Line-up:
Marina Sobyanina – composition, keys, vocals & electronics
Sergey Balashov – drums, toys
Oleg Mariakhin – baritone saxophone & electronics
Maximilian Grossenbacher – double bass
JAZZATOR is a Russian-Swiss quartet that has embarked upon an adventurous mission of blending chamber music and jazz, free improvisation and wild post-breakbeat grooving. The result is a powerful iconoclastic sound. The musicians have fun with complicated rhythmic structures and intense textures and at the same time don’t compromise the melodic beauty of their compositions. Original compositions by Marina Sobyanina get further enlivened by improvised acrobatics on the instruments and practical jokes that musicians play on each other and the audience.
JAZZATOR has released three studio albums and appeared at multiple European jazz festivals such as London Jazz Festival (UK), BeJazz Transnational (CH), Bohemia Jazz Festival (CZ), Jazzwerkstatt Bern (CH), Usadba Jazz (Ru) etc.
The band’s leader Marina Sobyanina has shared stage with Bobby McFerrin (in his wordless opera “Bobble”), Zap Mama (Marie Daulne), Andreas Schaerer and other prominent artists. Marina is active both in the European and Russian music scene composing for different ensembles, from contemporary chamber to larger orchestras and experimental line-ups.
Contact: jazzator(at)jazzator.com
+41 76 695 62 12 (CH) / +43 699 10928774 (AUT) / +7 926 838 95 38 (RU)
Selected reviews
“Das russisch-schweizerische Quartett um die Sängerin und Pianistin Marina Sobyanina kennt für seine Musik keine Grenzen… Kompakt pulsierende Beats und schräge Takte erinnern an Bartók und Funk zugleich, kleine Überraschungen lauern in jeder Komposition…Souverän, ganz eigen und fesselnd ist der Sound dieser Band.” (Jazz Thing, Germany)
“Das russisch-schweizerische Quartett vermag es, Punk und Prokofiev spannungsgeladen, mit viel Spielwitz und aufs Feinste auf einen Nenner zu bringen” (Jazz’n’More, Switzerland)
“Eine abenteuerliche, höchst spannende Verschränkung von Punk-Jazz, Song-writing, freier Improvisation und repetitiver zeitgenössischer Kammermusik“ (Ö1, Austria)
“Nonagon”… spannt den Bogen ziemlich weit von improvisiertem Jazz über Kammermusik, russischer Folklore bis hin zu klassischer Musik… Eine absolut hörenswerte Aufnahme, bei der es einiges zu entdecken gilt. Sehr empfehlenswert!” (InMusic, Austria)
“Energie, Flow und Form läutet das musikalische Credo von Marina Sobyanina. Die Musik der jungen Powerfrau und ihres Trios JAZZATOR klingt ebenso crazy wie vielversprechend. Ihre Lieblingskomponisten sind Strawinsky, Bartok und Ligeti…“ (Jazz’n’More, Switzerland)
“A first encounter with JAZZATOR leaves a strong impression. The voice of Marina Sobyanina is not for the faint-hearted… Her vocal acrobatics have been recognized far and wide… Experiment and calculated risk are both on display. In short, there’s an overriding air of expertise and dizzying potential… “ (Farfrommoscow, U.S.)
“This is sort of an acoustic punk-jazz equipped with amazing vocals imitating things, piano passages reminiscent of Bartok and Prokofiev and the-Necks-style minimalist repetitions. An acoustic reproduction of electric rock energy is what JAZZATOR has in common with the European post-jazz wave: bands like Fire, Acoustic Ladyland and Neil Cowley Trio. “(Radio Culture, Russia)
“Vocalist and piano player Marina Sobyanina and her band … show us an unusual approach to free jazz. On the “Dome” album there’s space for unrest and hysteria, broken rhythms, piano explosions, saxophone shrieks, but each avant-garde fragment leaves us a hope for some traditional harmony. And vice versa.“ (The Moscow Times, Russia)