1 Don't Mind 9:52
2 Archaic Rubbers 5:57
3 Celestial 5:41
4 Soul Beaters 7:34
5 Not So Soft Talk 9:12
6 A Closer Furniture 9:45
7 Minimal Chant 1:55
8 Don‘t Slap, Slap 8:01

Total Running Time: 58:02

All compositions by Josep-Maria Balanyà

In October 2014 the Catalan pianist Josep-Maria Balanyà spent three days recording for his new album “Don’t Mind”. The evening of the third day he gave a concert which was also recorded. All the sessions and the concert took place in “Sendesaal”, the wonderful concert hall in Bremen (Germany), praised by Keith Jarrett.

From all these recordings Josep-Maria Balanyà has chosen eight tracks for this album. The mastering was done in mid-February 2015 by Renate Wolter-Seevers, who just won the Grammy award.

Released September 1st, 2015.

Recording: Sendesaal Bremen, October 14-16, 2014

Producer Radio Bremen: Marita Emigholz

Coproduced by Peter Cronemeyer

Executive Producer: Josep-Maria Balanyà

Recording Producer and Editing: Renate Wolter-Seevers

Recording engineer: Klaus Schumann

Concertlight: Willi Klose

Cover photo © by Elena Márquez

Other photos © Josep-Maria Balanyà

Thanks to:Gabriele Deakin, José-Luis Greco, Marita Emigholz, Renate Wolter-Seevers, Peter Cronemeyer, Willi Kloose, Charly Plinke.

Pianist, composer, sound artist, improviser, sound researcher, university lecturer - these are just some of the roles which Josep-Maria Balanyà has filled over the past few decades. In his new album “Don’t Mind”, this multi-talented Catalan takes the listener into exciting, fascinating soundscapes which are produced solely with his grand piano and the percussive utensils and materials with which he adapts its sound.

Balanyà’s love of musical experiments started when he was boy. Born in Barcelona in 1949, he studied the piano and sang in the church choir, during which time he devoted himself to the percussive investigation of everyday objects. “Even then I found it fascinating, examining the tonal qualities and characteristics of whatever I had to hand”, Balanyà recalls. Whether pots, cutlery, bed frames, metal or wood panels - nothing was safe from his experiments.

Now the composer is in his 60s, but he has retained his childish curiosity. This is especially true in regards to his work with his main instrument. “The piano is a diverse playground for me, a grand toy that I thoroughly explore”‚ says Balanyà. Anyone who looks around on his website, will quickly realize that this statement is to be taken literally. A video clip shows him working under his piano like a car mechanic, going at the powerful instrument with mallets. His concerts are always performances in the true sense of the word.

“Don’t Mind” is Balanyà’s fourth album released by the German Label Laika Records. The album title can be regarded as a friendly invitation to let the pieces speak freely to the open-minded listener. Those who follow this advice will be rewarded with exciting, diverse and unique soundscapes. Much of the time, Balanyà plays in the orthodox manner (on the keys of the piano), and sometimes he uses his voice for support - as in “Minimal Chant” or “Don’t slap, slap”. However, his special interest is music for prepared piano in which the Catalan can let his musical imagination run wild.

In “Archaic Rubbers” he has mounted small pieces of rubber between the 12 bass strings of the grand piano, a preparation with which he elicits from the instrument a mysterious, muffled sound, reminiscent of a marimba. In “Soul Beaters”, wooden sticks of various lengths and thicknesses have been placed upright between the strings and Balanyà plays in the interior of the instrument. Not only are the sounds produced remarkable; the effect on the onlooker is uncanny. Not one key is touched and it appears as if the piano is played by art of magic. When asked exactly how he creates these strange sounds, the otherwise talkative Catalan is evasive: “I subscribe to the philosophy of illusionists: fascinate your audience with your art, but keep your tricks to yourself”.

The result is “Don’t Mind”, produced in cooperation with “Radio Bremen” (Germany) under excellent conditions: Three days of recording time in Bremen in a famous broadcasting hall, the unique acoustic properties of which have been praised by jazz legend Keith Jarrett. Recent Grammy winner, Renate Wolter-Seevers, is responsible for the remarkable subtleties of the recording. All round, Balanyà’s album is a first class listening experience.

