WHO IS BROKEN TIME ORCHESTRA?
BROKEN TIME ORCHESTRA stands on two people - Priit "Julm" Juurmann and Taavi Kerikmäe. The group's music is a fusion of broken-beats, soul, funk, deep house, electronics and acoustics that is hard to describe - so better listen. Taavi and Priit first met in 2000 and ever since they have been working together. Julm takes care of the programming and mixing while Taavi is playing keyboards and twisting sounds. Live jam sessions play a very important role in the creative process. The group is performing actively. A drummer and different vocalists are included on live concerts.
Taavi Kerikmäe - has a classical music as a background. Graduated several musical academies in Estonia and France, performed as a piano soloist even at Agora Festival in Paris. A restless searcher who has been working with people from contemporary classical music like legendary composer Pierre Boulez to numerous jazz artists. At the same time he is a highly rated keyboard player for touring pop groups. Has worked with different video artists and written music for contemporary dance performances. His latest passion is experimental music and free improvisation - a field where he has been working with names like Chris Cutler, Vinko Globokar etc. Taavi has been selected into EIE (European Improvisators Ensemble) which is group of well-known European free improvisers.
Priit "Julm" Juurmann - educated as an agricultural engineer, started dj'ing in the early nineties. Being a true warrior on the decks, a member in nu-jazz bands and a pioneer of the underground scene in Estonia opened him doors to the radio and residencies at major clubs. In 2000 he teamed up with his brother in arms, dj Meri. The duo known to the world as RULERS OF THE DEEP has been working with and for all the giants in the world of house music. They have released production on OVUM RECORDINGS, DEFECTED, STEALTH, SHINICHI, HED KANDI etc. They have worked with Jocelyn Brown, Kings of Tomorrow, Mood II Swing, Arnold Jarvis etc. Julm is the most requested dj and producer in Estonia to work with singers and instrumentalists. His busy schedule of dj'ing has led him to territories worldwide, from Estonia trough the Baltic's, Scandinavia, Russia, UK, USA, Canada, Swiss, Arabia etc. Together with dj Meri he is hosting the official Saturday night mix-show called Tallinn-Express. The showcase is transmitted live on the National station Raadio 2.
BROKEN TIME ORCHESTRA "Surmal On Meie Jaoks Tähendus" / 2007 Julm Records is the second album from BTO
BROKEN TIME ORCHESTRA "Broken Time" / 2005 Julm Records is the first artist album from BTO. The album is a pure manifestation of new sound ("uus heli" as we say it in Estonian), a fusion of broken-beats, soul, funk, deep house, electronics and acoustics that is hard to describe - so better listen.
The album holds 10 tracks. All tracks but one are previously unreleased. "Sumuuk" is featured on the last compilation of Julm Records (Julm Longplayer no.1).
P.Julm describes the procedure:
"It has taken 3 years for me and Taavi to finish the album. As always the hardest task was to define our own sound - melting together gravelly analog soundscapes and futuristic sound visions. Also a very important source for the colors are the people with whom we have been working on this album."
UKS
Uks means door in Estonian - it is an entrance into our world - into our sound and vision. Crazy abstract broken-beat where the massive line of strings is keeping it all together while Taavi is tripping on the distorted keys. For concerts in Estonia we had a singer/MC dropping a whole song over it so it was like a special gift for fans from us.
PARADISE ft. BRYAN CHAMBERS
We wanted to do a proper up-tempo soul song so we got busy in the studio and came up with the track. About that time Bryan was to come to Estonia so (I knew Bryan for a while through Defected) when Simon (Simon Dunmore from Defected) and Bryan came I took the track to him and he loved it. All the rest is history. He is absolutely one of the most professional singers in the studio I have ever met. His smooth organic flow fitted in very well to our original vision. Supreme Bryan.
