Sándor Szabó


Performing artist, Composer, Music researcher

Untitled Document


About the background of the Asymmetry album


It is unnecessary to introduce the great American bass player Michael Manring. We started to work together 10 years ago, and produced three albums. The first was "Inner Smile" from 2009; released by the German label Acoustic Music Records. Then in 2014 the album entitled "Fractal," released as a digital album. This was released by the American label Greydisc Records. Released in August 2017 is the new album "Asymmetry." When we recorded the first album, we omitted some tracks because they did not fit at that album. Eight years later, I remixed them using a new concept, and a new and exciting sound started to take shape.

I had an idea to make further recordings with the new sound. However, the big distance between where we live, and our schedules forced us to use a different way of working. Since I mixed Michael Manring and Kevin Kastning's 2011 duo album "In Winter," I had some unused tracks from this album project in my studio and I asked their permission to use the bass tracks for creating new music. They were both very supportive in this project, and I started to overdub some layers on the bass tracks. Bit by bit a completely new soundscape was born.

The musical content with exciting solutions is a conception based on several pillars. It was important to introduce the bass in an unusual role. Michael is able to play solo concerts sounding as a whole band introducing rich musical contents with exciting musical ideas. So his attitude inspired me to create a new music and sound.

From my part, I intented to create interesting and unusual combinations of instruments like lute, 16-string guitar, esraj, and guzheng together with fretless bass. I wanted to strengthen the feeling that the listener hears never-before-heard music in never-before-heard sounds. The sound became even richer by the playing of the great percussionist Balázs Major on the exotic udu and cymbals.

The title of the new album is "Asymmetry." The album displays a high artistic level not only in the music, but also in its sound. To create a new exciting soundscape, I boldly used the latest software plugins to get the proper result. Therefore, unusual spaces, atmospheres, moods appear on the recordings.

The album cover artwork and design is by László Hutton, the Hungarian photographic artist.

The album is released by the American label Greydisc Records in August 2017 as a digital download album. "Asymmetry" can be downloaded from CD Baby at d Asymmetry - Sandor Szabo. Listen @cdbaby.

I would like to express my thanks to my friends Michael Manring, Kevin Kastning and everyone at Greydisc, Balázs Major, and László Hutton.

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