"After listening all the way through, I can’t wait to start again. It’s a dynamite record full of refreshing sounds, melodies, and
textures. If you’re into outside-the-box instrumental music with a heavy dose of futuristic improvisation and a mind-melting
sound, Witchcraft Jazz is for you."
https://thepopbreak.com/2018/04/10/review/ , March 4 2018
@ https://thepopbreak.com/2018/04/10/review/
“This Witchcraft Jazz album of MetaQuorum is an hour of amazingly crafted tunes in ever changing positive cheer up moods
and very addictive. If you think this is not your music, I recommend to listen anyway right now. And if you like Snarky Puppy
then I recommend you to listen too! This album is a real must in the jazz rock genre. Highly recommended.” Score 8.5 out of
10. Full review @ http://www.dprp.net/reviews/2018-029
"What the hell is this? I grew up listening to Weather Report, Al di Meola, Earth Wind and Fire, Caldera, Chick Corea, Jeff
Lorber, all the great jazz, funk, artists. Wow, this music puts a smile on my face. It sounds familiar but not quite. It is
absolutely brilliant. Seriously mind blowing. It's witchcraft!"
https://bandcamp.com/massos270
This bunch are based in the north-east but have a truly international feel and are led by Dmitry Ermakov, a Russian born
composer and keyboardist. They take great delight in seeking out the boundaries of jazz, electronica, funk and prog and then
gleefully mangling them, resulting in a release that sounds like it should be soundtracking a cool crime drama that is being
broadcast on one of the moons of Saturn. It’s discordant, occasionally daffy but always lands on the right side of interesting.
http://www.thecrackmagazine.com/view-editorial/5230
CLAIRE DUPREE TALKS TO MULTI-CULTURAL ‘MELD’ PIONEERS, METAQUORUM
“It’s not simply this melting pot of cultures that gives MetaQuorum their inventive sound though; their music is a riot of styles
– from prog, funk, jazz, rock and electronica – and diverse influences – from Mozart to Zappa, quantum physics and the wild
open landscapes of the North Pennines – all coming together in a form Dmitry likes to call Meld. “Nowadays there are so
many different styles all developing off in different directions, technology is developing fast too, both in terms of instruments
and production techniques, and fusion should be using all this. We found our music couldn’t be pigeon-holed into any one
genre and that’s why we figured we’d have to call it something else: Meld.” […]
While some of Dmitry’s earlier projects may have had political or protest agendas, with MetaQuorum he’s content to let
the music speak for itself. “The album is about music, about creativity, sound. There’s no other message here. Everything is
over-politicised nowadays, but with an instrumental album we have the luxury of concentrating on the music itself. Art for
art’s sake, if you like.”
By Claire Dupree, February 22, 2018, NARC. Magazine. Full interview @ http://narcmagazine.com/interview-metaquorum/
RUSSIAN LANGUAGE REVIEW of WITCHCRAFT JAZZ album in JAZZ-КВАДРАТ
[…] “Если Midnight Sun я характеризовал в свое время, как электронный фьюжн, то с Witchcraft Jazz дело обстоит иначе.
Нет, электроники по-прежнему очень много, и как инструмент творчества, она по-прежнему является основным. Но вот,
так сказать, сфера применения заметно расширилась. Фанковые и проговые мотивы заметно потеснили классический
фьюжн, а, скажем, в Socket Swing можно наблюдать и изящный реверанс в сторону свинга. Фортепьянный пассаж и
интонации классического джаза звучат и в интро к титульной композиции Witchcraft Jazz. Из очевидного упомянем и
живое слово от Кэрол и Дмитрия Ермаковых , как дополнительную (и существенную, особенно в Crimson Dreams) краску
в ряде треков. Сам Дмитрий Ермаков называет стиль своей музыки meld, то есть «слияние» элементов всех
вышеперечисленных направлений под электронной эгидой. Звучание большинства композиций при этом получается у
MetaQuorum очень динамичным, акцентированным, полиритмичным, но без этакого давящего утяжеления, характерного
для многих коллективов, синтезирующих прог-рок и джаз с металлом. MetaQuorum в этом плане идет другим путем, и
такие пьесы, как Swagger, Limping Mathematician или Seven Dwarfs Rock (тут Ермаков и Михеев, соавторы этой пьесы,
ввели еще, на мое ухо, и черточки психоделии) показались мне наиболее яркими вехами на этом пути. Ну, и конечно, не
могу не вспомнить и прекрасную композицию Jonathan Livingston (по Ричарду Баху), выпущенную в 2016 году в виде
сингла и тогда услышанную мной впервые.”[…]
By Leonid Auskern, 30 January 2018, Jazz-квадрат @ http://jazzquad.ru/index.pl?act=PRODUCT&id=4876
"Drawing on inspiration from artists as diverse as Miles
Davis, Kraftwek and Led Zeppelin, 'Midnight Sun' is as
experimental as any "structural fusion" you're likely to
encounter."
Bill Buckley, 14 April, 2015 @
http://www.soulandjazzandfunk.com/news/3336-land-of-the-
midnight-sun.html
DSCF3117"MetaQuorum are an instrumental local outfit
featuring members Dmitry Ermakov (who was once a big
noise on the Russian underground scene before emigrating
to the UK) and Dutch drummer Koos van der Velde. Their
debut album is a splendid amalgamation of styles,
featuring cosmic jazz rushes, cocktail hour riffs and
psyched synths. It’s not afraid to get its funk on either
and if you can imagine Herbie Hancock getting ready for a
big night out – browsing through his wardrobe, wanting to
look sharp – then this is what he’s playing to put him in
the mood."
