Cirerot “Âmago”

“At the end of November 2020, when almost everything was at a standstill, I was lucky enough to do a streaming concert in the church do Espírito Santo in Caldas de Rainha in Portugal, a country where I always feel very welcome.

The sound of the Espírito Santo church caught me, in fact I fell in love with it. I had found the space where I wanted to record my second solo album and I did it in May 2021. The result was Âmago.

With the soprano I was looking for an encounter between my most admired references: E. Parker, S. Reich and J.S. Bach. Harmony, repetition and abstract melodic lines were weaving a hypnotic mantra that transports me to another dimension.

With the tenor I explore the world of multiphonics, where by searching and trying strange and unconventional combinations with the fingers, the saxophone reacts and discovers new sounds, hidden within itself. Secret sounds that transform the instrument into a modular synthesizer, a kind of electronic device.

Âmago are some of these variations. But the live performance allows me to play with sound exploration and with the constant transformation of the instrument. Different gadgets are added to the game, cardboard cups, plastic tubes, coins... a sound sculpture that constantly mutates.

A live exploration to continue evolving.

Unlearning what has been learnt. Playing to find the hidden melody within the chaos where I lose myself. Improvising and, finally, stopping time”.

Albert Cirera, saxophonist

Photo: © Joan Cortès

By: Albert Cirera - saxophone and objects