[News] Yelena Eckemoff premiere in exclusive via PRJ the track “Tournament” taken from her upcoming new album

Russia/USA based Jazz Prog artist Yelena Eckemoff premiere in exclusive via Progressive Rock Journal the track “Tournament” taken from upcoming new album “Scenes From The Dark Ages” due out on March 28, 2025 via her own label L&H Production. The new single “Tournement” is availavle via its premiere through the YouTube player below:

We had a nice chat with Yelena about the track and the upcoming album, available below:

It is a real pleasure for us to be able to host this premiere.

Yel: “The pleasure is mine!

Hi Yelena, welcome to our pages, how are you?

Hello, I am doing fine, which means I am as busy as ever.

Presenting today’s studio session of ‘Tournament,’ how would you describe this track?

Yel: “I wrote this track imagining a knight who takes part in jousting, filled with clashes of metal and horses galloping. After the knight wins the first round, he goes to his lady, kneels before her. (This is what the middle lyrical section of track is about.) His lady takes the ribbon out of her headdress and ties it around the end of his lance. The knight, overwhelmed and happy, saddles his horse and competes with his next opponent.

An intense and elaborate track, what themes does it deal with?

Yel: “This is the track about power of love that makes men do crazy and difficult things to honor objects of their veneration. The 6X8 time signature and fast pace helps to feel the thrill of the competition and nervous galloping of horses. The same tempo propelling the lyrical tune in the contract middle section helps to keep the excitement level up while picturing the female observers of the event who eagerly follow the objects of their romantic infatuations and
heartfelt affections.

Both the track and the album feature some guest artists, what did they bring to the sound?

Yel: “This is one of the tracks where the whole septet is actively involved. Before musicians recorded the track, I told them what images I had in mind behind this music. Guitar player Riccardo Bertuzzi especially was trying to convey the imagery in his playing and in his spirited soloing. The middle section offered written through material with swift polyphonic interactions between flute, guitar, violin, and piano, and presented a technical challenge for musicians, which they had overcome brilliantly. All musicians’ playing was fabulous, but having a legendary percussionist Trilok Gurtu laying down the drums with his distinct punch and precision, was truly invaluable and spiced up the music in just right direction.

Tell us something about the making of this new video.

Yel: “We were making several videos on the third day of the recording session, after we have already recorded all tracks. Actually, the video recordings of the other 4 tracks differ from album versions, except Tournament, which went on the album as it was recorded on video, because I decided that the video version came out more exciting. It felt like a live
performance, because for the video we played it just once all the way through.

The track is taken from your new album “Scenes From the Dark Ages” due out on March 28, 2025, how did this work come about and how would you describe the sounds?

Yel: “I grew up surrounded by books, in the world of stories and fairy tales. The images of these stories – most of them taking roots in the medieval times, etched in my mind and formed an exciting fantasy world that I wished I was born into. I imagined being part of these fairy tales, walking among castles, horse carriages, kings and princes. Of course, when I grew up, I understood that Dark Ages were harsh and cruel times to live in. But my romanticized childhood point of view somehow still survived in my heart and inspired me to create a music suite that would hint on the medieval music feel yet would sound totally modern. Some tracks have more associations with medieval music, some less, but all the
tunes are my originals.”

Are you planning any live dates to present the new album in the near future?

Yel: “Surely, it could have been a lot of fun to present this music live, but unfortunately, there are no plans for any live performances. The main reason is that I have a very intense recording schedule of recording every year, so after I finish one project, I immediately start another, which gives me no wiggle room to embark on the touring.

I thank Yelena for this premiere and wish her all the best for the release of her new album and the continuation of her artistic career.

Yel: “Thank you for having me at Progressive Rock Journal!

Prolific Russian/American pianist and composer Yelena Eckemoff prepares to release her epic and mesmerizing double-album, “Scenes From The Dark Ages.”

With spellbinding elements of Progressive Rock, Jazz and New Age with a Medieval concept and delivered by a top-tier ensemble, “Scenes From The Dark Ages” immerses the listener in a nearly-two-hour surrealistic and spellbinding experience. Scenes From The Dark Ages was written and produced by Yelena Eckemoff who performs piano, organ, clavichord, celesta, synths, and she is joined by Riccardo Bertuzzi (electric guitar), Carlo Nicita (soprano, alto, and bass flutes), Eloisa Manera (acoustic and electric violin), Riccardo Oliva (electric bass) and leading world Jazz/Fusion scene drummer Trilok Gurtu (drums and percussion). The album was recorded over three days in August 2023 at Digitube Studio in Mantua, Italy, with the recording, mixing, and mastering handled by Carlo Cantini.

Composer Yelena Eckemoff’s newest album “Scenes From The Dark Ages” is not a rendering of early-music tropes in modern Jazz feels. Rather, in her writing on this album she synthesizes classical music constructs and her original melodies with the varied rhythmic and stylistic innovations of Jazz, Fusion and World Music from the 21st Century. Beyond this, she invests each moment of the album with her own sense of delight in leading and performing this unique material.

The accomplished self-produced musician, who, with this latest title, has now released more than twenty critically acclaimed albums via her own label, L&H Production, recorded this album in Mantua, Italy, bringing together an ensemble perfectly suited to execute her ideas: esteemed Italian musicians Riccardo Bertuzzi on electric guitar, Carlo Nicita on flute, Eloisa Manera on violin, Riccardo Oliva on electric bass, and legendary percussionist/drummer Trilok Gurtu.

Those who follow Eckemoff’s career will not be surprised by the enormous creativity in this collection; she always brings a wealth of deep thought to everything she does. What might surprise listeners, however, is how persistently this project has been forming in Yelena’s mind, resurfacing intermittently years after she wrote those first little snippets for a grade school performance. One tune flows organically into the next as she weaves a vibrant sonic tableau depicting medieval life. In her vision, each tune captures a unique aspect of those far-off times, much like the fairy tales that so mesmerized her as a child.

To modern ears, these compositions will register as present-day fairy tales, sparkling with the same imagination and wonder that has kept these most beloved stories alive for centuries. Like fairy tales, Yelena’s work carries deeper meanings; its sophistication lies in her talent for making the complex seem simple and the simple beautiful.

Scenes From The Dark Ages” is confirmed for March 28, 2025 release as a deluxe digipak 2xCD and on all digital platforms through Yelena Eckemoff’s own label, L&H Production.

Pre-Order the album on Bandcamp: https://yelenaeckemoff.bandcamp.com/album/scenes-from-the-dark-ages

Digital Pre-Saves HERE

Tracklist:
01. Pilgrims
02. Village Tavern
03. From Peasants Life
04. Spell-Bound Fortress
05. Monks in Scriptorium
06. Cathedral
07. Legends of the Castle
08. Adventures of a Knight
09. Battle
10. Chivalry
11. Tournament
12. Masquerade
13. Alchemist
14. Quest
15. From the Life of the Lords

Lineup:
Yelena Eckemoff / Piano, Organ, Clavichord, Celesta, Synths

With:
Riccardo Bertuzzi / Electric Guitar
Carlo Nicita / Soprano, Alto and Bass Flutes
Eloisa Manera / Acoustic and Electric Violin
Riccardo Oliva / Electric Bass
Trilok Gurtu / Drums and Percussion

Yelena Eckemoff |Official Website|Bandcamp|Facebook Page|X (Twitter)|Instagram|Spotify|YouTube Channel|

L&H Productions |Official Website|

Author: Jacopo Vigezzi

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