Germinal by Agustí Fernández & Ingar Zach

Germinal was the result of the first musical meeting between the Spanish pianist Agustí Fernández and the Norwegian percussionist Ingar Zach.

Fernández and Zach had been talking for a long time to initiate a collaboration, and finally the occasion came during Ingar's visit to Barcelona in March 2006. Agustí and Ingar recorded in a studio for about four hours, and the music they recorded was absolutely germinal (see below for an explanation).

The CD was released on 07.07.2008 on the label Plastic Strip label, and it was the first time this label had moved into contemporary improvisation music, but when the editor, Lars Mørch Finborud got these subliminal recordings in his hands, genre or style didn’t matter to him.

This release has a genuine, personal character, and the total spectrum of sounds that are being presented melt together like one instrument. The musicians' focus makes you think that the two are in possession of a common, unique approach to listening. The music flows in many directions, free of boundaries and genres.


"Reasons for a title" by Agustí Fernández (from the original CD-text)

1. Firstly, Germinal (from the Latin germen, seed) refers to a seed that germinates, is transformed, and the ability that things have to develop. There are also cells known as germline cells which contain the genetic material that is transmitted to the next generation. And I see our music as being highly germinal, in the sense that it is organic, evolving unstoppably from the tiny initial seed and developing in a completely natural way.


2. Germinal is also a man's name in Spain. It was popular in the early-20th century, when Spanish anarchists formed the world's social vanguard. For them, Germinal was a symbol of freedom, of faith in people, of hope for a future when people would be free of the bonds of power. Then came the Civil War, Franco and the rest. But those ideas remained in people's hearts. I myself have met several men named Germinal, descendants of those early anarchists.


3. Germinal is also the title of Émile Zola's famous novel, a passionate, powerful denouncement of exploitation and oppression that no doubt helped to inspire many Spanish anarchists.


4. Long ago, moreover, Germinal was the name given in France to the month from mid-March to mid-April as part of the French Revolution's attempt to rename the months of the year and establish a new republican calendar.


5. As the title of the first recording by a new group, I think that Germinal bodes well.


6. Finally, I also think the name Germinal suits the dog on the cover very well.

Independent label of free improvised music promoted by Agustí Fernández

agustifernandez.com