Pontcha ku Lua – the captivating EP debut from Jori Collignon’s newly established ‘COLLIGNON’ project – is out now via esteemed Dutch imprint, Reflektor Records. A unique and creative blend of acoustic world instruments and forward-thinking electronic elements, Jori balances a diverse array of global music traditions and futuristic soundscapes across the impressive three-part EP, to deliver a vivacious and spirited instrumental record that dazzles from the off. We caught up with Jori form his home in Portugal ahead of the release to find out more…
Hello Jori, nice chatting with you!
Thanks so much for the attention DMCWORLD!
Just got a hold of your upcoming Pontcha ku Lua EP, and really digging it! How long have you been working on it?
Thanks! And oof, the short answer is: long. At lot of things have changed for me over the last years. I moved to a different country, built a studio, stopped touring, became a father. The music, that now finally is being released, has been growing with me through all these new phases.
This is the first release under your new COLLIGNON moniker, is that correct? Can you tell us about the new project?
Correct. The project is set up as something in between a solo project and a band. It gives me the opportunity to work with different musicians from diverse backgrounds. To set up different projects in different places in the world. When we play live, I play together with Gino, my good buddy and percussionist/multi-instrumentalist, we can improvise and play dynamic shows. It’s really fun. I guess I kind of took all my favourite experiences from previous groups and continued building on top of that.
What does this project mean to you at this time of your career?
Hm, this project is like a vehicle. Yes, like a good ol’ campervan. With my friends and family in the back, ready to go and explore new horizons.
By the way, what does the name “Pontcha ku Lua” mean?
It means something like ‘the rum and the moon’, l’arack et la lune… between the gutter and the stars. I asked a friend of mine to translate it into the creole of Guine Bissau.
In your specific production process, what do you feel determines the direction the track goes when you finally sit down to produce it? is it mood? Something happening in your life/the world?
Sometimes is the result of a collaboration. I improvise with different musicians and when the pieces come together it can be quite surprising and interesting. This first album is all instrumental, so working on the music can become quite an abstract thing. I do write words for the songs sometimes, poems, or little stories. I imagine landscapes, or places, or situations and see how the different ideas blend in.
Are you able to share a photo or two of your studio and talking us through some of your favourite bits of gear?
So this is part of the office. The little mixer is a 16 channel Studer 928, left of it two drummachines from Elektron and below that a Revox D36 tube tape recorder from 1960 that I fell in love with recently. Right from the speakers you see this weird pot with a stick. That’s a traditional Portuguese sarronca. I’m still practicing, but one day will get some funky basslines out of it.
Here my little modular setup, with an LZX video synth, and some speakers in the back I use mostly for re-amping sounds. There is a traditional timbila from Mozambique and our cat Sofia.
Have you found yourself more or less inspired in the studio during the pandemic?
To be honest, I didn’t notice that much difference. It was like outside the world went crazy and inside it stayed pretty much the same. But I’ve been productive and things have been good. Whoa, sometimes I get scared thinking about the tsunami of new music that will be coming out after isolating all those musicians inside their home-studios for all these months..
What else have you been busy with during these last few months? Have you picked up any new hobbies?
Well we did have some extra time to work in the garden. Building a terrace, planting veggies, feeding chickens. We have some interesting fruits growing, physalis are amazing, and the pitangas are mind bending.
What’s next for COLLIGNON?
We have more releases ready, leading towards a full album next year. We have to see when we can start touring again, but I’ve been given the opportunity to prepare some special concerts with a small orchestra we will form, consisting of musicians from Syria and other countries from that region. Also we’re investigating to travel to Guine Bissau, a small country on the West Coast of Africa, and start a project there.
And for Jori Collignon?
Wine and dinner, almost.
Thanks Jori!
Thank you!
COLLIGNON – Pontcha ku Lua EP is out now via Reflektor Records
