Solot by Ramon Prats

Recording improvised music is often compared to photography. An album is like a snapshot of a vibrant and ever-changing process. However, there is a big difference between preparing or arranging what we want to portray, or simply capturing it as it is.

Solot started in 2010 after a stay in New York. I felt the urge to strip myself bare on stage, with the idea that it would help me strengthen and deepen my musical discourse. After several years of isolated concerts, in 2019 I embarked on a month-long tour, performing every day throughout the Iberian Peninsula. At that time, my internal struggle revolved around being able to play without thinking about whether the pulse was more or less explicit and how it affected the discourse.

In January 2023, I did a series of concerts similar to the one in 2019, playing every day for a month, but this time, always in the same venue, in Banyoles. My goal was to push myself to mental exhaustion, depleting all resources and witnessing what unfolded from that pivotal moment. I concentrated specifically on the discourse, observing how ideas transformed and mutated, generating a sense of movement. I wasn't focused on the ideas, but rather on what happened to them. I wanted to explore the connections between one idea and the next, the transitions.

This album was recorded a few months after all of that, without any premeditation, without seeking anything beyond the ebb and flow of ideas, consciously evading the boundaries of familiarity and the discoveries I had made over the years.

My approach to the album was as such, like someone grabbing a camera and snapping a photo without even looking through the lens. No focus, no last-minute checks in the mirror for nose-hairs.

Ramon Prats


Thanks to: Agustí Fernández, Francesc Viladiu, Fundació Lluís Coromina, Albert Cirera, Maria Prats, Néstor Corominas, Xavi Prats, Pablo Wayne, Simon Saura & Edu Montes for helping me push this adventure forward. And thanks to Montse, Margot and Olívia for all the butterfly hurricanes.

Dedicated to all people who make things happen.

Independent label of free improvised music promoted by Agustí Fernández

agustifernandez.com