Groove Possessed
Electronic Groove Music of
Gene Pritsker
COMPOSERS CONCORDANCE RECORDS
COMCON0034
Release 03/24/2016
Distributed by Naxos
Bar Code: 682500379703
Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Gene Pritsker at Noizepunk Studios
Art by Mark Kostabi
Composer Gene Pritsker has written over five hundred seventy compositions, including chamber operas, orchestral and chamber works, electro-acoustic music and songs for hip-hop and rock ensembles. All of his compositions employ an eclectic spectrum of styles and are influenced by his studies of various musical cultures. The new electronic album ‘Groove Possessed’ focuses on his recorded electronic music. Gene has been working on these tracks for the past 15 years and in this album he finally combines them all in a cohesive groove oriented release. The music is eclectic, like all of Genes compositions, and features an array of instrumentalists and singers throughout the album. Including: Peter Krysa - Violins, Edmundo Ramirez - viola, David Gotay - cello, Ninni Lindh - voice, Mat Fieldes - bass, Borislav Strulev - cello, Sebastian Izya Pritsker - voice, Kim Pritsker - voice, Chanda Rule - voice, Joe Abba - drums, David Banks - voice and Gene himself on guitar, keys, bass, voice.
From instrumental tracks like ‘My Heart Goes’, ‘Water Possessed’, ‘Illusion Blue’ and ‘Camus Absurd Man’ that are inspired by samples of various world instruments and voices to catchy songs like ‘Cold As I Am’, ‘Every Time I See You Smile’, and ‘Cool it Out’ the album grooves and is produced to make you move. Other more unconventional tracks like ‘Circuit Red’, ‘Fast Unseen Reality’, ‘Paradoxes’, ‘Certain Lightness’, ‘JUST’, and ‘Idea Through Desire’ highlight how compositions can be shaped by audio production in the 21st century. The album also has a few commercial sounding tracks like ‘KLAIM’, ‘Feline Black’ and ‘PER’ that smooth out the recording. We end with a track from the mid 90’s; ‘Fades To Debussy’, where an orchestral excerpt of Debussy is sampled and turned into a hypnotic groove.
MUSIC:
1. My Heart Goes
Peter Krysa - violins, Edmundo Ramirez - viola, David Gotay - cello
2. Cold As I Am
Ninni Lindh - voice, Peter Krysa - violins, Borislav Strulev - cello, Gene Pritsker - guitar
3. Circuit Red
4. Camus Absurd Man
Gene Pritsker - guitar/synth./bass
5. Fast Unseen Reality
6. Water Possessed (After J.S. Bach)
Peter Krysa - violins
7. JUST
8. Every Time I See You Smile
Sebastian Izya Pritsker - voice, Kim Pritsker - voice, Gene Pritsker - guitar/voice,
9. Paradoxes
Peter Krysa - violins, Edmundo Ramirez - viola, David Gotay - cello, Mat Fieldes - bass,
Gene Pritsker - guitar
10. Illusion Blue
11. Idea Through Desire
12. KLAIM
Chanda Rule - voice
13. Certain Lightness
Gene Pritsker - guitar, Joe Abba - drums
14. PER
15. Cool It Out
David Banks - voice, Gene Pritsker - guitar
16. Feline Black
17. Fades To Debussy
Reviews:
REVEIWS:
"Are you ready for a game-changing, trend-setting record that doesn’t play by conventional rules or standards? If you said yes, then ‘Groove Possessed’ by Gene Pritsker is your ultimate destination as Gene is your musical wizard with plenty of tricks under his sleeve.“
"he continues to push musical boundaries by creating compositions that are like no other and can’t be categorized. The beauty of Gene’s music and the magic behind it is that you’re getting a healthy ‘n’ hearty mix of elements & styles that can’t be contained within a box of the same old, same old.”
"Groove Possessed’ centers around recorded electronic music that will simply blow your mind and excite your eardrums. You’ll hear pockets of rock, pop,
classical, symphony, World music, jazz/jazz fusion, hip-hop, funk, dance and everything else in between from here to the sun.”
"Gene Pritsker’s inventive and eclectic vision has come to light on ‘Groove Possessed’ offering the listener a one-of-a-kind experience. This album says the hell with mainstream music and pigeon-holed genres and hello to a fresh, innovative approach that is freeing. Every song on ‘Groove Possessed’ has its own identity and feel that will have your senses running wild.”
"Gene Pritsker gives to you recorded electronic music that can’t be duplicated."
"If you’re looking for something completely different and want to give your ears an enjoyable workout well then ‘Groove Possessed’ is your ticket."
- James Rae Jr., Skope Magazine, August 3, 2016 READ FULL
“Gene Pritsker's versatility keeps amazing me. On one of his recent albums, "Groove Possessed", Gene presents a diverse collection of compositions. From the hyper-energetic (and even Zappa-esque) 'My Heart Goes' over the uptempo dub 'Illusion Blue' to the electronic / classical 'Fades To Debussy', this album will not cease to amaze you.
So get out these headphones and check out "Groove Possessed".
- Peter Van Laarhoven, United-Mutations, Nov. 2, 2016 READ FULL
Reviews about Gene Pritsker’s Music:
"...audacious...multitalented."
- The New York Times
"dissolving the artificial boundaries between high brow, low brow, classical, popular musics and elevates the idea that if it's done well it is great music, regardless of the style or genre".
- The Music Connoisseur
"Barring the obvious exceptions, much of 21st century composition appears to be thinning in significance, but this might be about to change. Gene Pritsker is one of a very spare handful of composers effecting this change."
- All About Jazz
"Pritsker seems to look at all music as one genre, in which all other possible styles, sounds and traditions are meant to be used as building blocks and palette colors, combined in various configurations to create a boundless whole. This result is almost always more interesting, and representative of how most new music will be born in the 21st century, as genres and barriers begin to vanish, and as styles begin cross-fertilizing in previously unimagined ways."
- ICareIf YouListen
"His expressive reach is so wide as to encompass everything from ethno/techno, rock/jazz fusion, classical opera and more, and it all seems to be effortlessly integrated within his anima and comes out through different facets of his persona. You could almost see him as a modern day renaissance man. “
- Classical Music Sentinel
“Pritsker may very well be the next generation of musical magicians to successfully grace that hotbed of musical eclecticism... I must say that his eclecticism and embrace of a wide variety of musical devices puts me in the mind of some of Stravinsky's work at times. But Pritsker is not derivative, rather he wields a large palette."
- Newmusicbuff
"Pritsker has a natural ability to write music that is unselfconsciously original and absorbing in a way that resembles nobody else." "a new work of real importance, a chamber opera that stands out as exemplary for our times...It's in its own way a triumph, an example of why Gene Pritsker is an outstandingly innovative voice on the current scene. Highly recommended!" ""Pritsker's score pulls it all together with some excellent music in the Pritskerian style, modern and convincingly fashioned, adding jazz and rock elements subtly but effectively, filled with inventive music very well conceived and orchestrated"
- Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music