Void
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Void

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"Album Review"

" Here’s a new argument for secession, Western Australia. Before I listened to Void’s eponymous album I wouldn’t have put much thought to the proposition that something this good could come from anywhere west of Leichhardt (or whatever qualifies as inner west in Melbourne). This is a new feeling for me: I am bigoted. I am Syd-centric. Or, I was. Post-Void, I am enlightened...

I can’t condone the punctuation but the music starts out burning: uptempo; envelope filter on the saxophone; textural shifts of keyboard sound; drum & bass vibe with the piccolo snare/fat five string combination. It’s an intro into the sound and conception, the younger musician’s take on fusion.

The solos are uniformly awesome throughout. O’Halloran is all over the keys like a rash and Troy Roberts is a monster tenor. The playing of both is up there with anybody in the world. Dane Alderson on bass is in form throughout and Andrew Fisendon’s drumming propels the other three with its hyperactive momentum. The unison lines are fearless and the changes of mood are handled with subtlety that betrays great musical maturity.

I’m sorry Western Australia. Please don’t secede. I’ll try to be more aware of your music and I’ll encourage other Easterners as ignorant as myself to check you out. "
- Greg Levine from Jazz Australia


"Email from David Mercy"


Your album is amazing from the beginning to the end, there are no
fillers. My favourite tracks are "The Homecoming song" and "London".
Whenever I hear these two tracks it just brightens my day. This album
is probably the best jazz album I've ever heard. I really hope that
you guys go on tour and play in Canada (and play at the Toronto
International Jazz Festival or the Beaches International Jazz
Festival). All the best with your future endeavours. God Bless!!

- David Mercy


"VOID"

" Do you remember the feeling you got when you learnt K would be no more? Do you remember the excitement you felt when you first heard VOID – the feeling that out there was a band that was willing to go beyond the boundaries and be different, be great.

.... I sat down and talked to two of its members Troy Roberts and Andrew Fisenden about VOID, the USA and that long awaited CD.

VOID was formed in June 2004 by ex-K members Andrew and Dane (Alderson). K being one of the original best Perth jazz bands and one of the first to achieve huge door and CD sales. They proved that jazz orientated groups can play their own style and brand of music and still be able to generate an audience. “Basically what happened was, K finished up and I felt it very important to keep this kind of music alive and I thought it would be fun to put a new spin on it. Troy (Roberts) popped into my head immediately and then Tom (O’Halloran) which I thought were good choices because they were both great writers. We started doing gigs three weeks later” recalled Andrew.

VOID say they are an improvisational band but based on their original compositions. Improvisation is where the jazz part comes into it. Andrew explains it as “anything with improvisation has a relationship with jazz, it doesn’t matter what genre it’s in now but anything with improvised sections has its roots firmly in jazz.”

Troy explains that “most of the material for VOID is essentially jazz but I don’t think that you can use that word too freely these days.” And that you can’t. Defining jazz has become virtually impossible due to the fact that there are so many different elements incorporated into jazz music. The main problem that organisations such as JazzWa and Perth Jazz Society face is the fact that people in WA and around Australia need to know that what their preconceived notion about Jazz is, that it’s not that at all.

With their mixture of jazz, soul, r&b, latin, fusion, hip hop, reggae and world music, VOID makes the gap between jazz and mainstream feel as if it’s nothing more than a stepping stone.

Andrew and Troy both got into music at a young age but under quite different circumstances. When Troy first heard jazz he wasn’t too fond of it, “The first time I heard jazz I didn’t dig it at all, I hated it with a passion. My dad used to listen to these great jazz records and I just hated it. But then there was this one jazz tune that I sort of liked and so I thought, I still hate jazz but I like that tune so I got that album and it went on like that until I realised that I really liked it.” Troy really wanted to play the saxophone, so at the age of 13 he started teaching himself and stayed self taught until fifteen when he left school and went to the conservatorium.

Andrew’s story is a little different. He started playing the drums when he was about three. “I started just kinda bangin’ along to Paul Simon’s Graceland; I still remember asking my Grandpa to put on that album cos I loved it. After a while I started playing along to stuff like Dire Straits. I started getting lessons at about seven and all throughout my schooling. It’s funny, in my high school years I never really knew what jazz was at all. I used to say I liked jazz because all of my favourite drummers were jazz drummers but I never really knew what that meant. It was never really a passion; it wasn’t until half way through the conservatorium that it really grew on me in a big way as it I think it does with everyone.”

Andrew and Troy first met each other when they were both at the music conservatorium at WAAPA (Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts) and have been friends ever since and have both won the James Morrison Scholarship (as has Dane) which earns them money and the opportunity to further their careers and play in front of thousands of people and along side some of the world’s best musicians. They will tour again next year where they will play to thousands more people all over Europe.

With both boys growing up with rather musical households it is no wonder they made the progression to become musicians. As it stands now every member of Andrew’s family is a professional flute player except him! But it’s not an issue with the whole family giving him absolute and total support. His father, Neil Fisenden, is the principal flute player in the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and so was his grandfather. They are all classically trained musicians so there was always a sense of musical discipline. His Grandmother even had her own opera singing show on the ABC. Troy’s dad and brother both play the guitar but the most influence they had on his music was their great taste in it.

