From Paris France, CKRAFT announces the January 17, 2025 release of its sophomore album, Uncommon Grounds.
Pre-order the album, here: https://ckraft.bigcartel.com/product/album-pre-order
Stream the official music video for the first single, "All You Can Kill," here: https://youtu.be/_6dGrsklW_A
Wielding synth-accordion, saxophone, guitar, bass, and drums as their tools, CKRAFT meld metal, jazz, and medieval music into a fiery new sound. Virtuosic and highly unorthodox, the instrumental quintet connects the distant dots between Gojira, John Coltrane, and the Gregorian chants that filled cathedrals of the Middle Ages. While such a stew of influences could easily be misused for gimmickry, CKRAFT's work possesses a seriousness and soulfulness that marks it as true, authentic art. New album Uncommon Grounds exhilarates by way of its technical prowess and sheer freedom of spirit.
Founded in Paris nearly a decade ago, CKRAFT consists of accordionist/composer Charles Kieny, saxophonist Théo Nguyen Duc Long, guitarist Antoine Morisot, bassist Marc Karapetian, and drummer William Bur. The members hail from different corners of the musical spectrum, from metal to jazz to classical, but Kieny's medieval fascinations serve as a uniting force, aligning the five musicians in a hybrid sound that is greater than the sum of its parts.
New album Uncommon Grounds solidifies the eccentric style the band first offered up on its 2022 debut, Epic Discordant Vision. On Uncommon Grounds, CKRAFT continue to challenge conformity and push the boundaries of what is headbangable. On tracks such as the first single, "All You Can Kill," flurries of mesmerizing, off-kilter grooves provide the foundation, with serpentine riffs calling to mind the progressive pummeling of bands such as Meshuggah, Gojira, and Car Bomb. Meanwhile, saxophone and synth-accordion dance atop the metallic base, pushing and pulling against the rhythm section and exploding in bursts of color. Inspiration comes from across the history of jazz, from the feverish free jazz of Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, to the futuristic fusion of Chick Corea and Allan Holdsworth. (In addition to his role in CKRAFT, bassist Marc Karapetian tours and records with world-renowned jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan.)
An enthusiast of medieval music, Kieny based six of Uncommon Grounds' eight tracks on pieces of music from those dark centuries. "All You Can Kill," for example, was inspired by the melody and apocalyptic lyrics of Gregorian chant "Dies Irae." Kieny explains his obsession: "I’ve always been into medieval architecture and craftsmanship but I really fell into the rabbit hole at university. I was studying the history of early music and the lecturer showed us a Gregorian chant. It was 'Victimae Paschali Laudes' and it was the first time I ever heard an actual melody from the Middle Ages. I didn’t know that it would haunt me for years. I later took Gregorian choir classes and medieval counterpoint classes, and became obsessed with these themes."
Living in France, Kieny's passions do not lie merely in the realm of academic fantasy; actual remnants of the medieval world abound. Kieny states: "A huge source of inspiration in this part of the world is the thousand-year-old architecture. I’ve always been baffled by the magnificence of cathedrals here. Notre Dame de Paris is but one of them, amongst many. I’m particularly fond of the one in Metz, a city in eastern France where I lived for a couple years. The epic stonework, the medieval gargoyles staring down at you, and the huge stained glass windows... The feelings I get from the architecture and craftsmanship are exhilarating and, along with the inevitable thoughts of Europe’s dark medieval past, really put me in the mood to write cathartic and mystical pieces of music."
Like these cathedrals, CKRAFT itself stands as a marvel of human effort – an example of people aspiring to build upon the great works that came before them in order to reach new heights. CKRAFT's lofty ambitions are stated right there in its name, a fusion of the English word “craft,” as in "craftsmanship," and the German word “Kraft," meaning "power."
Uncommon Grounds was recorded at Subversive Soul Studio by Corentin Anis and at Amper Studio by Jean-Pascal Boffo. The album was mixed by Marc Karapetian and mastered by Thibault Chaumont. All songs on the album were composed and arranged by Charles Kieny with the exception the self-titled "Uncommon Grounds," composed collaboratively by the band. Everything heard on the album was performed by the musicians, without sampling or programming of any kind. The album artwork was created by illustrator Olivier Laude.
With recent shows played with the likes of Shining (Norway) and Hypno5e, CKRAFT will return to the stage in 2025.