Label: Laika-Records / Label Code 07577 Genre: 208 ClassicFormat: CD, 08 Title, 58:02 minutes Catalogue nº/UPC: 3510324.2 / 40 117 86 15 3244

Jazz'N'More MAgazin, Switzerland
March/April /2016
CD “Don't Mind” Josep-Maria Balanyà (piano)
Laika Records
Recommendation of the month / 5 stars

When hearing the Catalan Josep-Maria Balanyà playing for the first time or seeing him conducting an improvisational orchestra flailing arms and legs like a wild dancer you go amazed: Can you do this? - Yes, he can. And everything resolves in an infectious laugh. Therefore, this witty, dramatic solo CD is recommended to all who complain of dryness and heavy thoughts of the avantgarde.

In the 1970s, when the electronic keyboards and synthesizers arrived, it was believed to be the end of the glorious era of the grand piano. This production - the fourth Balanyà’s for the label Laika - shows excitingly that the possibilities are far from exhausted. Yes, the achievements of electronics even have inspired the pianists new. Balanyà – once a graduate of the Swiss Jazz School - has blossomed in the last 30 years into a versatile and highly communicative enfant terrible who also enjoys to dupe the listeners' expectations. Apart from playing the piano and he always found it fascinating to knock and drum around on all commodities.

The child in the man has extended the piano into "a toy that I fundamentally explore:" Accordingly, in "On A Closer Furniture" he works the piano case with bare hands and spontaneously elicits it textured sounds that sometimes resemble to the nightly rumblings of martens in the attic, sometimes an importunate insect. Far from clean intonation and belcanto, also his voice becomes an energetic sound.

Making his mostly improvised recordings at Radio Bremen, Balanyà could use two grand pianos: one for the conventional play and one with inventive preparations, which produced very differing results. "Archaic Rubbers" for instance relies extensively on muted sounds caused by rubber pieces clamped between the strings: Isolated hard strokes on the strings are starkly contrasted by a soft “mumbling”. Out of this grows a quasi polyrhythmic network, which also reveals Balanyà’s jazz roots. "Soul Beaters" begins with grinding sounds on the strings, which resemble an over-amplified electric bass. This develops into something resembling a pygmy dance a bit later.

The play on the keys ranges between chromatic clusters and almost baroque moments (Don't Mind). In general, the initial idea mostly evolves into a multi-part but consistent design and not seldom ends suddenly. Quite impressively, Balanyà starts "Celestial" in the high register with a chromatic chord and takes time to hark to each note. Technically polished and with a sense of nuance he especially likes it expressively and rich in contrast. He is staging the improvisations with an agility you do not necessarily attach to a man in his mid-sixties. With Bud Powell's words: Un poco loco.

Jürg Solothurnmann

Wer Josep-Maria Balanyà erstmals spielen oder mit einem schieren Veitstanz ein Improvisationsorchester dirigieren sieht, staunt: Darf man das? Ja, er schon. Und alles löst sich in einem ansteckenden Lachen. Darum sei allen, die über Trockenheit und Gedankenschwere der Avantgarde klagen, diese listige, dramatische Solo-CD des Katalanen empfohlen. Als in den 1970er-Jahren elektronische Keyboards und Synthesizer aufkamen, wähnte man sich am Ende der gloriosen Ära des Konzertflügels. Diese Produktion – die vierte Balanyàs für das Label Laika – zeigt packend, dass die Möglichkeiten noch lange nicht ausgeschöpft sind. Ja, die Errungenschaften der Elektronik inspirieren die Pianisten neu. Balanyà – Absolvent der Swiss Jazz School – hat sich in den letzten 30 Jahren zu einem vielseitigen und hochkommunikativen Enfant terrible gemausert, das auch gerne die Hörerwartung düpiert. Neben dem Klavierspiel klopfte und trommelte er seit jeher auf allen Gebrauchsgegenständen her- um. Das Kind im Manne erweitert das Klavier zum ”Spielzeug, das ich von Grund auf erforsche”. So bearbeitet er in ”A Closer Furniture” das Klaviergehäuse mit blossen Händen und entlockt ihm spontan strukturierte Sounds, die mal dem nächtlichen Rumoren von Mardern im Estrich, mal einem zudringlichen Insekt gleichen. Auch seine Stimme wird – weit weg von Intonation und Belcanto – zum energievollen Sound.

