The Squid's Ear Magazine


Zero Point (Rick Countryman / German Bringas / Itzam Cano / Gabriel Lauber): Determinism (FMR)

An exciting meeting of free improvisers featuring saxophonists Rick Countryman and Germán Bringas — whose synesthetic explorations have defined Mexico City's free jazz underground since the '90s with his band Zero Point — updated here with bassist Itzam Cano and drummer Gabriel Lauber, Countryman joining while in Mexico City for this fiercely interactive 2022 session of profound sonic reflections.
 

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Personnel:



German Bringas-soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone

Itzam Cano-double bass

Gabriel Lauber-drums

Rick Countryman-alto saxophone


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Label: FMR
Catalog ID: FMR716
Squidco Product Code: 35917

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2025
Country: UK
Packaging: Digipack - 3 panel
Recorded in Sismo Studio, in Mexico City, Mexico, on November 8th, 2022, by Luis Ortega.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Zero Point has established itself as one of the most influential and strongest free units in Mexico City. The original line-up with all 3 founding members, Germ‡n Bringas, saxes, Julio Clavijo, guitar and Gabriel Lauber drums, released their first studio recording in 2005, Zero Point 0.2 on Dimensional Recordings. Later that year they would replace Clavijo with bassist Itzam Cano.

Zero Point is a true force of nature in the very vital Mexican underground!

Rick Countryman came to Mexico City in November of 2022, from the Philippines, and joined Zero Point for this spontaneous studio session.

"Psychologists who take the free will view suggest that determinism removes freedom and dignity and devalues human behavior.

By creating general laws of behavior, deterministic psychology underestimates the uniqueness of human beings and their freedom to choose their own destiny."-Freewill Vs Determinism In Psychology By Saul McLeod, PhD

*Determinism" is a twisted title, with multiple interpretations. One, we represent "freedom and free will", which could be viewed as the opposite. Or, when we are in "the flow" and the music travels through us, we have no control. It is determined."-From the liner notes


Artist Biographies

Germán Bringas, born in Mexico City in 1965, is a Mexican multi-instrumentalist renowned for his contributions to free jazz, improvisation, and sound experimentation. His musical journey began at age seven with classical piano studies, which he pursued for seven years. During this period, Bringas discovered his synesthesia-a condition where he perceives colors in response to musical notes-a trait that profoundly influenced his approach to composition and improvisation.

In his early twenties, Bringas shifted focus from classical jazz and bebop to explore free jazz and avant-garde improvisation. Influenced by artists like John Zorn and Fred Frith, he immersed himself in sound experimentation and extended techniques. This exploration led him to establish Jazzorca Records in 1991, a label dedicated to producing his recordings. In 1995, he expanded this endeavor by opening Jazzorca Café in Mexico City's Portales neighborhood-a venue pioneering in hosting weekly performances of free jazz, improvisation, and experimental music.

Bringas has an extensive discography, including albums such as "Caminatas" (1990), "Piano Solos" (1990), "Nuevos Rasgos" (1990), and "Improvisaciones En N.Y." (1994). He has collaborated with notable musicians like Fred Frith, Chris Cutler, and John Zorn, and participated in diverse ensembles, including orchestral projects like "La Orkezta de los 13 Zalbajes."

Beyond performing and recording, Bringas is an instrument maker, crafting steel tongue drums from new gas tanks. He describes these instruments as "like a round marimba," adding rich harmonics to his music and complementing his saxophone and trumpet performances.

Bringas's innovative work continues to influence the Mexican free jazz and experimental music scenes, with Jazzorca Café remaining a vital hub for avant-garde performances in Mexico City.

-Squidco 3/31/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Itzam Cano (born in Mexico City, Mexico) is a Mexican jazz double bassist.

He studied ethnomusicology at the Escuela Nacional de Música from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). He studied electric bass and contrabass and the development of improvisation, jazz theory, and harmony.

In late 2005, he joined free jazz ensemble Zero Point. In September 2006, Zero Point participated in the Japanese New Music Festival (Tatsuya Yoshida, Makoto Kawabata y Atsushi Tsuyama), at Multiforo Alicia in Mexico City. By 2007, Zero Point released its first digital album for Ayler Records.

He has worked with Elliot Levin, Marco Eneidi, Dennis, Stefan y Aarón Gonzales, Dave Dove, Shelley Hirsch, Scott Forrey, Milo Tamez, Tom Corona, Lawrence Williams, and Generación Espontánea.

Since 2004 he has performed at the Ollin Jazz Tlalpan Internacional, Festival de Improvisación Libre, Free Jazz y Noise "Cha'ak'ab Paaxil" (with sede in Mérida, Yucatán), Festival Internacional de las Americas in La Habana, Cúba and in festivals in cities like Puebla, Guadalajara, and Zacatecas.

He has been a member of the bands Antimateria, Zero Point, Claude Lawrence trío and has been part of the Orquesta Sinfónica de Puebla and the Orquesta de Percutoris from the Escuela Nacional de Música at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (ENM-UNAM)."

