El Amigo by Aquiles Hadjis / Antonio Mazzei

Aquiles Hadjis was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela. In 2009 he moved to Tokyo, and in 2017 he received a Ph.D. in Fine Arts from the Department of Painting at Tokyo University of the Arts. Still based in Tokyo, he is engaged in creative work in the fields of film, painting and music. Antonio Mazzei, also from Venezuela, is a pianist and composer. He studied with Fred Hersch and Kevin Hays at New York's New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, and has since continued his performing activity. Mazzei currently lives in Barcelona, Spain.

Aquiles used the opportunity of Mazzei’s visit to Tokyo in November 2023 to organize a duo concert at Ftarri, Tokyo, on November 12th. One of their performances is documented on this CD, in a single 49-minute track. Hadjis played a self-made synthesizer, self-made electric stringed instrument and hichiriki (traditional Japanese wind instrument), while Mazzei played Ftarri’s upright piano. Mazzei responds with contemporary-jazz-style piano playing to the noises scattered by Hadjis, making for a performance enveloped in a curious charm.

Aquiles Hadjis はベネズエラ、マラカイボ出身。2009年に東京に移り、2017年、東京藝術大学美術学部油画研究科博士後期課程修了。その後も東京を拠点に、映像、絵画、音楽の分野で制作活動を続けている。Antonio Mazzei も同じくベネズエラ出身のピアニスト / 作曲家。ニューヨークの New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music で、Fred Hersch と Kevin Hays に師事。その後、演奏活動を続け、現在はスペイン、バルセロナに住んでいる。

2023年11月に Antonio Mazzei が東京を訪れた機会を捉え、Aquiles Hadjis は11月12日に東京 Ftarri でのデュオ・コンサートを企画。本CDにはその時のライヴ演奏、49分の1曲を収録。Aquiles Hadjis は自作シンセサイザー、自作エレクトリック弦楽器、篳篥を、Antonio Mazzei は Ftarri のアップライト・ピアノを使用。Hadjis が撒き散らすノイズに、Mazzei が現代ジャズ風ピアノ演奏で対応する。まるでノイズ X ECMジャズのような、不思議な魅力を纏った演奏。