1 Mr. Lizard Said (feat. Jeff Babko & Zach Danziger)
2 Lemonade (feat. Zach Danziger, Tim Lefebvre, Gavin Templeton & Tim Conley)
3 Pushed to the Edge of Ideas by Dispassionate Bias-Algorithm Bots (feat. Jeff Babko, Gavin Templeton, Jerry Watts Jr. & Gary Novak)
4 Still (feat. Jeff Babko, Gavin Templeton, Jerry Watts Jr. & Gary Novak)
5 Heliopteryx (feat. Zach Danziger, Tim Lefebvre, Gavin Templeton & Troy Ziegler)
6 Nebulounge (feat. Zach Danziger, Gavin Templeton, Tim Lefebvre & Jeff Babko)
7 Apes in Rapture (feat. David Binney, Jimmy Johnson & Vinnie Colaiuta)
8 Forget What You Know (feat. Zach Danziger, Gavin Templeton, Tim Lefebvre & Jeff Babko)
9 Green Moon (feat. Jeff Babko, Gavin Templeton, Jerry Watts Jr. & Gary Novak)
10 Obsidian Butterfly (feat. Alexander Noice, Jake Vossler, Jimmy Johnson, Vinnie Colaiuta, Gavin Templeton & Jeff Babko)
11 Drowning on the High Ground (feat. Jeff Babko, Gavin Templeton, Jerry Watts Jr. & Gary Novak)
In a time marked by unpredictability and absurd realities, music imbued with spontaneity and improvisation seems especially relevant. Internationally recognized trumpet player and composer-producer-entrepreneur Dan Rosenboom embraces the chaos and seeks to endow us with hope and joy along the way.
ABSURD IN THE ANTHROPOCENE - out January 31, 2020 via Gearbox Records - is in line with his abstract musicianship and virtuous experimentalism but, naturally, pushes the envelope. The record’s inspirations run the gamut from Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman to Frank Zappa, Soundgarden, and Squarepusher, and its title refers to the complicated and often surreal times in which we live.
“This album is about responding to our modern world in a way that is reflectively critical yet frenetically joyous,” Rosenboom says. “Maelstrom and cognitive dissonance are everywhere, online and on the news. People cherry-pick what they want to believe and discount factual data. Inequity is rampant. In the face of such overwhelming chaos, turning toward our inner humanity is a powerful move. I want to take all that emotional fuel, and turn it into something creative, spontaneous, and beautiful.”
Rosenboom, a musician at the forefront of Los Angeles' ever-thriving creative music scene, boasts an international reputation for boundary-pushing projects and relentless productivity. A trumpet virtuoso equally at home in improvised and classical music, the prolific musician has been featured on stages and festivals all over the world, and has been described as “a phenomenon” by the Los Angeles Times.
ABSURD IN THE ANTHROPOCENE is loaded with an absurd crew of musicians, including producer and keyboard master Jeff Babko, legendary drummers Vinnie Colaiuta, Gary Novak, and Zach Danziger, renowned bassists Jimmy Johnson, Tim Lefebvre and Jerry Watts Jr., Rosenboom’s longtime collaborator Gavin Templeton and jazz icon David Binney on saxophones, guitarists Tim Conley, Alexander Noice, and Jake Vossler, electronics wizard Troy Ziegler, and horn-playing colleagues Brian Walsh, Ryan Dragon, Juliane Gralle, and Javier Gonzalez. The record’s first session was recorded at Capitol Records with prized engineer Steve Genewick, while the second and third took place at Stella Sound Studios under the direction of revered producer, engineer, and mixer Justin Stanley.
“When I’m playing music with my compatriots, the world feels right, at least for a moment,” Rosenboom said. “It’s about returning to ‘the now.’”
Creating such an ambitious album sounds like a tall order for any musician. But given Rosenboom’s uniquely learnèd upbringing, his impressive resume, and his balance of confidence and humility, it is a vision and sound that this maverick musician has boldly realized.
“What I’m trying to express is that through intelligent thought and spiritual inquiry, there is a way forward culturally that can result in a lot of joy.”
released January 31, 2020
Recorded by Justin Stanley (Stella Sound Studio, Los Angeles, CA), and Steve Genewick (Capitol Records, Los Angeles, CA)
Mixed by Justin Stanley (Stella Sound Studio, Los Angeles, CA)
Mastered by Caspar Sutton-Jones (Gearbox Records, London, UK)
Executive Producer: Darrel Sheinman
Cut to lacquer on a Haeco Scully lathe with Westrex 3DIIA Cutting Head and Westrex RA1700 Series amps, using a Studer C37 tape machine, Decca Valve Equalization, and Telefunken U73B Limiting; monitored on Audio Note equipment.
All Compositions by Daniel Rosenboom (ASCAP)
Published by Daniel Rosenboom Music (ASCAP)
"Nebulounge" and "Forget What You Know" collectively improvised by Dan Rosenboom, Gavin Templeton, Jeff Babko, Tim Lefebvre, and Zach Danziger.
Design and Photos by Eron Rauch
© 2020 Daniel Rosenboom & Gearbox Ltd.
