{"title":"Okonski","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOkonski is a talented artist known for his unique blend of electronic and experimental music. With a career spanning over 10 years, he has released several critically acclaimed albums and performed at numerous festivals around the world. His music is characterized by intricate melodies, atmospheric soundscapes, and thought-provoking lyrics. Okonski's innovative approach to music production has earned him a dedicated fan base and recognition within the industry. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to his work, Okonski's captivating sound will leave you wanting more.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThroughout his career, Okonski has collaborated with various artists from different genres, pushing boundaries and creating groundbreaking music that defies categorization. His ability to seamlessly blend elements of electronic, ambient, and avant-garde styles sets him apart from other musicians in the industry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn addition to his musical endeavors, Okonski is also an accomplished visual artist. His album covers often feature his own artwork, adding another layer of creativity to his already impressive body of work.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"magnolia-7","title":"Magnolia","description":"\u003cp\u003eDebut LP from Okonski. Features current and former members of Durand Jones and the Indications (Steve Okonski, Aaron Frazer, and Michael Montgomery).\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe studio at 122 West Loveland Avenue was not an unfamiliar space for Steve Okonski, the leader of his eponymous trio Okonski. Ever since the Colemine label set up shop in Loveland, Ohio it has been a host to a number of groups passing through town, including Durand Jones and the Indications who all of this trio’s members have connections to. After setting aside some time in winter of 2020, Okonski, trained initially as a classical pianist, invited Michael Isvara “Ish” Montgomery and Aaron Frazer to work on an album that was initially planned to be beat driven and fully composed trio instrumentals.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter finishing this first session with some improvisations, a second week was booked in the summer of 2021 to try and capture some more of that spontaneous energy. During this session, the tracks were all improvised and recorded live to a Tascam 388 during several late nights at the Colemine HQ. They were structured to allow the group’s collective intuition to fully shape the melodies and arcs of the music.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe album opens with Runner Up, where a triumphant yet melancholic melody in the piano leads to a more reserved B-section driven by the drums and bass of Frazer and Montgomery. As you journey through the remainder of the album you are met with a plethora of evoked and explored emotions. The calmness one has walking down a moonlit street after midnight, the connection one has for a person who comes into their world for just a moment or a lifetime, and the nerves and catharsis one feels when starting upon a new, unknown journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMagnolia closes with Sunday, a track that was recorded late into the night at the close of their first recording session. Without the spontaneity of Sunday, the remainder of Magnolia would likely have never come to fruition. Magnolia was composed from the heart and from the spirit of those in the studio those late nights in Loveland. It is the culmination of an emotional and artistic release that was not afforded or recognized before the band sat at their instruments, and because of that it is introspective, meditative, spiritual, and new.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor Fans Of... John Carol Kirby, Pharoah Sanders, Bill Evans, Durand Jones and The Indications, Misha Panfilov.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Colemine","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50389291729227,"sku":"2007076","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"White LP","offer_id":50389291925835,"sku":"2007077","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Grey LP","offer_id":50389291991371,"sku":"2165056","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50389291499851,"sku":"2007074","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Tape","offer_id":57942028812619,"sku":"R7387-2840","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/Magnolia_0c53f0b2_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726357021"},{"product_id":"entrance-music","title":"Entrance Music","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter nearly two years, Okonski returns with \u003ci\u003eEntrance Music\u003c\/i\u003e - an album that finds the trio at the height of their improvisational prowess and celebrating the spontaneous and meditative. On the heels of 2023’s debut \u003ci\u003eMagnolia\u003c\/i\u003e, pianist and leader Steve Okonski has reconvened long-time musical collaborators (Durand Jones and the Indications bandmate Aaron Frazer on drums and bassist Michael Isvara “Ish” Montgomery) for another session in the spirit of artists like the Bad Plus, Gerald Clayton, and The Breathing Effect. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUltimately \u003ci\u003eEntrance Music\u003c\/i\u003e serves as an invitation to early hours, where songs linger in the doorway, announcing their presence before returning to the air, in a meticulous drift into the next.   Recorded over a five day session, \u003ci\u003eEntrance Music\u003c\/i\u003e was one of the first albums committed to tape at Portage Lounge, Terry Cole’s studio in Loveland, OH. “It was a new setup, but with Terry behind the dials it was very familiar,” says Okonski. “I can’t emphasize enough how much Terry feels like a fourth member [of the band] because of the space he’s curating, the energy he is bringing, and the production ideas.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe energy and sound created with the Colemine labelhead at the helm makes for a listening experience equally at home with ECM or Stones Throw catalogues.  From the rippling notes of the pastoral opener, “October,” \u003ci\u003eEntrance Music\u003c\/i\u003e is lush with anticipation, both band and listener feeling the tension in the tranquility — where the interplay of jazz improvisation and boom bap beats never shortchanges the musicianship but the talent is ever in service of the song.  While the band does not play together as often as they would like, not much time is needed for the three to lock in. Montgomery’s bass opening to “Passing Through” bends and moves with a singular meditative grace before piano and percussion joins the daylight filling a room with breath and light. If Magnolia resonated with last calls and late nights, Entrance Music counters with early mornings and first cups of coffee.  Whereas much of the debut resonates with his time in New York, Entrance Music “feels a little less ‘on the streets at 2 A.M.’ and a little more nature-based…a little more ethereal,” says Okonski. “It’s definitely age, environment, and family — all of that does come through in the music.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Colemine","offers":[{"title":"Blue LP | Rough Trade Exclusive","offer_id":50969199837515,"sku":"2236166","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Orange LP","offer_id":51049129640267,"sku":"2237868","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":51049128886603,"sku":"2237867","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":51049130000715,"sku":"2237869","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Tape","offer_id":57941968322891,"sku":"R0920-3695","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/CLMN12063_digart_abbdd94b_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1734048618"},{"product_id":"extras","title":"Additions","description":"\u003cp\u003eAcross 2026, jazz piano trio \u003cstrong\u003eOkonski\u003c\/strong\u003e have been steadily sharing a wide run of singles ahead of their much-anticipated 2027 third album. The group brings together \u003cstrong\u003eSteve Okonski\u003c\/strong\u003e on keys, \u003cstrong\u003eAaron Frazer\u003c\/strong\u003e on drums, and bassist \u003cstrong\u003eMichael Isvara \"Ish\" Montgomery\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThese tracks pull from a broad mix of influences and feature collaborations with saxophonist \u003cstrong\u003eCochemea\u003c\/strong\u003e and harpist \u003cstrong\u003eRachel Kitchlew\u003c\/strong\u003e. To round off the series, \u003cstrong\u003eColemine Records\u003c\/strong\u003e has pressed a limited cassette collecting the newest cuts alongside a few bonus live recordings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn the flip, the band’s much-loved EP \u003cem\u003eTrio Session Demos\u003c\/em\u003e appears for the first time on physical format, bringing those early hip-hop-inspired sessions into your hands at last.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Colemine","offers":[{"title":"Tape","offer_id":57942046703947,"sku":"R8474-9777","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/CLMN12063BONUSOkonskiAdditionsCassetteAlbumArt.jpg?v=1784973493"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_0d59d8c7_thumbnail_4096_22db0dfc-db06-402f-9b6c-5a72f6ab4850.jpg?v=1726356975","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/okonski.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}