Iztok Koren & Raphael Roginski

What happens when two restless seekers of sound find one another at the meeting place of tradition and experiment? Iztok Koren and Raphael Rogiński transform that encounter into a living landscape in which  folklore, improvisation and imagination blur. Their music is rooted in a deep respect for old sounds, but refuses to be pinned down by any single tradition. The result: a constantly transforming polyphony, rich in texture, nuance and tension.  With an arsenal of unconventional playing techniques and a fascination for alternative vocal systems, they construct a universe that feels archaic and futuristic at the same time. Their musical interplay is organic and intuitive, like a conversation without words. They themselves describe it as a “Byzantine-steppe tale”, a contemporary narration rooted in folklore, yet resolutely looking ahead. Live, that world unfolds as a hypnotic trip through unknown realms, a sonic tapestry in which cultures, ideas and voices converge in a language that transcends boundaries. Together, Koren and Rogiński find a shared sound that chafes, connects and continues to resonate, long after that last note has died away. Iztok Koren  Slovenian multi-instrumentalist Iztok Koren has been venturing off the beaten track for years now. From the playful post-rock of ŠKM banda to the raw noisecore duo Hexenbrutal and the internationally acclaimed freak-folk trio Širom: he’s always pushing the boundaries.  Also, he has developed a contemplative solo practice and composes for theatre, dance and film. With an impressive array of instruments, from banjo and balafon to morin khuur and synthesizer, he creates soundscapes that are both intimate and adventurous. Raphael Rogiński Raphael Rogiński is a guitarist, composer, tireless researcher, and is regarded as a key figure of the contemporary experimental and improv scene. With roots in jazz and classical music, and a far-ranging fascination for ethno-musicology, he explores sounds from Turkish, Kurdish and Armenian traditions (amongst others). His work constantly balances historical awareness and radical innovation, with projects that range from quirky reinterpretations of Bach and Purcell to collaborations with Roma musicians and avant-garde artists.  From an early age, Rogiński was driven by an intense artistic urge – initially as an aspiring sculptor, until the guitar crossed his path. His early playing style was raw and impetuous, but evolved into a style that today sounds elegant, refined and mediative, with subtle echoes of American primitivism. With a unique finger-picking technique, he creates a layered sound that has one suspecting multiple guitars playing at once. His cult status received an extra boost with the reissue of Plays John Coltrane and Langston Hughes (2015), hailed by Pitchfork as his masterpiece. In it, he radically reimagines Coltrane’s repertoire: recognition gives way to imagination and the distance to the original becomes exactly the power of his interpretations. Rogiński’s work is no reconstruction, but a reinvention. A constant quest for new forms beyond the familiar.