A Platform for Ethnically and Culturally Inspired Music
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Open-minded music (not only) for open-minded people.
Reunite Plato, the viola da gamba (acoustic & electric), dust off Baroque and Jazz, Electronics without Terminator, while staying original, is possible!
In short: it's modern Western European Consort Music, with improvisation.
Using all technical possibilities across all contemporary music genres.
"Oriental sounds reflect in space, nest in the ears, delight the senses. Heard alongside the Indian vocalist, the viola da gamba radiates exoticism: like the lute, it has its ancient roots in the Near East, was for centuries one of the most popular instruments across Europe, and has made a comeback with the recent popularity of Baroque music.
From this hybrid instrument, French composer Gilles Zimmermann draws unexpected sounds; modern yet timeless, fragile yet powerful... touching the inner soul.
He and his new album „The Missing Link“ mix Oriental and European sounds, sometimes with subtle elements of rock, then moving on to more chamber- and jazz-oriented sounds."
Peter Baier, Süddeutsche Zeitung
Composer and instrumentalist dedicated to modern viola da gamba (acoustic and electric), creates an original form of contemporary improvised music, using elements from medieval, world music, jazz, contemporary music, electronics as well as various popular music, with no boundaries. Plays acoustic & electric viola da gamba over laptop and Live Ableton.
Apart from Western culture (Bach, Satie, Ravel, Monk to Hendrix and Frank Zappa), his musical sources are European (from Ireland to the Balkans through Andalusia), and Arabian, Indian, and African. Some say "world music"... yes, coming from Lorraine...
After nearly 15 years of blues/rock/jazz guitar and bass, changed to the viola da gamba in 1993. Took some years to (re-)gain the same level as the guitar. The instrument changed his vision of music completely. Though he does like some of the Baroque music for the viol, this music is not his world and he wants to show all the facets of this wonderful instrument in all sorts of other musical contexts. Plays a lot with Oriental musicians (Persian, Indian, Arabian).
1997 - 1st CD "La Nuit et le Jour" with acoustic and overtone singing
1999 - 2nd CD "Transports" mixing live and studio recordings
2013 - 3rd CD "The Missing Link" featuring modern viola da gamba + Indian and French musicians
2016 - EP "The Wind Cries Satie" 4 arrangements of Erik Satie's music
2016 - Single "Asian Fans" 5/4 ballet piece about serenity, for Modern Broken Consort, with viola da gamba, Tibetan bowls, marimba, glockenspiel, gamelan, hang, surdo, chimes, claves, finger snaps & electronics - Used in Vietnam TV documentary "Vietnam Tim Toi"
2017 - CD "Serene Apocalypse" various solo improvisations on the viol and 3 orchestral compositions for Xavier Mignon's DVD about St. John's Apocalypse
2019 - CD "The Wind Cries Satie" with 11 further arrangements of Erik Satie's music, 7 Gnossiennes, 3 Gymnopédies + 1 extra will be released at the beginning of 2019
Music for 2 documentaries for Vietnam TV
Music for "The Little Thing Has Many Faces" - documentary by Manouchehr Abrontan
2023 "Le Lai de l'Eau" new series of inspirational music and videos
Music comes from the muses, not the museums!
Reunite Plato, the viola da gamba (acoustic & electric), dust off Baroque and Jazz, Electronics without Terminator, while staying original, is possible!
In short: it's modern Western European Consort Music, with improvisation.
Using all technical possibilities across all contemporary music genres.
"Oriental sounds reflect in space, nest in the ears, delight the senses. Heard alongside the Indian vocalist, the viola da gamba radiates exoticism: like the lute, it has its ancient roots in the Near East, was for centuries one of the most popular instruments across Europe, and has made a comeback with the recent popularity of Baroque music.
From this hybrid instrument, French composer Gilles Zimmermann draws unexpected sounds; modern yet timeless, fragile yet powerful... touching the inner soul.
He and his new album „The Missing Link“ mix Oriental and European sounds, sometimes with subtle elements of rock, then moving on to more chamber- and jazz-oriented sounds."
Peter Baier, Süddeutsche Zeitung
Composer and instrumentalist dedicated to modern viola da gamba (acoustic and electric), creates an original form of contemporary improvised music, using elements from medieval, world music, jazz, contemporary music, electronics as well as various popular music, with no boundaries. Plays acoustic & electric viola da gamba over laptop and Live Ableton.
Apart from Western culture (Bach, Satie, Ravel, Monk to Hendrix and Frank Zappa), his musical sources are European (from Ireland to the Balkans through Andalusia), and Arabian, Indian, and African. Some say "world music"... yes, coming from Lorraine...
After nearly 15 years of blues/rock/jazz guitar and bass, changed to the viola da gamba in 1993. Took some years to (re-)gain the same level as the guitar. The instrument changed his vision of music completely. Though he does like some of the Baroque music for the viol, this music is not his world and he wants to show all the facets of this wonderful instrument in all sorts of other musical contexts. Plays a lot with Oriental musicians (Persian, Indian, Arabian).
1997 - 1st CD "La Nuit et le Jour" with acoustic and overtone singing
1999 - 2nd CD "Transports" mixing live and studio recordings
2013 - 3rd CD "The Missing Link" featuring modern viola da gamba + Indian and French musicians
2016 - EP "The Wind Cries Satie" 4 arrangements of Erik Satie's music
2016 - Single "Asian Fans" 5/4 ballet piece about serenity, for Modern Broken Consort, with viola da gamba, Tibetan bowls, marimba, glockenspiel, gamelan, hang, surdo, chimes, claves, finger snaps & electronics - Used in Vietnam TV documentary "Vietnam Tim Toi"
2017 - CD "Serene Apocalypse" various solo improvisations on the viol and 3 orchestral compositions for Xavier Mignon's DVD about St. John's Apocalypse
2019 - CD "The Wind Cries Satie" with 11 further arrangements of Erik Satie's music, 7 Gnossiennes, 3 Gymnopédies + 1 extra will be released at the beginning of 2019
Music for 2 documentaries for Vietnam TV
Music for "The Little Thing Has Many Faces" - documentary by Manouchehr Abrontan
2023 "Le Lai de l'Eau" new series of inspirational music and videos
Music comes from the muses, not the museums!
