Sketchbook is a new Mini Album from MetaQuorum. Why did we call it Sketchbook? For three reasons:
Firstly, because some of the musical material which went into this short album came from bits of score scribbled on odd scraps of notation paper by Dmitry. Although the sketches span many years and geographical locations, most have one thing in common: until now, they have never been properly developed or recoded.
Secondly, because the pieces are quite short – the shortest track, Inspirations, is just 01:26 and the longest, City Folks is 03:54.
And, lastly, because the tracks are musical sketches that express diverse visual and mental landscapes, moods and stories.
A combination of methods and techniques went into composing, arranging and recording the 7 instrumental tracks that make up this Mini Album. Compared with MetaQuorum’s last album, Witchcraft Jazz (2018), the compositions and arrangements here are quite different. Sketchbook is a kind of ‘chamber’ album with no complex layers and instrumentation and a much stronger ‘rock’ and ‘neo-baroque’ component, yet it still bears the unmistakable hallmark of MetaQuorum’s signature Meld and Structural Fusion styles, albeit in a new sonic incarnation. In contrast to Witchcraft Jazz, which boasted a team of seven musicians and sound engineers, Sketchbook is the work of just two musicians from the previous line-up – Dmitry Ermakov on keys and synths and Koos van der Velde on drums and percussion. This Mini Album is also different in terms of production. The album was made on a shoestring budget and so not only the recording but also mastering (Dmitry’s mastering debut!) was done entirely in-house. Dmitry recorded keyboard and synth parts in the North Pennines, UK and then sent them over to the other side of the North Sea to Koos who laid in the drums in Friesland, Netherlands. The recordings were then mixed and mastered by Dmitry in the UK. Dmitry also created he cover art for Dilemma, which is coming out as a single on the 5th February 2024 ahead of the full Mini Album release, as well as all other individual tracks for Bandcamp release, and of course for Sketchbook itself. The whole Mini Album is being released through The State51 Conspiracy distribution company on 14th March 2024.
Established in 2014, MetaQuorum is a ground-breaking international music project by composer/keyboardist Dmitry Ermakov
playing Meld, a fusion of Funk, Prog, Rock, Jazz, Electronica and more.
Core musicians:
Dmitry Ermakov .
Koos van der Velde
Victor Mikheyev
For full bio, including discography please visit: metaquorum.uk...more
The Long Island metal band's third album etches arena-sized hooks into their jagged compositions, deftly balancing experimental and poppy inclinations. Bandcamp Album of the Day May 12, 2022