Ergo

STATS Rank: 8,472 Views: 2,947

Born: January 1, 1901 Primary Instrument: Composer/conductor

Ergo's music is one of stark melodic beauty, enveloping electro-acoustic texture and empathic imagination. In attempts to describe their sound critics have compared them to music as diverse as Duke Ellington, Autechre, Sigur Ros, Sun Ra, and King Crimson.

In 2003, trombonist and composer Brett Sroka began exploring beyond his Jazz background and became fascinated with electronic music, surrounding himself with synthesizers and software. As he sought to reconcile the six hundred years of technology between trombone and computer he also found, in keyboardist Carl Maguire and drummer Shawn Baltazor, musicians of similarly elastic and adventurous temperaments. As they played throughout New York City and the Northeast US over the next few years an idiosyncratic dynamic began to cohere and Ergo was born.

With their debut cd, “Quality Anatomechanical Music Since 2005”, Ergo put forth a statement of purpose and was lauded by AllAboutJazz-NY as the “Best Debut CD” of 2006. They have since brought their music to the Williamsburg Jazz Festival in Brooklyn, NY, the Sonic Circuits Festival in Washington D.C., and the Risonanze festival in Venice, Italy. Ergo’s sophomore cd, “multitude, solitude”, has just been released on the eminent Cuneiform Records label.

Awards:

Best debut cd 2006 - All About Jazz - NY

Last Updated: May 25, 2012

”Ergo's trombonist Brett Sroka, keyboardist Carl Maguire and drummer Shawn Baltazor are all part of a generation for which Autechre and Sigur Ros are as pressing concerns as Armstrong and Sun Ra. That's certainly evident in the band's timbral sophistication, spacey contours and slinky grooves.” TIME OUT, NEW YORK

“. . . atmospheric collective, which takes full advantage of electronic programming and cross-genre appropriation.” THE NEW YORK TIMES

“An Ellington fiend who likes to get his computerized space-dub on, the trombonist has lots of sound sculpture in him. His rather dramatic art music is both texturally rich and compositionally engaging.” THE VILLAGE VOICE

“Brett Sroka has found a way to turn the trombone into the coolest instrument since the bass clarinet. He plays in a band called Ergo, which blends blip-hop electronica with jazz. This trio consists of drums, keyboards, and Sroka's unruly trombone.” THE BOSTON GLOBE

“The city has always been known for its under-the-radar jazz talent. This gig �” happening tonight only �” is a great example of how substantial that talent can be… Here's a great chance to check Sroka’s dynamic and distinguished ideas in action, while catching a glimpse of the underground.” FLAVORPILL.NET

“. . . explores the intersections of electronic music, Jazz improvisation, and smart Rock bands like Radiohead or Sigur Ros. . . Sroka has huge ears and catholic tastes, using these to good effect on this moody and memorable recording.” CADENCE MAGAZINE

“Solid musicianship and a vision are what ERGO is all about, and they absolutely are on to something very special.” INSIDE CONNECTION MAGAZINE

“. . . the music crosses that indefinable frontier, teeming with intuitive experimentation, probing jazz dialogues and EFX-drenched avant-garde stylizations. Uncannily cohesive EJAZZNEWS.COM

multitude, solitude
Cuneiform Records
2009
Brett Sroka- trombone/laptop, Carl Maguire- rhodes/synth, Shawn Baltazor- drums

Quality Anatomechanical Music Since 2005
Actuator Records
2006
Brett Sroka- trombone/laptop, Carl Maguire- rhodes/synth, Damion Reid- drums

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