VEGIR
jazz, experimental, psychedelic rock, impro
“Belgian keyboardist/composer/producer Dominique Vantomme leads a razor-sharp quartet through a spontaneous treatment of a set of musical sketches.”
All about Jazz
“De Belgische toetsenist Dominique Vantomme maakte een stevig album (op Moonjune Records) met niemand minder dan Tony Levin. Staat als een huis!”
Vrije geluiden
Dominique Vantomme of VANTOMME, is a pianist, keyboardist, composer, band leader, music educator and producer, equally well known for his work with many European pop and rock acts as for being the jazz piano instructor at the Music Conservatory in Kortrijk, Belgium.
This album was born from his nomadic adventures: traveling in 2016 to see Stick Men, in Holland, and meeting up with old pal, MoonJune’s Leonardo Pavkovic; and shortly thereafter befriending the legendary bassist/stickist Tony Levin of the King Crimson, Peter Gabriel and Stick Men hall of fame. In the studio session which shortly followed, Dom and Tony were joined by veteran MoonJune artist, also from Belgium, Michel Delville (The Wrong Object; douBt; Machine Mass), who was recruited on guitar, and another Belgian musician, Maxime Lenssens, tasked with holding down the timekeeping duties. The spontaneity and freshness of this sizzling, high-altitude set reflects the equally unpretentious man- ner in which the session itself came together. Tackling some decidedly hip musical sketches of Dominique Vantomme, the band is given full artistic liberty – and with all participants in top form, the resulting music weaves and winds its way across paths previously untrodden … in stunning fashion, and with sure footing! In the truest MoonJune tradition, “Vegir” thumbs its nose at convention and showcases these seasoned veteran musicians at the top of their game: with the skill set, bravery and chutzpah to follow their instincts and, in the process, allow the music to seek out and ultimately capture its own form.
It slinks; it growls; it stalks; it devours! It grooves; it stutters; it holds you in suspense, then explodes! (… think ‘juggling chain- saws’ in the sonic realm.)
Plongé directement dans l’esprit fusion-rock avec au départ une ambiance à la Pink Floyd, on navigue tout d’abord entre rock-atmosphérique et sonorités venant des orgues plus propres au blues et au jazz, avec en plus une guitare hautement psychédélique (Michel Delville) et une section rythmique millimétrée (Tony Levin et Maxime Lenssens).
Music in belgium
De vrijheid die de musici namen in Studio Jezus met opnametechnicus Pascal Deweze hoor je terug in de spontaniteit van de improvisaties. Wat niet wil zeggen dat we hier te maken hebben met ‘free jazz’ in de gebruikelijke betekenis van het woord. Dit zijn vier muzikanten die met schijnbaar gemak aanvoelen waar de structuur van een stuk zit, en welke vrijheid je kan nemen zonder de klare lijn uit het oog te verliezen.
VPRO.nl
The combination of an excellent sounding album along with fantastic musicians and composing have always found me returning for repeated listens. This is precisely the case with Vegir, an album which has discovered new ground in both style and texture. Fans of early King Crimson and the electricity created by Miles Davis on his well-known release Bitches Brew will likely find Vantomme’s latest album extremely enjoyable. The gristle of Levin’s Chapman Stick struts along as he ascends and descends the fretboard with each nuance clearly defined on the fifth track “The Self Licking Ice-cream Cone.” The subtle guitar rhythm spreads extremely widely across the soundscape while drums and keyboards accent the piece.
Hi-Res Edition
Y para terminar, “Emmetropia”, que nos ofrece una forma tranquila de salir del disco, con un riff central que nos puede recordar a King Crimson o incluso a Soft Machine, con preciosos momentos de Fender Rhodes. En definitiva, un disco maravilloso, que no hace más que reafirmar la consolidación de un sonido muy característico asociado al sello Moonjune.
Francisco Macias
DOMINIQUE VANTOMME 