The Crack, April 2015 issue:
http://www.thecrackmagazine.com/view-editorial/2434
Blending electronic elements with an accessible, funky
style of jazz, the track is filled with bags of
atmosphere and acts as a great introduction to the pair’s
unique style. Thankfully, this compelling track hasn’t
been released alone, so there’s plenty more where it came
from."
INDIE MUSIC MAG, by Ethan 4/8/2015 @
http://indiemusicmag.com/home/single-feature-north-sea-
fret-by-metaquorum-plus-debut-album-midnight-sun/
"If you like your music to be predictable and follow the
crowd, then you should probably look away now. The single
above... is about as far from the musical mainstream is
it’s possible to land without dialing up Philip Glass.
...Daring and atmospheric, it’s a high quality jaunt into
genre-mashing mayhem, which could be a mess but is drawn
together by fantastic structuring and musicianship.
Pulling together funk, jazz, electro-touches and the
latest recording techniques, their music is a creatively
compelling puzzle. It’s good on first listen, but with
more listen you appreciate more and more how everything
flows. It’s like peeling back layers, piece by piece,
from a solidly entertaining core."
Just Can't Get Enough Music, 4/8/2015 @
https://justcantgetenoughmusic.wordpress.com/2015/08/04/m
etaquorum-impact-with-left-field-album-midnight-sun-and-
new-single/
"...the new album from MetaQuorum is a real mind bender.
Marrying a host of influences that you wouldn’t expect to
blend, the LP is a great example of what creative minds
can do when working at a high level.
... this album is not for the faint of heart, nor is it
for people who like to know what to expect from their
music. Instead, think of it as an album for the
adventurous. It’s certainly the first of its kind to have
been brought to our attention this year, and it will
likely be the last.
Catchy, funky, rhythmic and at the same time extremely
off-kilter, this is original in the best ways."
REAL MUSIC NETWORK, 4/8/2015 @
https://realmusicnetwork.wordpress.com/2015/08/04/midnigh
t-sun-album-out-now-from-metaquorum/
"Midnight Sun definitely belongs to the electronic realm.
[…] The tracks are terrifically energetic, with a strong,
melodic bass laid over a very robust rhythm framework,
often with a funky flavour. Against this background, the
keys ring out, sustained and skilful. […] If asked to
come up with an overall style for Dmitry’s playing, I
would say it’s a meeting of Rick Wakeman with Herbie
Hancock at the time of the Headhunters.
Two tracks –Midnight Sun and Unexpected Encounter – are
set slightly apart; they are gentler […] kind of
electronic ballads, fusion style.
I should highlight another track,
too: Canzona. […] Dmitry Ermakov’s interpretation of the
piece by Francesco Canova da Milano (or as some claim, by
the amazing soviet composer-prankster V. Vavilov) is
truly wonderful! It will no doubt appeal to music-lovers
from Edinburgh through Zürich to Brest further East while
for those in the post-soviet territories, Ermakov’s
arrangement will evoke a certain mood, and they’ll be
glad they heard it.
I’m sure this album will prove popular with a wide
audience, including lovers of so-called ambient music –
after all, who doesn’t enjoy driving along listening to
good music! But first and foremost Midnight Sun will
appeal to fans of good old jazz-rock, in other words,
fusion. Admittedly, this time their favourite dish is
spiced with a particularly peppery sauce. Bon appetite!"
By Leonid Auskeri, jazz-квадрат,
http://jazzquad.ru/index.pl?act=PRODUCT&id=4042 (Feb. 18,
2015).Translated by Carol Ermakova.
“Yesterday I played Clodhopping on air for the second
time, and as I said, it gets better every time you listen
to it. Actually, that goes for the whole album. Silver
Thread and Unexpected Encounter are especially beautiful,
and Canzona too.
Eventually these kinds of records always turn out to be
the true gems in your collection, because in the long run
they keep on surprising you.”
Dick de Graaf, De Etherbak show, Smelne FM,
http://www.smelnefm.nl/ (Feb. 8, 2015).
“Skewy funk distortions with keys similar to George Duke.
Nicely bent out of shape.”
Editor’s Comments for Midnight Sun album title track on
all-about jazz,
http://media.allaboutjazz.com/jazzdownload.php?id=10119
(Feb. 4, 2015).
“Sound-in-colour – an acoustic body that moves smoothly
and without exaggeration incorporating both improvisation
and calculation. Music that fascinates with its
instrumental volubility, meaningful overlapping and
intricate interaction of compositional layers. Music
which mirrors life and therefore declares that all art is
natural."
Marc Awolin, Instructor for Piano and Improvisation,
Bielefeld University & Detmold Hochschule für Musik,
Germany. (November, 2014).
REVIEWS OF THE DEBUT SINGLE NORTH SEA FRET, RELEASED 8
JANUARY 2015
“To be honest, I rarely listen to rock influenced music,
but I really like the eclectic sound that you guys are
making. I think that it has a great atmosphere, and it's
kind of a fusion of electronic music and contemporary
jazz which is quite rare and sweet to my ears".MetaQuorum
- North Sea Fret COVER
Ákos Páll Gecse, DJ, actor, video director, event
manager. www.facebook.com/tonetroopers,
www.facebook.com/beastoftt (October, 2014).
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