Off the back of incredible reception for their first record, Art As Catharsis is proud to announce the release of the Zela Margossian Quintet’s new single, Shounch – a comfortable unfolding jazz number with tasteful hints of world music elements stitched into the seams.
Margossian’s exceptional melodies draw influence from the likes of Vahagn Hayrapetyan and the Cats, The Armenian Navy Band, traditional Armenian music, the works of Tunisian composer, singer and oud player Dhafer Youssef and Tigran Hamasyan – all of which resulting in captivating music with complexity in both form and execution.
Shounch manifests these influences to create a realm of interweaving elements – rapid-fire taps from jazz drums and percussion, bounding double bass lines and a swaying piano melody that conceptually captures the essence of breathing, the action to which the word ‘Shounch’ refers to.
“I composed the song for a composition contest initiated by Creative Armenia and Serj Tankian (the lead singer of System of a Down), using seven given notes by Serj.” begins composer and pianist Zela Margossian, “The order of the notes was not to be changed but you could alter the pitch, the rhythm, etc and come up with a tune. Shounch made it to the top 100 out of the 2500 chosen entries from all around the world (as the competition was exclusive to anyone around the world). I wrote the tune having in mind how important it is for us to breathe and be present in the moment that we are in. In Shounch, the piano solo sort of represents the inhalation and the sax solo is the big release of the exhalation towards the end, which is tied to the third track, Artashounch.”
The release of Zela Margossian Quintet’s debut, Transition, has received more than plenty of positive attention from music media outlets across the globe, including the likes of the Sydney Morning Herald, Everything Is Noise, Heavy Blog Is Heavy, Voice of Armenia along with an astounding 245,000 streams for their single Ceasefire on Spotify. Margossian’s stop-start style of fast, accurate piano and intelligently placed polyrhythms have also translated perfectly into breathtaking performances at Hobart’s MONA, with new shows announced at Sydney’s City Recital Hall along with a New Zealand tour on the horizon. Keep an eye out for tour dates near you – these shows are not to be missed.
Zela Margossian Quintet’s newest single, Shounch, is now available to stream via Bandcamp. Their debut record, Transition, is available to stream on Bandcamp and Spotify.