Exploration of one’s identity in the face of existential uncertainty is the core theme of Hohenheim Suites, the sophomore LP by saxophonist, composer, producer, and film photographer Stratøs.
Stratøs’ previous project, Planets, was the amalgamation of the producer’s diverse musical identities. Reaching from the visceral, distorted sounds and grooves of the death metal world to the serene soundscapes akin to Hayao Miyazaki film scores, Planets sought to connect a narrative throughline between these juxtaposing elements. Hohenheim Suites differs in its mission – striving to focus its narrative about the modern artist experience through the lens of “Van Hohenheim,” a character in the award winning manga artist Hiromu Arakawa’s 2001 graphic novel “Full Metal Alchemist.”
A three-time winner of the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award (2019-2021)
and recent winner of the National Sawdust New Works Commission (2020), Stratøs
aims to combine composition with saxophone playing, production, and even
photography for this album. Heavily influenced by genre-bending artists like
Kneebody, Kiefer, and legendary trumpeter/composer Kenny Wheeler, Stratøs sets
out to establish himself as a unique addition to the world of producers.
Listen to “Hohenheim Suites” here
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