Sparked by viewing Pablo Picasso’s mysterious absinthe glass sculptures at MoMA, renowned cellist Erik Friedlander and his new band Throw A Glass - Uri Caine on piano, Mark Helias on bass, and Ches Smith on drums - spent the next year and a half writing and recording Artemisia (April 11 / SkipStone), a concept album on the murky history of absinthe and its use as a brain-bending hallucinogen. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so strongly about one of my projects,” says Friedlander, who composed both hypnotic meditations on obsession and songs that optimistically chase euphoria and the "green fairy."
“That sense of never-ending intrigue and discovery is one of the most redeeming qualities of Friedlander as a person and a player,” writes Pitchfork. “On first look, the glasses were kind of pretty, innocent,” Erik remembers. “But as I looked more closely, I saw that Picasso had torn away the fronts of the glasses, revealing their insides. Was Picasso commenting on the effects of absinthe? Does it tear away one's exterior?”
Described as an “ingenious cellist who makes an art of soulful rusticity” (The New York Times), Friedlander formed Throw A Glass for a gig at The Stone in New York City. “I was blown away by the chemistry,” adds Erik, who got his start in New York City’s avant-garde Downtown music scene and has performed with everyone from The Mountain Goats, Mike Patton and Courtney Love to John Zorn, Dave Douglas and Wynton Marsalis. The quartet recorded Artemisia in May of 2017, during a productive two-day session at The Bunker in Brooklyn.
Artemisia is a record about inspiration and where it comes from. “So often we're looking for 'the great revelation' and missing the daily miracle that's there in plain sight,” says Friedlander. “Moments of synchronicity, miracles of counterpoint, things that have never happened before and will elude you if you try baldly go after them again. These are things to cherish. The so-called "revelation" is fool's gold."
ARTEMISIA 3 10" LP BOXSET
The exquisite new 3LP boxset of Erik Friedlander's newest project, "Artemsia" has finally arrived and is available now. Artemisia comes in a jet black slipcover, containing 3 absinthe-green LPs, featuring the amazing performances by Throw A Glass, artwork by Akino Kondoh, and design by Rob Jones. Pick it up now!
Produced by Erik Friedlander
Engineered and Mixed by Scott Solter
Recorded May 25-26, 2017 at Bunker Studios, NYC
Mixed August 2017 at Orient Street in Durham, NC
Mastered by Steve Berson at Total Sonic Media
Original Artwork by Akino Kondoh
Design by Rob Jones
Project Supervised by Dexter Dine
All Music Composed by Erik Friedlander (ASCAP)
Performed by Throw A Glass: Erik Friedlander, cello; Uri Caine, pno; Mark Helias, bs; Ches Smith, dr
©2018 Arconomx Music LLC
