Snowdrops and Primroses

The 6th edition of the festival dedicated to Slovenian jazz creativity reflects the ongoing evolution of composition, methodology and performance of new music, both locally and internationally, regardless of the location of the leading protagonists’ established domicile. Although started with a view to providing a yearly insight into the evolving Slovenian scene, we had to acknowledge the fact that the country’s output is deeply embedded in international jazz currents. Recognising this important feature, our festival seeks to provide a platform for creative processes that transcend both conceptual and territorial boundaries. What is more, ours is not a festival of newcomers, it’s only the concepts and the compositions that are fresh. It could be said that Gašper, Cene, Domen, Dré and Peter are at the peak of their creativity, regardless of their age and mileage. Contemporary music history has shown that they will undoubtedly spare no effort to maintain a prominent place in the local and international innovative music community, which nowadays calls for compelling and original composing and the skills of improvisation. Our expectations are high, but no greater that the ones we have set ourselves. We can give them our wholehearted support, offer our acknowledgement by following their career, especially live performances, and assure them that risk-taking is the only way that leads to a rewarding and fulfilling experience, an experience that leaves an indelible mark and is instrumental in building an art-oriented future. So, here are the artists marking our 6th edition:

With his opening act Gašper Livk will wrap up his one-year process of musical exploration that has yielded tangible results in the form of hands-on experience of touring the country’s festival circuit. This is both the final stage of code::source's journey and a beginning of an exciting new adventure.

Of the featured artists, Cene Resnik has the most experience with spring-heralding flowers that our festival is named after, given that he often plays at the Ljubljana Botanical Garden. To himself, to passers-by and to plants. As the most experienced player of the featured musicians, Resnik has no problem recruiting some the new generations’ most prominent improvisers. Recently sporting a project with Rob Mazurek, and this time joined by the thrilling Zetterberg-Rosaly rhythm section.
Carolina Giannakopoulou and Domen Bohte’s Ljubljana Jazz Festival concert was rained out and few people got to attend their gig that was moved indoors. This is their second chance. Meanwhile, their first EP has come out and it’ll be nice to see how the Greek-Slovenian duo’s creative talents have developed.

Dré A. Hočevar is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in composition and computer music at the University of Huddersfield (The Centre for Research in New Music – CeReNeM). He is nevertheless tirelessly sending positive vibes about artistic activism from all over Europe whilst devising projects and forming bands seeking to concretise his ideas to the maximum practicable extent. His new all-star band will present the “latest version of a META operating system, which allows him to explore – by interpreting compositions and optimising Verso Doxa interactive systems – liminal models of sound synthesis and new system options of formulating semantic units through real-time-generated performative schemes”. Dré A. Hočevar

Big Band Gverillaz – formed by Dano Ličen and Jani Šepetavec in 2014 – will conclude the festival in a relaxed, but electric atmosphere. “Big Band GveriLLaz's new music project is extraordinarily diverse, blending swing, funk, Latin rhythms and softly performed ballads, which goes contrary to the average age of group’s members. Not only does the band radiate freshness and positive energy, they have also mastered the subtle tricks of dynamics.” (Tina Lesničar, DELO); “The group’s sound is mighty and dynamically balanced. They play with unbelievable passion, making an impression of a long-running, mature music ensemble.” (Tomaž Gržeta, ODZVEN)