They are both going to the USA in August to try and further their careers. Troy is going to Miami to take up a teaching assistantship position which will be part time teaching and part time masters for two years. After such time they will sponsor him for a green card as he plans to relocate to - X-Press Magazine


"CD Review"


The Debut CD of Perth fusion group VOID holds no emotional surprises, rather it gives the listener an inner ear brainstorm of precise energised conformity. This tight brotherhood kicks off at breakneck speed with Say What? Taking a big breath, it then hurtles into London – a composition by keyboardist Tom O’Halloran, perfectly executed with just a hint of Soho after dark, then headlong into Travelbug, by saxophonist Troy Roberts with its jaunty feel and laidback triple runs from these ‘Rolex’ timekeepers. J-Lag is a deceptively tricky piece that shows off the multi-keyboard sounds and soloing dexterity of O’Halloran before changing up a gear to allow the tenor saxophone of Roberts to throw its weight around. Roberts’ sound and chops have now fully evolved into a mighty powerhouse of ideas and skill.

There was a tenuous Irish jig feel about The Homecoming Song, another O’Halloran composition, lots of double melody and harmony split lines between the always incredible Dane Alderson on electric bass and Roberts on soprano saxophone with keyboard overdubs and a brilliantly executed drum solo by Andrew Fisenden – the human time machine.

This jazz style does not allow for moments of reflection, rather it is a constant driving force with multiple accents and compressed sound and while the talent and musical skill is all there, it was difficult to become attached emotionally. So if you are looking for intimacy, go elsewhere, VOID is devoid of such triflings, rather this is a swaggering, joyous celebration by four highly talented young blokes pushing themselves, and each other, to the limit.
- Helen Matthews


"RadioIOJAZZ features VOID"

I am constantly searching the web for new voices in jazz. Often the search will take me to areas of the globe where I discover that jazz is not only flourishing, but exploding with creativity and life. This time, the music found me. I received an email (November ’06) from a grad student from the University of Miami, Troy Roberts, telling me a bit about his group from Australia.. Void. As is the custom, I returned with the proper mail address and an invitation to submit their music for airplay on www.radioIOJAZZ.com. Hearing their cd changed our playlist until this day. After I began play of their music, my email box was full of inquiry from listeners. In January, I had the privilege to hear Void live at the International Association of Jazz Educators Conference (IAJE) in New York City. Absolutely amazing.

--Void is a powerful quartet grounded by Andrew Fisenden on Drums and Dane Alderson on Bass. Tom O’Halloran plays the keyboards while Troy Roberts tops the mix with the Tenor Saxophone. Each member is individually gifted in their own right, but it is the combination of these talents that produces the incredible ‘voice’ .. the sound of Void… Together, they meld into a composite sound that is uniquely cohesive. Void delivers incredible fusion and funk with an tireless attention to rhythm and melody. Complete with surprising meter and tempo changes, the music never sits complacently. Jazz fans who can truly ‘hear’ are treated to a festival of delights. Besides being strong players themselves, each member of Void contributes their compositional skills to the collection of tracks on their new self titled release.

--Listening to each player during performance is similar to trying to ‘catch it all’ at a four ring circus. So much is happening all at once. Andrew Fisenden, with his over sized high hat cymbols and small kit maintained the pocket solidly.. the first aspect I noticed about Andrew’s playing was the driving sound. But is was the creativity Andrew constantly generated throughout the tasteful expression and variety of changes in pattern that kept my interest in listening to his sticks. Fisenden performed the dynamics and syncopated flourishes with exacting precision. Dane Alderson’s performance on the electric bass is versatile from style to style. He can turn quickly from popin’ and funk to articulate melodic passages then to subtle support. An incredible soloist in his own right, Alderson displays agility on the upper register as well as the lower frets. For example, listen to Dane’s performance on ‘the homecoming song’. O’Halloran, is the orchestra of the band. He covers electric piano, organ, and synthesizer. He is the epitome of versatility on each, confidently providing melodic motifs on pulse while settling in the chord structures with the left. You can get a taste of the expressive capabilities of O’Halloran’s playing on his solo during ‘the Llama”. Troy Roberts is a master of the Tenor Saxophone. He covers the front of the band with incredible power and finesse. Troy is the consummate player. He plays with an agility and articulation that not only settles well in the groove, but at incredible velocity. That would be enough for some, but Troy plays with expression at these speeds. Robert’s performance goes even further. You can hear his soul through the performance. From the beginning melody of ‘London” Troy’s performance shows the versatility of his skills and improvisation. Roberts is as expressive as any saxophone player of today and owns the technique to back up his performance.

The bottom line on ‘Void’… If they come anywhere near you , it is a must that you take in their live show. If you love fusion and instrumental prowess you are guaranteed an unforgettable evening. Real jazz fans will want to own a copy of “Void” for their personally library. You can purchase it at www.cdbaby.com .. or visit the www.jazzwa.com site to learn more about this group. After the concert in New York, I had the opportunity to hang around and meet them. I found each to be humble and refreshingly eager to share themselves with the new fans they had just made. These young musicians are truly much more mature than their age. In both playing abililty and personality. They are truly good ambassadors for Jazz.. and Australia.

