Chassol returns to Oslo World, with his third "ultrascore" - Ludi.
The last time Christophe Chassol visited Oslo World, with “Big Sun'' in 2018, he talked enthusiastically about his new project, which centered around different forms of play, among other things inspired by Herman Hesses masterpiece “The Glass Bead Game”.
Already then, we thought about inviting him back when the piece was done. After all, Chassol had already visited Oslo World two years in a row, with “Indiamore” in 2017 and “Big Sun” in 2018. Both concerts were fantastic experiences. Chassols ultrascore-compositions are visual and musical delights. Documentary filming, from Martinique on “Big Sun” and Varanasi and Calcutta on “Indiamore”, are edited, looped and accompanied by electric piano and drums. Through this process, the melodies and rhythms of our daily lives are revealed. Chassol has an eye and an ear for the humor in life's little moments, but also the beauty, the intimacy and the grandeur.
"There’s no doubt that Chassol is a clever man, and potentially a musical revolutionary."
Paul Scott-Bates, Louder Than War
It is a virtuoso performance, and great musical entertainment, but his pieces are also experiences which prompt reflection from the listener - we are invited to think about how music occurs, and lies hidden in our daily surroundings. The two last pieces had, as mentioned, geographical origins. This time around, different kinds of play is the core idea.
Chassol, who has performed with musicians like Frank Ocean, Phoenix and Solange, takes on the role of Magister Ludi, the playmaster, from Hesses novel, and looks at the profundity and ecstasy of playful interaction. “Ludi” is a new peak in his catalogue, in many ways pointing the finger at what his music has always been about. After all, when you listen to Chassols work, it always seems like it came from playfulness. Here, he returns to the core - which might just be the origin of all music.