Act Music

Anatole Fistoulari was always a specialist in the interpretation of ballet music. He was also, a noted conductor of Tchaikovsky and the Russian School, as well as romantic and impressionistic French music. This album, originally released in 1960, features selections from William Tell, Khovantchina, Aida, and Samson and Delilah, performed by the Paris Conservatoire Orchestra conducted by Fistoulari. Recorded by renowned Decca audio master Kenneth Wilkinson, it shares most of that disc's electrifying sound. Very lively midrange with superbly coherent staging, top rank clarity and deep, powerful and well-defined bass.

With “ok”, his new album and ACT debut, French trumpeter ‘daoud’ offers a quiet manifesto - a record shaped by contrast and contradiction, by collapse and the stubborn act of beginning again. Built around the idea of accepting what cannot be changed. He explains: “The whole record is built around the concept of reluctant acceptance of things that you can’t control. All right, fuck it, fine, I guess.” The album explores failure, loss, repetition, and the soft absurdity of pretending everything’s fine. Across 14 tracks, daoud weaves tragedy and humor, chaos and tenderness, melody and noise into a rich and emotionally charged soundscape.

In a world craving transparency, Didirri captivates with his magnetic charisma and honest approach to songwriting. Caught In The Act is the alternative artist's much awaited and anticipated debut album, which takes fans on a moving journey across eleven exquisite new tracks, including the singles ‘Begin Again’, ‘Obsolete Machine’ and ‘You Know What’s Good For You’.

The Volterra Project Trio redefines classical guitar trio music, drawing inspiration from European Impressionism, Mediterranean folk traditions and cinematic scores. Formed in 2017 at the Volterra Project Summer Guitar Institute, the trio emerged from a deep friendship and shared artistic vision. Luca Isolani and Maarten Vandenbemden, teaching assistants at the Institute since 2016, joined forces with Antigoni Goni to create a vibrant ensemble uniting their creativity and talents as performers, composers and improvisers.

With his ACT debut, Swedish piano rising-star Joel Lyssarides and his trio celebrate the magic of the moment. With great sensitivity and expressiveness and a vocabulary that draws equally from European classical music, jazz from both sides of the Atlantic and great songwriting, with all its depth and accessibility.

Viktoria Tolstoy’s Act debut album, Shining On You, from 2004, can now be seen as a defining moment, marking the beginning of the continuing success story of popular jazz voices from Scandinavia. The music was written by Esbjörn Svensson, who also formed the core band together with Dan Berglund and Magnus Öström and was soon to become world-famous as ‘e.s.t.’. The album, produced by Nils Landgren, was also a gathering of the Act family of artists - also in its infancy back then - who joined the session as guests.

Verdi, Wagner, Beethoven, Bach…Germany’s premer jazz bassist Dieter Ilg has instigated several creative projects, in which he has taken the great composers of Western classical music off in new directions. Here, alongside pianist Rainer Böhm and drummer Patrice Héral, his focus turns to Ravel.

Emma Rawicz’s ACT debut features a prominent quintet with pianist Ivo Neame, bassist Connor Chaplin, guitarist Ant Law and drummer Asaf Sirkis - all of whom are established figures on the UK scene. "Chroma," Greek for "color," shows the full spectrum of an artist who has long outgrown newcomer status. As Jazzwise Magazine stated: "Emma Rawicz is already the real deal!"

There’s no shortage of comparisons for Yard Act’s Brexit-era post-punk. It’s hard to resist all these groups channeling post-punk history to convey the tension of a fractured Britain while making noisy political music safe enough for Edgar Wright and FIFA soundtracks. But how many of these bands met Cillian Murphy on the set of Peaky Blinders years before releasing their debut?

The album Guitar Poetry by Mikael Mani is a captivating musical journey that showcases the artist's exceptional talent and creativity. Released by Act, this album features a collection of mesmerizing guitar compositions that are sure to captivate listeners.