Tracklist:
1) All You Can Kill
2) Bring Forth the Imperial Ghost
3) Steadfast (in the Face of Tribulations)
4) Misconstruction of the Universe
5) Uncommon Grounds
6) Pageantrivia
7) Swallowed by the Storm
8) Nostre
Lineup:
Charles Kieny - synth-accordion
Pre-order the album, here: https://ckraft.bigcartel.com/product/album-pre-order
Stream the official music video for the first single, "All You Can Kill," here: https://youtu.be/_6dGrsklW_A
Wielding synth-accordion, saxophone, guitar, bass, and drums as their tools, CKRAFT meld metal, jazz, and medieval music into a fiery new sound. Virtuosic and highly unorthodox, the instrumental quintet connects the distant dots between Gojira, John Coltrane, and the Gregorian chants that filled cathedrals of the Middle Ages. While such a stew of influences could easily be misused for gimmickry, CKRAFT's work possesses a seriousness and soulfulness that marks it as true, authentic art. New album Uncommon Grounds exhilarates by way of its technical prowess and sheer freedom of spirit.
Founded in Paris nearly a decade ago, CKRAFT consists of accordionist/composer Charles Kieny, saxophonist Théo Nguyen Duc Long, guitarist Antoine Morisot, bassist Marc Karapetian, and drummer William Bur. The members hail from different corners of the musical spectrum, from metal to jazz to classical, but Kieny's medieval fascinations serve as a uniting force, aligning the five musicians in a hybrid sound that is greater than the sum of its parts.
New album Uncommon Grounds solidifies the eccentric style the band first offered up on its 2022 debut, Epic Discordant Vision. On Uncommon Grounds, CKRAFT continue to challenge conformity and push the boundaries of what is headbangable. On tracks such as the first single, "All You Can Kill," flurries of mesmerizing, off-kilter grooves provide the foundation, with serpentine riffs calling to mind the progressive pummeling of bands such as Meshuggah, Gojira, and Car Bomb. Meanwhile, saxophone and synth-accordion dance atop the metallic base, pushing and pulling against the rhythm section and exploding in bursts of color. Inspiration comes from across the history of jazz, from the feverish free jazz of Coltrane and Ornette Coleman, to the futuristic fusion of Chick Corea and Allan Holdsworth. (In addition to his role in CKRAFT, bassist Marc Karapetian tours and records with world-renowned jazz pianist Tigran Hamasyan.)
An enthusiast of medieval music, Kieny based six of Uncommon Grounds' eight tracks on pieces of music from those dark centuries. "All You Can Kill," for example, was inspired by the melody and apocalyptic lyrics of Gregorian chant "Dies Irae." Kieny explains his obsession: "I’ve always been into medieval architecture and craftsmanship but I really fell into the rabbit hole at university. I was studying the history of early music and the lecturer showed us a Gregorian chant. It was 'Victimae Paschali Laudes' and it was the first time I ever heard an actual melody from the Middle Ages. I didn’t know that it would haunt me for years. I later took Gregorian choir classes and medieval counterpoint classes, and became obsessed with these themes."
Living in France, Kieny's passions do not lie merely in the realm of academic fantasy; actual remnants of the medieval world abound. Kieny states: "A huge source of inspiration in this part of the world is the thousand-year-old architecture. I’ve always been baffled by the magnificence of cathedrals here. Notre Dame de Paris is but one of them, amongst many. I’m particularly fond of the one in Metz, a city in eastern France where I lived for a couple years. The epic stonework, the medieval gargoyles staring down at you, and the huge stained glass windows... The feelings I get from the architecture and craftsmanship are exhilarating and, along with the inevitable thoughts of Europe’s dark medieval past, really put me in the mood to write cathartic and mystical pieces of music."
Like these cathedrals, CKRAFT itself stands as a marvel of human effort – an example of people aspiring to build upon the great works that came before them in order to reach new heights. CKRAFT's lofty ambitions are stated right there in its name, a fusion of the English word “craft,” as in "craftsmanship," and the German word “Kraft," meaning "power."
Uncommon Grounds was recorded at Subversive Soul Studio by Corentin Anis and at Amper Studio by Jean-Pascal Boffo. The album was mixed by Marc Karapetian and mastered by Thibault Chaumont. All songs on the album were composed and arranged by Charles Kieny with the exception the self-titled "Uncommon Grounds," composed collaboratively by the band. Everything heard on the album was performed by the musicians, without sampling or programming of any kind. The album artwork was created by illustrator Olivier Laude.
With recent shows played with the likes of Shining (Norway) and Hypno5e, CKRAFT will return to the stage in 2025.
Tracklist:
1) All You Can Kill
2) Bring Forth the Imperial Ghost
3) Steadfast (in the Face of Tribulations)
4) Misconstruction of the Universe
5) Uncommon Grounds
6) Pageantrivia
7) Swallowed by the Storm
8) Nostre
Lineup:
Charles Kieny - synth-accordion
Théo Nguyen Duc Long - saxophone
Antoine Morisot - guitar
Marc Karapetian - bass
William Bur - drums
Antoine Morisot - guitar
Marc Karapetian - bass
William Bur - drums
Photo by Manuel Braun
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