Croatian alternative/avant-garde/stoner/jazz collective Grinded Grin return with a brand new concept album »Charlatan«!
Aleksandar Vrhovec and his alternative/avant-garde/stoner/jazz collective Grinded Grin are back with a brand new concept album, »Charlatan«, which was just released on March 14th, 2024.
Tracklist:
01. Subterfuge’s Prelude
02. Masquerade
03. Deceptive Delirium
04. Ascent Into Illusion
05. Machiavellian
06. Pinnacle Of Illusion
07. Epiphany’s Exposure
About the album:
After the release of the album »Fledge« in 2023, Vrhovec once again disbanded Grinded Grin and this time created a conceptual album that follows the career of a charlatan. The album »Charlatan« is a story in 7 songs that leads from the realization of charlatanism, attempts at tricks, perfecting them, to uncovering the network of deception and withdrawal. The album was recorded with the help of top foreign musicians: drum samples by Linda-Philomene Tsoungui (The Mars Volta), Josué García on trumpet, Michele Fortunato on didgeridoo, once again Artur Lenivenko on synth, Javier Morales with Mongolian vocals and on the morin khuur instrument, Sebastian Lopez on saxophone. Among domestic musicians, Vedran Momčilović is again on saxophone and for the first time in Grin, Marin Mitić on guitar and bass (Mycena).
About Grinded Grin:
Grinded Grin is an experimental rock collective from Koprivnica whose members change depending on the vision of each album. Through improvisation, they delve into post-rock, and often through metal into free jazz. Grinded Grin was founded by Aleksandar Vrhovec in 2005, and after a 13-year hibernation, it was reanimated and shaped through several forms. The album »Reset« from 2018 was written for top world jazz musicians, and in 2020 they formed as a Koprivnica collective. In 2021, they started a series of 5 albums (»Terra«, »Paramnesia«, »Biota«, »Talk, and »Orison«). For Vrhovec, the idea then was to gather the most suitable local musicians for any improvisation scenario. The recording concept was to capture the feeling from the room where everyone plays together, and they connect to each other at a given moment without verbal agreement. Vrhovec alternated between guitar and synth, while the rest of the team included Igor Vidaković on drums, Leonardo Ivačić and Karlo Cmrk on bass guitar; Petar Unger on saxophone, flutes, and vocals, and Vedran Momčilović on saxophone. In 2021, the album »Immersed« was released, recorded as a trio: Karlo Cmrk on bass, Igor Vidaković on drums, and Vrhovec on keyboards. In 2021, the recording of the 10th album »Fledge« began, which was released on October 13, 2023, with a shift in production and a turn towards prog rock and mantra riffs. The last song »Rencounter« is a live drum duel. Nina Kraljić sang on »Aperture« and »Anthropoid«. 2024 is the year for the album »Charlatan«.
All songs were written by Grinded Grin.
Produced, mixed and mastered by Aleksandar Vrhovec.
Team who recorded the album:
Aleksandar Vrhovec – Guitar, Bass, Synth
Linda-Philomene Tsoungui – Drum Loops
Josué García – Trumpet (3)
Michele Fortunato – Didgeridoo (2,3)
Artur Lenivenko – Piano (2,7)
Javier Morales – Vocals, Morin Khuur (1,2)
Sebastian Lopez – Saxophone (7)
Marin Mitić – Guitar, Bass (7)
Vedran Momčilović – Saxophone (4)
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well