Dawn of Midi is an American acoustic ensemble from Brooklyn. The group is composed of bassist Aakaash Israni, pianist Amino Belyamani and drummer Qasim Naqvi. The group formed in 2007 in Los Angeles.
Though they consist of the same instrumentation used in traditional jazz piano trios, they "torture their instruments by playing as few notes as humanly possible. They write barely-there melodies that chase their own tails. They establish mercurial rhythms
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Dawn of Midi is an American acoustic ensemble from Brooklyn. The group is composed of bassist Aakaash Israni, pianist Amino Belyamani and drummer Qasim Naqvi. The group formed in 2007 in Los Angeles.
Though they consist of the same instrumentation used in traditional jazz piano trios, they "torture their instruments by playing as few notes as humanly possible. They write barely-there melodies that chase their own tails. They establish mercurial rhythms that are confusingly simple -- three humans dovetailing instrumental loops into thousands of subtly different permutations. It sounds close to an acoustic Beak> session playing a Steve Reich composition, though even closer to something totally unprecedented".
Buy Dysnomia:
iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/album/dysnomia/id679378282
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Dysnomia-Dawn-Midi/dp/B00DJYK7JI
Amazon mp3: www.amazon.com/Dysnomia/dp/B00E5UHIN8/ref=mb_oe_o
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" Something totally unprecedented " - Pitchfork
" Sounds like something completely different " - NPR
" Cannot urge you more strongly: go see Dawn of Midi " - Sasha Frere-Jones, The New Yorker
" An unplugged translation of contemporary electronica...state-of-the-art. " - Time Out NY
" Seriously never seen anything like these guys " - Jad Abumrad, Radiolab
" It sounds like nothing else right now " - The Guardian
" a mysterious, vital sound with a pull all its own " - Los Angeles Times
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Dysnomia Album Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YaVKryEzPo
Pitchfork : pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/183…-of-midi-dysnomia/
NPR: www.npr.org/2013/08/03/20830823…ly-sounds-like-jazz
Rolling Stone : www.rollingstone.com/music/news/alg…e-mp3-20130626
The Believer Magazine 2013 Music Compilation : www.believermag.com/issues/201307/?…=notes_simonini
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Thristy Ear Recordings is thrilled to debut Dawn of Midi's upcoming sophomore full-length Dysnomia, out August 6th, 2013.
Following 2010's improvised debut First and their free, aptly-titled EP Live, Dysnomia is in many ways the first record that truly reflects the trio's critically acclaimed live show, resulting in their most mesmerizing work yet. Mixed by Rusty Santos (Animal Collective, Owen Pallett, DJ Rashad), Dysnomia stands as a test of endurance and trust that involves bassist Aakaash Israni, pianist Amino Belyamani and percussionist Qasim Naqvi performing their compositions note-for-note without ever appearing the least bit predictable. If anything, Dawn of Midi's sets are as red-blooded and rhythmic as a seamlessly mixed DJ set, casting spells on crowds in the same way the group's favorite experimental and electronic acts have for decades.
Having met during their studies at CalArts and hailing from diverse cultural backgrounds, Dawn of Midi is now Brooklyn-based and touring open-minded markets worldwide. As carefully cultivated as their aesthetic is, it's also been known to incorporate, willfully and otherwise, such wildly divergent influences and interests as Aphex Twin, the Police, Can and Ms. Pac-Man. And when they really fall for a record-like they did with Dr. K. Gyasi after hearing his highlife hooks in Berlin-it quickly raises the bar of what they want from their own music.
Hence how Dysnomia ended up being recorded, mixed and mastered in its entirety twice. As Israni explains, "Late one night, I realized the record we had just made wasn't the quantum leap we needed, so we started over. Then it was another year and a half of rehearsing and composing before we could go in the studio again."
It shows. While the original version was improvised like the trio's critically acclaimed debut (2010's First), the final 46-minute cut is a brooding balancing act between a fascination with structure and a desire to create their own definition of dance music. Set aside an hour to experience the multi-movement title track in full and you'll hear what we mean, as a language only Dawn of Midi truly understands locks into one long, seemingly endless groove and mixer Rusty Santos makes sure every last high-wire hook hits you square in the chest, even the quiet parts.
"It's interesting with this piece," says Naqvi. "There's actual music in the silences. You could almost take the negative space and make something completely different with it."
"The spaces between the dialogues of the notes are filled in by the body of the listener," adds Israni, "and they complete the circuit, leaving one option-to dance."
Follow us: @dawnofmidi on Twitter (twitter.com/dawnofmidi) | Dawn of Midi on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DawnofMidi)
Dysnomia Album trailer: vimeo.com/dawnofmidi/dysnomia
Composed by Amino Belyamani and Aakaash Israni
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…shrink me down again
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