Bei den total improvisierten Aufnahmen bei Radio Bremen benutzte Balanyà zwei Flügel: einen für konventionelles Spiel und einen mit erfindungsreichen Präparationen, mit denen er sehr unterschiedliche Ergebnisse erzielt. Mit Gummistücken zwischen den Saiten entsteht beispielsweise ”Archaic Rubbers”: Isolierte harte Schläge auf die Saiten stehen in krassem, Kontrast zu einem leisen ”Murmeln”. Daraus wächst ein quasi polyrhythmisches Geflecht, das auch die Jazzwurzeln Balanyàs offen- legt. ”Soul Beaters” beginnt mit geriebenen Sounds auf den Saiten, was tönt wie ein übersteuerter E- Bass. Daraus wird später quasi ein Pygmäentanz. Auf den Tasten liegt die stilistisch-technische Span- ne zwischen chromatischen Clustern und fast baro- cken Momenten ("Don't Mind"). Generell folgt dem Einfall am Anfang meistens eine manchmal mehrteilige, aber immer konsequente Gestaltung und nicht selten mit einem plötzlichen Schluss. Eindrücklich, wie ”Celestial” mit einem chromatischen Akkord von oben beginnt, und wie er den einzelnen Tönen nachlauscht. Technisch geschliffen und mit Sinn für Nuancen liebt es Balanyà vor allem expressiv und kontrastreich und inszeniert alles mit der Agilität, die man einem Mittsechziger nicht unbedingt zutraute. Mit Bud Powells Worten: Un poco loco.

Josep-Maria Balanyà, solo extended piano

Total Time: 72:33

CD Laika Records, Bremen, Germany

nº 3510231.2

Recorded at Radio Bremen,

19th to 22nd March 2007

1 They burn your inner peace 08:18

2 À gauche I 06:55

3 Ritual of silence 05:54

4 Daytime stroll 02:57

5 À gauche II 02:43

6 They annihilate you 06:06

7 Ritual secondo 05:19

8 They skin you alive 07:19

9 Night-time ramble 05:23

10 They destroy what you love 06:54

11 They rip out your entrails 04:59

12 Survival 05:47

13 After 03:22

TOTAL TIME 72:33

“Un peu à gauche, svp” (A little to the left, please) is a work for solo piano, composed of eleven parts. Eight of them are played in an orthodox manner, i.e. exclusively on the keys. The other three are played using extended techniques: manipulating the strings and using different parts of the entire body of the piano.

The work is based on experiences of urban protest demonstrations; it was created in Barcelona in 2003, during the height of the mass protests against the Iraq War. Later on, the work was reworked until the actual form was reached.

This music does not pretend to explain the feelings of an observer of wars, nor to document nor try to evoke the sensations experienced by those who live in areas of conflict. It simply wants to give an abstract version of the feelings of a human being in the context of his eternal story of love and hate. With this music I would like to make the listener feel like he or she is being caressed and skinned alive at the same time.

I see the grand piano as a great musical instrument and at the same time as a toy. When I make music, I feel like a child who plays absolutely concentrated, without any shyness or complexes, and enjoys each and every moment of the game. The piano is an exclusive toy full of secret and surprising sounds. When you play with it, it plays with you.

Duration: 60:29 minutes

CD Crazylane private edition

Recorded at CMP Studio, Zerkall, Germany

Sound engineer: Walter Quintus

1 Exposició 5:54

2 Alba 9:11

3 Inici 3:29

4 Aqua aeterna 7:10

5 Koru Koru 9:15

6 Petit commité 5:20

7 Klonda 2:03

8 Contemplació 5:38

9 Ablucions 5:34

Josep-Maria Balanyà has been met in different occasions, people from different countries. He was very interested into the sounds, the timbres of the languages of these people and asked them to speak something about their original regions, or a tale or a story.The recording of these original voices was made, some of them in their original places, some other in places where the speakers where leaving or just travelling. These speakers are artists, musicians, others are workers on the country side, and others are emigrants that conserve their traditions and the accent of their regions.The voices you can hear in this CD where recorded by JMB during different periods between 1997 and 2000. This material was selected and mastered in studio. Later on, Balanyà has made some piano recording sessions. During the recording, the previous voices material was inserted live by the sound engineer Walter Quintus in different moments, according notations between Balanyà and Quintus. So did, the voices were married with the piano part, and the result is what you hear now on this CD. All the recording sessions were live, without overdubs. The source of all the sounds coming in this record is only a grand piano and the voices. The special effects are created by Quintus, using digital soundboard in real time.Josep-Maria Balanyà and Walter Quintus collaborate together since 1994. They have been experimenting different possibilities of relation between acoustic instruments (piano, typewriter, percussion objects, voice...) and electronics. They made several recordings, among them the CD ”Elements of Development”, ”Sonateskas” and others.