The Selva + Machinefabriek • Barbatrama
Ricardo Jacinto | cello
Gonçalo Almeida | double bass
Nuno Morão | drums
Rutger Zuydervelt | post production & electronics
Barbatrama is a collaborative work between The Selva and Machinefabriek, the project of Dutch musician Rutger Zuydervelt. This album offers a fascinating continuation of the trio’s trajectory—two string players (cello and double bass) and a drummer rooted in free improvisation and creative jazz—while expanding their sound world through other musical influences such as imaginary folk, world music, and elements of both Renaissance and contemporary chamber music.
On this recording, the band pushes further into experimental electroacoustic territory. Machinefabriek’s post-production electronic processing opens up new freedoms for the trio, generating unpredictable outcomes and fresh sonic perspectives. The result is an intriguing fusion of cybernetic tribal music, primal dance rhythms and spatial soundscapes reminiscent of artists such as Sun Ra and Tangerine Dream.
Within this framework, a plural vision of musical traditions emerges, spanning diverse periods and geographies: echoes of Mozart or Kurtág’s string quartets intertwine with rhythmic structures that point towards progressive rock and post-rock. Surprisingly, these references blend with disarming naturalness, giving rise to a compellingly multilingual music that dissolves into the many idioms it invokes. It is precisely this refusal of easy categorisation that makes Barbatrama so captivating.
Format: CD
Label: Shhpuma
Year: 2021
Edition: 500 copies
Duration: 33:97
Production: OSSO
Recording: OSSO (São Gregório, Caldas da Rainha), November and December 2019
Editing and remixing: Rutger Zuydervelt (Rotterdam), March and October 2020
Mastering: Nuno Morão, December 2020
Executive production: Travassos – Trem Azul
Design: Travassos
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Price: 12€
