Urban Sax

Urban Sax is an ensemble founded by the French composer Gilbert Artman made up of massive numbers of saxophones, accompanied by percussion and sometimes voices. The group is directed by Artman and performs his compositions, which are generally repetitive and minimalist, often sounding somewhat mechanistic rather than conventionally expressive.

The group was formed in 1973, when Artman organized a concert by a group of eight saxophonists he had produced at a classical music festival in Menton, in the south of France. In subsequent years, the number of players grew to 12, 16, 20, 24, and 30, and by the early 21st century, the group consisted of 52 musicians (with saxophones ranging from the soprano to bass registers). Artman frequently integrates local musicians and dancers into his performances, and thus the ensemble can encompass as many as 200 performers.

Urban Sax has performed throughout Europe, in Asia and at Expo 86 in Vancouver. The group's performances are performance art happenings; players wear metallic space suit-like costumes together with gas masks, and each performance is a unique ritualistic event that is planned for the particular architectural or natural space where it is to take place.

The Concept

This project is built around the principle of spatial architecture and sound, and gathering saxophone (mobile devices) for a constant sound. The concept was initiated in a cradle of protean creation, with a strong notion of « in situ ». Movement and the movement of sound and its perception by the public or the audience is at the origin of the creation of the group. Saxophone then exists as an extension of the musician, and it becomes a resilient musical choreography.

The original musical principle is "continuous sound", around which build and develop poly-rhythmic loops, modulated and nested in a partition and a principle of "distant sound" allowing to question the listening audience. It is about linking audio and visual performances. The music is semi repetitive, with evolving pieces of different colors. Entire saxophone family is represented: sopranos, altos, tenors and bass baritones. Although the group adapts to each place setting, the basic structure is the distribution of musicians on 4 or 5 scenes surrounding the public, allowing the movement of sound around it, and continues generally by the grouping of musicians on the front stage.

Over the years, Urban Sax has expanded and now consists of bassists, singers, dancers, vibraphones, cellos, guitars and other instruments, and sometimes orchestra depending on the projects. The group is composed of approximately 40 musicians, but can easily go up to more than a hundred during performances. The appearance of the musicians has evolved, keeping a very special graphic cohesion. All dressed in suits, musicians have subsequently fitted colorful dresses for rotation and giving momentum on the stage. The musicians are also hidden and equipped with an inflated transparent plastic structure, "bubbles", a sort of chrysalis identity ...

Projects adapt to places and contexts, and highlight a specific design for each of them. Gilbert Artman uses urban equipment as the stage: roofs, balconies, cranes, construction equipment, boats, etc. ... and seeks local talent : schools of music and dance, choirs, cavers or firemen. A "Urbanian" team oversees the workshops set up to prepare for the concert. The musical particularity of the group enabled them to approach "ritual music", also often attached to a continuous sound. This allowed Urban Sax to produce partitions and joint concerts with the Indians in Vancouver, a Javanese Gamelan and dancers in Jakarta, Sufi musicians in Turkey, court music in China etc. ... Urban Sax has played around the world, primarily in contexts of opening or closing of cultural events.

The Group

The fact that the musicians play masked developed a strong sense of identity and belonging, living groups were formed, groups of music were created. Urban Sax developed as a "family", a human adventure as much as a musical one.

Members (old and new):

Discography

External links

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