Drmike
Michael Matheny
RadioIOJAZZ Program Director
March 29, 2007
- Michael Matheny


Discography

Product:
VOID - Self titled CD
VOID LIVE - DVD Performance @ The Llama Bar, Subiaco, Australia.

Bookings and enquiries: admin@void.tv

Photos

Bio

VOID is, without a doubt one of the hottest groups in contemporary Australian jazz. Their music stems from many sources including fusion, hip-hop and soul. Together they synthesize all these into an extraordinary delivery of speed, virtuosity, melody and seriously-phat groove that will excite your senses yet soothe your soul. Their products include a self titled CD and a live DVD, and VOID launched these at the Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival in Rome last year. Three of the four band members play alongside the fiery James Morrison as part of his “On The Edge” project, which has toured widely – from the Sydney Opera House in Australia to Europe and Russia.

2007 has already seen the band play the United States, where they were invited to showcase at the International Association of Jazz Educators Conference in New York. Here they played to an excited and packed room, and were acknowledged with an award for their immense contribution to the Conference. They now have a huge following in Miami, and, while on tour played jam-packed shows at Jazzid, Flavour and the University of Miami. TV wanted to know about them too, and so Great Day Houston included the band in a morning show to showcase them and to highlight their other jazz gigs in Houston, including great jazz venues such as The Red Cat.

The self-titled album from VOID was made feature album of the week in January 2007on Radioio, in the USA, and has also been playing online in over 80 countries.

Successive winners of the 2005 and 2006 Perth Jazz Society award for most outstanding group, Void’s music was born out of an incredibly exciting long-term residency at the Llama Bar, Subiaco, Perth. Here, enthusiastic audiences packed the house every week and helped, if not inspired them to create a series of very selfless compositions - aimed at emotionally moving those who listened, and especially filling any ‘void’.

From the remote coastal location of Perth, Western Australia comes the exciting VOID, a four-piece nu-jazz project with influences from The RH Factor, Weather Report, Joshua Redman’s Elastic Band, The Pat Metheny Group, and Soullive.

Troy Roberts began playing the saxophone at age 13. He was granted an early entrance into the Conservatorium Of Music at the age of 15, where he studied with Graeme Lyall, Roger Garrood and Jim Cook and won the PJS Encouragement Award two years in a row.


Troy also performed in Sydney for the 2000 Olympics and Manly Jazz Festival as a soloist with the West Australian Youth Jazz Orchestra.

In 2001 he graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Jazz Performance) degree winning the acclaimed Bob Wyllie Jazz Scholarship, the Melville Toyota Jazz Scholarship and traveled to Mount Gambier, South Australia winning the 2001 James Morrison Jazz Scholarship.

In 2002, he traveled to the US to survey the New York music scene and to complete an Honors Degree at the University of Miami, studying with Ron Miller, Garry Keller, Whit Sidner, James Moody, Dave Leibman, Frank Foster and performed with names such as Ernesto Simpson, Silvano Monasterios, and Chuck Bergeron. Troy also won 2 Downbeat Student Music Awards for Outstanding Soloist and Best Group Performance.

Upon Returning to Australia in 2003, Troy recorded live at the Sydney Opera House with James Morrison and over the following three years he toured Europe several times with Morrison, Sunil D'Silva (Sri Lanka), Simon Stockhausen (Germany) along with fellow WA musicians, Matthew Jodrell, Dane Alderson and Andrew Fisenden.

In 2004 Troy he performed at the Perth International Arts Festival with trumpeter Ingrid Jenson (Canada) and drummer Jon Wikan (New York) before heading back to Europe with James Morrison to headline the Burghausen Jazz Festival in Germany. Troy was a soloist in 2004 with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, and in the same year he established residency at the Llama Bar with "VOID", performing the bands original compositions to a full house every week.

Troy is currently studying for a Masters Degree at the University of Miami.

Tom O'Halloran has just recorded a Trio album of his own compositions, by way of an Australian Council grant. Green Hills and White Clouds was recorded at Soundmine Studios, Perth, with Pete Jeavons (double-bass) and Daniel Susnjar. It has just been released on the Jazzgroove label, Sydney, and is distributed in Australia through Creative Vibes.

Since living in Sydney, Tom has worked as conductor/pianist for the new musical theatre piece The Hanging of Jean-Lee at the Sydney Opera House, which was recorded by the ABC and Sunday Arts. There he worked with artists such as trumpeter Phil Slater, bassist Cameron Undy, and singers Max Sharam, Geoff Duff, Josh Quong Tart and Hugo Race (Bad Seeds). Tom has also been working with David Campbell (Sony BMG), Mark Sholtez (Verve label), Rick Robertson (DIG), Virna Sanzone, George Washingmachine, Ian Cooper, Jim Pannell, DJ’s Houston and Crucial and John Morrison