DISTORTED ROADS
The very first track we recorded. We played around with the idea for a while until we knew what we where looking for and then - Taavi behind the Rhodes eyes closed - solo was recorded in one take no cuts no nothing and that was it. I was just standing there with a smile all over my face.
I AM A SEA ft. VICTORIA
This is us free diving if you know what I mean. 10 000 feet under the sea but most importantly we found a very cool environment for Victoria's unbelievable voice. She sounds so deep that sometimes it is hard to believe that this is a young lady who is behind the microphone.
SUMUUK
Hypnosis. Outer space. Breaking the time line. This is really hard to put into words but let me tell you - this track really lives its own life in concert. This piece is very important for us. Taavi's favorite.
CHILDREN OF THE SUN
I wanted to release StenGun's track as a single so we remixed it with Taavi but for several reasons the single never came out and because we love it and it fitted into our album concept we decided to include it. This is crazy hands-in-the-air-berserk-massive-futuristic-broken-beat. King Britt's favorite. (Original version of "Children of the sun" features on last compilation of Julm Records (Julm Longplayer no.1)).
MEIN FUNK ft. MARYN E. COOTE
We jammed up an idea of weird 70's/80's punk-funk kind of track and if we talk about funk there is only one family to go to. Maryn is a living legend in Estonian funk music scene and she at the age of 60 is still grooving it and grooving it hard. Her son Uku is another madman no more needs to be explained. (Uku featured as a remixer/singer on last compilation of Julm Records (Julm Longplayer no.1))
KEEP ON MOVIN' ft. MAX*C
We wanted to do a cool r&b/soul/broken kind of track so I talked to Dave Storm who hooked us up with Charles. An amazing singer - full of power. We just got arranged vocal parts from Charles and jammed a track live in a studio session within 15 minutes.
7 TEED ?
This brings us back to "Distorted Roads". Playing around with DR I came up with the concept for the whole piece - groove on seven and Taavi was tripping wild on his keys again plus we invited Mart Soo to trip on his guitar. So we ended up on a trip - trip on a road - road on seven. And so is the title "7 ways" or "7 teed" in Estonian. On live concerts it is our hit track with Taavi meditating on 100 years old instrument called theremin. If to unveil the whole history then I have to admit that I had a plan in the beginning to collaborate with spoken-word artist Rich Medina on this. King hooked us up and RM even loved the idea and track, but somehow long distance did not work out on this time. Next time.
LOVE IS STRONGER THAN PRIDE ft. HEDVIG HANSON
Revival of the classic. Collaboration with the brightest star of the Estonian jazz scene. Hedvig brought up the idea and we went for it. We dropped the tempo to get an even more intimate and close feeling. This is taking the past into the future. This is what happens when you take fantastic jazz people into the space. Taavi was a mastermind behind that vision.
PRESS REVIEWS:
Eesti Ekspress - album voted as a "Record of the week"
"... Forget about West London - here comes West Tallinn!"
FHM 10/10
Eesti Päevaleht 5/5
Postimees 5/5
Raveline 6/6
"... Together they create music on a really high level. Mostly souling, partly hypnotic, laied-back, then again funky - all supported by intelligent, broken beats. The range is enormous and yet all songs merge to harmonic album"
Loop - Album of the month
"... With Julm Records a young record label from Estland introduces itself, that one should definetely keep an eye on."
De:Bug 3/5
"... With all their affectionate commitment is this unfortunately only solid and stale, even if they want to be really crazy p-funky."
Musicoutlook
"... A bit of everything sounds exeggerated and fussy, but Taavi Kerikmäe and Priit Juurmann always direct this in the right directions. So there is often the possibility to relax to their sound, but then again there are soundtrack-like compositions. A record, which indeed may appeal to everybody."
Musicoutlook 4/5
"... The Broken Time Orchestra does not lack ideas and variety. For shure is, that this record should be standing in every cupboard, that's holding Herbert, New Sector Movement and De:Phazz. Nothing new in the east does not get 4 of 5 points."