-Wikipedia (https://yamm.finance/wiki/Itzam_Cano.html)
3/31/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Originally from Zermatt in the canton Valais, Switzerland. At an early age, he was initiated into free jazz by his father, the architect Peter Lauber, listening to improvisations by John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Gato Barbieri and Albert Ayler. During elementary school he studied piano for a few years. In 1989 he began to learn drums with his first teacher Reinhard Fürbringer until 1994.

From 1993 to 1997, he studied at the Musikhochschule Luzern, Abteilung Jazz (School of Jazz in Lucerne) with Fabian Kuratli. Attend master classes with Christy Doran and Peter Kowald. Later, he relocated to the city of Zürich to study with Pierre Favre from 1997 to 1999 who was his last teacher. In 2000, he made a trip to various cities and towns in Mexico. Shortly after, he returned to Zürich, at which time he decided to leave Europe and settle on the outskirts of Tepoztlán, making Mexico his home as of 2001.

SuckySucky BoomBoom, is the first ensemble he formed in 2003, accompanied by the German programmer-musician, Pit Noack, the Japanese bassist Kei Onishi and the Mexican singer Jhony of the gore-grind ensemble Oxidised Razor.

Julio Clavijo (Mandorla), joins SuckySucky BoomBoom, when Pit Noack returns to Germany. The ensemble performed twice at the Massacre Fest in Mexico City and at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM) - Xochimilco.

In December 2003, Germán Bringas and Gabriel Lauber met and began to work together. For the year 2004, they organize an ensemble in the company of Julio Clavijo: Zero Point. For the following year, the trio performed at the Café Jazzorca, Hexen Café, the Tlalpan Jazz Festival, the Museum of Mexico City, the Anahuacalli Museum, Multiforo Alicia, among others. In addition to recording two independent productions released under Lauber's record label: Dimensional Recordings. In the fall of 2005, Julio Clavijo decided to venture into other projects. That's when the double bass player Itzam Canois invited to collaborate with Zero Point. Also this year, Gabriel Lauber formed Dimensional Recordings and Dimensional Productions, during which time he met and collaborated with Remi Álvarez in some ensembles. The year 2006 is decisive for the direction that Zero Point would take, since in September they recorded what would be their first virtual album (DL-CD Download Only Release) at Ayler Records, a Swedish company specializing in free jazz in addition to participating in the Japanese New Music. Festival (Tatsuya Yoshida, Makoto Kawabata and Atsushi Tsuyama), organized by Kei Onishi, the Embassy of Japan in Mexico, Jazzorca Records and Dimensional Productions. Also in 2006, he formed together with Remi Álvarez and Itzam Cano, Antimatter. This same year he joined one more ensemble, Onslaught.

Currently it is part of the assemblies: Álvarez - Lauber Duo, Antimatter, Bringas - Lauber Duo & Zero Point. He has worked live with musicians such as Dennis, Stefan and Aarón González, Dave Dove, Uros Nedeljkovic, Hermann Bühler, Scott & Steven Forrey, Marcos Miranda, Martin High De Prime, Marco Eneidi, Mauricio Sotelo, Ángelo Moroni, Juan Pablo Villa, Hernan Hecht, Aarón Cruz, Carlos Alegre, among others."

-Wikipedia (https://second.wiki/wiki/gabriel_lauber)
3/31/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Rick Countryman (January 31, 1957) is an American jazz saxophonist and flautist.

After years attracting little attention as a baritone saxophone player, including an extended sabbatical, Rick made a late-life change to alto sax, at the urging of bassist, Simon Tan. His first recorded session with Simon and Christian Bucher, avant garde drummer from Switzerland, attracted the attention of French label "Improvising Beings" and was released as "Acceptance - Resistance". The recordings received many positive reviews, both in the United States and Europe.

Rick currently now has 9 releases on 4 labels across Europe, Asia, and the United States, including multiple CDs with Japanese improvisational drummer, Sabu Toyozumi, who has made several trips to Manila to perform and record. The music continues to receive positive reviews and airplay. Two recordings were listed in "Gold Dolphy 2018".

Since 2011, Rick has been an active member of the Manila jazz scene. He leads and performs in ensembles on baritone saxophone, alto saxophone, alto flute and bass flute; performing original compositions, as well as free jazz/improvisation, in his own jazz quartets and trios. His style is heavily influenced by Eric Dolphy, Sonny Simmons and the 60s Free Jazz movement. He was a student of Bert Wilson, and considers Michael Bisio and Rick Mandyck early mentors."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Countryman)
3/31/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. Notes From The Underground 22:52

2. Causationism 14:18

3. Relativism 8:53

4. Determinism 13:22

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
Quartet Recordings
Mexico, Central & South Americas + Islands
Staff Picks & Recommended Items
New in Improvised Music
Recent Releases and Best Sellers

Search for other titles on the label:
FMR.


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