Flavio Brumat: tenor and alto saxophone, flute
Marko Lasič: drums, toy drums (tracks 3-9), objects
Mimo Cogliandro: bass clarinet, tenor and soprano saxophone
Samo Lasič: the Alchillator, guitar

Recorded in Vrtojba, Slovenia, December 2014
Recording & mixing by Samo Lasič
Cover by Samo Lasič


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This album reflects the meeting of musicians with very similar attitudes and sensibilities. Conventional instruments merge and mingle with the Alchillator in sonic dialogues that in chapters form unique and real narratives. The Alchillator seems to act out of a lung that breathes and lets breathing. The woodwinds and percussion recount, while the Alchillator, between one breath and the other, responds. The emergent sonic dialogues go probing the intimate and profound aspects of the minds of musicians who are not afraid of confrontation. This approach leads to sonic expressions that are perhaps unusual, but very expressive, telling a story sincerely and freely.

The drum set featured in this recording consists of toy parts for the bass drum and toms. When skilfully played, this drum set allows for some beautiful tone banding that resembles the sound of the tabla. It is a sensitive instrument that lets the music breath.

This recording features the second version of the Alchillator.

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What is the Alchillator?

To a large degree, the expressiveness and interaction with an instrument is imposed by its anatomy. For example, the different constituent parts of a saxophone or a double bass do not only affect the timbres of the instruments but also their response to playing. The Alchillator consists of a software based stereophonic network of interconnected oscillators. The way the system is interfaced also significantly affects how the Alchillator is played. The anatomy of the Alchillator is therefore intangible and malleable. To avoid saturating the player with immensely wide sonic possibilities, the available parameters are carefully selected and ergonomically mapped to MIDI controllers. This allows for an agile real-time interaction and responsive playing conducive to the Alchillators’ distinct character.
Rather then being a solo instrument for generating exotic sounds, the Alchillator fits well in an improvised group setting, allowing the player to playfully shift perspectives and act as a trickster teasing out new forms of expression.