In April 2015, internationally renowned pianist and composer Aron Ottignon takes the explosive jazz-fusion of debut Culture Tunnels to a new level with compelling compositions and percussive  influences from Morocco, West Africa, Maloya and the Caribbean, as well as 21st century sound  design for the release of Sophomore EP Starfish.

Click on image below to watch the video of Waterfalls in Tanzania

A few years ago in London, Aron caught up with his old piano teacher Mark De Clive Lowe  (MDCL), now a critically acclaimed producer based in Los Angeles. MDCL introduced Aron to Seiji (broken beats producer for Bugz in the Attic) as well as other major figures in the London underground scene. These meetings opened up a whole new world of music, inspiring Aron to  explore the potential of granular synthesis and electronic soundscapes.

Aron plays grand piano in a three-piece format, joined by Rodi Kirk (Berlin) on live mixing and drum sequencing via Ableton Live and Max/MSP, and Samuel Dubois (UK) on world percussion and steel pans.

‘My love for world music traditions,  especially in more rhythmical cultures, are a huge influence on what I play and improvise,’ Aron  explains. ‘I’m bringing these sounds into my music, creating a setup that allows space for improvisation and communication between musicians, showing human imperfections and the need for  freedom of expression.’

Every single note on the album was performed live – a rare occurrence in modern recorded music. ‘I think today, more than ever, it is important for the audience to hear what they see, so keeping real instruments and trained musicians on stage in sight is important,’ Aron says.  ‘We’re there to explore electronic sonic possibilities, to give our listeners the feeling they get in big dance clubs today.’

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