Green Echo

Biography

Green echo was founded by Nno Mar (Guitar & effects), J (drums) and Pedrü (Bass) in 2003. The three long-time friends, sharing mutual taste for music, decided to start jamming together, playing at home long instrumental and experimental jams, always based on improvisation, using various effects pedals, namely long-lasting delays, deep reverbs and loops, influenced on a variety of bands from all types of genres, such as Mr. Bungle, Sonic Youth, Can, Kraftwerk, Soft Machine, Tool, The Mars Volta, De Facto, Radiohead, Amon Tobin, Zenzile, Kaly Live Dub, Hightone, Pink Floyd, Bob Marley, King Tubby, and on also on Portuguese bands such as Three and a Quarter, Zen, Blasted Mechanism, Primitive Reason, Loosers, Wray Gunn. Wanting to develop their ideas, they started with regular rehearsals, from which resulted their first tracks being recorded and made available on MySpace, under several names, until settling with the name Green Echo (made up by Nno Mar and J, defining the style of music played and based on a Line 6 delay pedal)

Wanting to expand their sound, Adri (Clarinet, Transverse Flute, Melodica and effects) and Zdigas (Guitar, Synth & effects) became full-time members, making Green Echo’s sound much more dense.

It was then that Green Echo started grabbing some attention on the internet, eventually having its first airplay on a Portuguese radio program called "Admirável Mundo Novo".

Their first release was a contribution with two tracks (“dunk” and “duz”) for the compilation ‘’“Thirty Something New Tales”’’ from [email protected] in 2006. At this time, Pedrü had left the band, and was temporarily replaced by Zeca.

On the following months, the band went on a short hiatus, returning to their regular jams with a new formation. Zeca left the band, while the brothers Leo (Guitar) and Rod (Keyboards, Percussion and Bass) joined in, and some months after, bass duties were undertaken by Katharsis’ vocalist Sarmento (Bass, Tenor Sax and Didgeridoo). With the entry of the three latter members, the music of Green Echo distanced itself from the yearly experimentalist and raw sound, influencing more on world music and jazzy structures.

It was with this formation that Green Echo finally gave their first concert, on the Festival de Oeiras in early 2009. Shortly after Sara (VJ) joined the band, providing Green Echo with a new visual impact for their music through strong emotive videos. It was only by the end of July that Green Echo gave their first full concert alone, at Crew Hassan in Lisbon.

They then entered into the New Talents Contest ("Concurso Novos Talentos"), with a series of gigs in Lisbon and Montemor, eventually winning the contest. As a result, the band was invited to play at the Festa do Avante in September 2009, headlining the last day of the festival's side stage, giving one of their most memorable concerts up to date!

In October 2009, Green Echo started recording their first album.

Musical style

As can be read from their site, "Green echo release their ideas and emotions communicating and expressing themselves through art, creating an explosion of feelings in the audience. Green echo jam and improvise trying to make their sound the echo of the present moment. Their music is a fusion of electronic and acoustic sound that reaches a spacey and natural sound at the same time. Each musical moment is unique and is created through fusion of perceptions that each element has from the world. This creates the energy for rebellion, for reflection... We seek the sound of change."

Improvisation

The general idea behind Green Echo's music is solely based on improvisation and soundscapes. These improvisations can be attached to a single riff, idea or on the other hand be loosely developed around no particular thing where the band simply started playing and took the music wherever it went. Green echo maintains the spirit of improvisation as its result is more closely linked to the moment of the experience itself giving space for a much more interesting creation, based upon what is happening in that moment. As such, green echo's concerts are in each self unique, as even when previously prepared, such preparation relies only on the message or journey to be explored, no more.

Effects

Green Echo's sound relies also on the heavy use of effects pedals. This use, namely by creating soundscapes, shows a different approach to the instruments played, being a guitar, for example, not a final instrument, but a mere vehicle to what can be done with effects pedals. Every member of the band uses some kind of effects, especially imposing echos and delays. This can be particularly heard in the self-oscillating delays, and the effects used in the woodwinds played by Adri.

Influences

All members of Green Echo have a different, even if linked, musical background. However, it is clearly identifiable the influence of Dub, World Music, Progressive rock, Experimental rock, Jazz fusion, and from bands such as Mr. Bungle, Sonic Youth, Can, Kraftwerk, Soft Machine, Tool, The Mars Volta, De Facto, Radiohead, Amon Tobin, Zenzile, Kaly Live Dub, Hightone, Pink Floyd, Bob Marley, King Tubby, and on also on Portuguese bands such as Three and a Quarter, Zen, Blasted Mechanism, Primitive Reason, Loosers, Wray Gunn.

Studio albums

To be released in early 2010

Compilations