"The two instruments allow me different approaches and ways of being in music, one for the most delicate and acoustic sensory sense, the other for the most visceral and heavy form. It is the balance of the two that end up making my way to be in music and have as conducting line the experimentalism".
(Diz)Sonâncias (DS): You're completely into the jazzcore and improvisational scene. Tell us a little about your journey and how you stayed in Holland.
Gonçalo Almeida (GA): My first steps in musical training were at the Hot Club and that's where I got into the study of bass. There were years of study of the jazz language alongside classical music, but it was in the Rotterdam jazz department that I ended up going to study in 2002/03. This turned out to be the reason that led me to live in Holland, country and city where I am still a resident.
(DS) It feels like metal is immensely present in your work. Where and when did this influence come?
(GA) I had a taste for music from early on, although jazz appeared later when I decided to go to Hot Club, I already had a great interest in alternative music from metal to progressive rock, etc. That was the reason why started playing electric bass and to have huge satisfaction to play in garage bands and to be constantly exchanging records with friends. These roots and tastes were always with me.
(DS) Do you think Portugal is well positioned in the European jazz scene (venues, concerts, promotion and attendance at concerts and events)? What points do you consider relevant in what is done here?
(GA) I believe that Portugal has an increasingly varied, active and healthy environment with regard to jazz and improvised music. With receptive public and with new alternative spaces, in addition to the already known venues, clubs and festivals, to promote this type of music.
An example of this is the variety of festivals throughout the year and the country, with city councils betting on such events. It would, however, be good if there were more support and decentralized spaces in the capital beyond the festivals, so that a wider circuit could be created.
(DS) I failed the gigs of Ikizukuri and Albatre in SMUP (Parede, Lisbon). Is that attic one of your election spots? What is the vibe of the concerts there?
(GA) In the last few years I have created a special affection for SMUP, for having played there with a lot of projects and the reception and attention of the public have always been exceptional. This turned out to be already revealed in two discs recorded in that space (The Attic and Multiverse).
For those who have already played there, they knows how intimate that attic is and invites to music of maximum concentration. I think it's the result of a formula that involves space, who organizes it, audience and musicians.
(DS) It is natural, in the landscape in which you develop work, that musicians unite synergies and create in a free and spontaneous way. Are there any particular musicians with whom you feel the most empathy at the time of creation? How do you view and interpret the creation process?
(GA) One of the interesting points in free improvisation music is precisely the fact that it is often a way of getting to know the musician and the person with whom we play. Spontaneity is part of this dialogue and openness and trust are undoubtedly essential. I love meeting up with friends this way and playing in many different projects for the same reason.
(DS) Does your search for new sounds, musicians and projects determine your creative process? What are your motivations for feeding the creative process?
(GA) I enjoy constantly exploring different musical constellations, it is a personal and creative need. Interacting with different musicians/instruments and looking for synergies that lead to varied results gives me immense joy. It is also a way to be constantly active and explore music in various ways, always with experimentation as background.
(DS) In the musical landscape: Portugal Vs Holanda. Who wins?
(GA) Tied to the end, without penalties and with the two winners. I can not see things that way, both musical environments are rich and have a scene of their own. It is true that jazz and improvised music have a richer and more established history in the Netherlands, but I believe that Portugal has an overall rich and special creative sense, which results in a quality of musicians and jazz projects and improvised music, the best that is done on european scene today.
(DS) Electric Bass Vs Double Bass. Your eternal passion falls upon which?
(GA) This is the question of Ying Yang. The two instruments allow me different approaches and ways of being in music, one for the most delicate and acoustic sensory sense, the other for the most visceral and heavy form. It is the balance of the two that end up making my way to be in music and have as conducting line the experimentalism. However I confess that the double bass is the instrument that I try to explore more and with which I feel a special affection.
(DS) You also have your site artalmeida. Is painting a complement to music? Do you consider the crossing between the different artistic expressions important? How do you see this crossing?
(GA) Creative processes are even similar, since spontaneity and experimentation are in both disciplines a conduit for my work. The painting ends up occupying a more private space and happens for periods, sometimes in the moments in which I am freer of the music. Sometimes it is an escape from everything and that I use only for myself.
(DS) Tell us a little bit more about this year of 2019?
(GA) 2019 has been an active year, with several tours with different projects across Europe. In addition to the albums already released this year (Cement Shoes, Multiverse and The Selva) highlight to the last one, The Attic "Summer Bummer."