtonal keys of Balinese gender, the bright strumming on the guitar and West African kora, an unbound recorder, and a gritty e-guitar with percussion. It is acoustic versus electronic, mechanical versus organic, spherical versus rhythmic.
Together with Hungarian recorder player Dodó Kis, kora player Sekou Dioubate from Guinea, and pianist Nora Mulder, the album was recorded at the Orgelpark in Amsterdam, featuring the unique organs there. Especially for the live performances, Nora Mulder plays on a portative organ with a total of 219 pipes. Brouwer and Mulder have converted this organ together to make it suitable for this music. Both the mechanical action and the register buttons have been renewed.
From and to Infinity consists of four parts, each representing an important aspect of the island of Ambon for Brouwer: The Sea, Dryland, The City, and Joy.
Monica Akihary-vocals, bass kalimba, live sequencer
Niels Brouwer-guitars
Sekou Dioubate-35-string kora, slitdrum
Dodó Kis-soprano, alto, tenor and great bass recorder
Nora Mulder-portative organ
Bintou Kouyate-percussion
About Boi Akih:
Guitarist and composer Niels Brouwer and vocalist and lyricist Monica Akihary, the winner of the Boy Edgar Prize 2023, the most important Dutch award for jazz and improvised music, have formed a duo under the name of BOI AKIH since 1997.
For more than twenty years, boundless curiosity has driven BOI AKIH to ever new experiments and discoveries. As a result, they are now at home in musical traditions from all corners of the world - from modern jazz to classical Indian music and from Melanesian, African and European folk to improvised music. For the musicians, all these different traditions and influences are not the destination, but an inspiration and a starting point for musical development. Niels Brouwer & Monica Akihary's captivating performances have earned them critical acclaim.
show less
