Fanfán Tulipán cut new ground with LP ‘Genius noci’
Fanfán Tulipán are known for their playful melodies rooted in jazz, as well as funk and chanson traditions, and for their energetic exploration of rhythm. The band was founded by composer Eliška Vidomus in 2009, when she was a student at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory.
Eliška Vidomus plays a Hammond melodica, an Estonian zither and sings – although most compositions are instrumentals. The band’s current line-up includes Štěpán Zbytovský (flute and bass clarinet), Petr Svoboda (piano), Pavel Husa (bass and double bass) and Šimon Hajdovský (on the drums).
For their new LP, “Genius noci”, the band invited a few guest musicians – trumpeter Oskar Török, vibraphone player Radek Doležal and tubist Šimon Janák – who Vidomus says contributed ideas and to its overall feel.
Genius noci can be read as “Spirit of the night” (in a mix of Latin and Czech), one of the thematic framework motifs – another being the “virtual landscape” of social networks, in which many just hear their own views reflected.
In an interview, Eliška Vidomus tells how she was inspired by post-industrial scenes around her Eastern Bohemian hometown of Pardubice, trips to forests – and faraway Norwegian fjords and virtual landscapes.
