Dúo del Sol

"It’s whimsical and consistently interesting, which is certainly high praise for most instrumental pieces.....compositions are so tonally rich and captivating"
"Intricately performed with sparse instrumentation, but deeply expressive at the same time. Although there’s more of a gypsy overtone to this, it sort of reminds me of Christophe Heral’s work on the Rayman Origins soundtrack." - either/or

LA Weekly calls this pairing "avant-sonic acrobats"... which is pretty darn accurate. Both Tom Farrell and Javier Orman are music majors well on their way to grand careers in classical performance, but Dúo del Sol was just much grander. hello Kaleidoscope exhibits tremendous dedication, excellent musicianship, and flawless execution. The album and Dúo del Sol's live shows reveal the crazy versatility of two simple instruments--

“The guitar in Dúo del Sol is the drum set, the bass, the cello and the mandolin. [Meanwhile,] the violin is so close to the human voice, but it can also sound like an electric guitar or even a trombone at any moment."
This week will be a treat for the classically-inclined (as it was for me), but even if you're not weathered in Bach and Brahms, I encourage you to give the above records a spin. Hush, pick a rainy day or a quaint cafe, and listen. - Drop in the Middle

Tom Farrell (guitar) and Javier Orman (violin) are both accomplished classical players previously touring and winning awards in that realm. The most obvious career choice would have been to stay on that course, but something was missing. Dúo del Sol freed them and they say “It is the most rewarding thing we’ve ever done.”
Musically, Dúo del Sol innovate from improvisation and obsess over songwriting. Creativity is the norm and their lifestyle, which led to their debut LP hello Kaleidoscope full of mesmerizing tracks which you can stream/purchase on Bandcamp. You can also pick it up on iTunes here. Despite not knowing much about the classic genre myself, the emotion and pure talent in their songs is extremely evident. - Lost In Sound

Let's get serious. It ain't rock, country or pop. It's hardly, strictly jazz. It is a little classical, slightly latin and incredibly compelling. Dúo del Sol (violinist and vocalist Javier Orman and guitarist and vocalist Tom Farrell who, on select tracks, enlist the skills of accordionist Oscar "Luminoso" Rospide, cellists Cameron Stone and Derek Stein, and percussionist Andrew Bush) went to Grandma's Warehouse in Los Angeles and recorded a fascinating eleven track album of classical sounding latin jazz ensemble music titled hello, Kaleidoscope.

Orman's and Farrell's fingerstyle approach to the music drops them somewhere between the acoustic jazz of Paco de Lucia and the gypsy jazz of Django Reinhardt. This is engrossing stuff. Spanish guitar, a gypsy violin, cellos and an accordion.

Now, I realize waveriders as a rule tend to like their music like they like their coffee - dark, roasted and steaming hot. This album is not one of those types of albums. In fact, it is more like good cognac - smooth and aged, and better slowly sipped while sitting in the big leather chair in the study. This is a contemplative album. While there are vocals on a track or two, this album is not about the vocals. It is a debut LP that is all about music, musicianship and finding a voice for the duo.

Think of this album as something to put on after a long, hard day when you need to decompress with a cerebral, acoustic recording. hello, Kaleidoscope is just that, a fractal sonic image of alluring melodic patterns, satisfying and innovative, that changes bare instruments into a panolopy of emotive soundscapes.

Get it at Bandcamp (https://duodelsol.bandcamp.com) . You won't be disappointed. - The Ripple Effect

By Michael Aushenker
Last month, the musical combo Dúo del Sol partied at O’Brien’s Pub on Main Street in Santa Monica – with good reason. Fresh off their performance at the Santa Monica Pier, they were celebrating their successful crowd-funding campaign to finance their first full-length album, “Hello Kaleidoscope,” which drops Tuesday, Sept. 17.
“We set out to get $12,000,” guitarist Tom Farrell said. “We pulled in about $18,000.”
Farrell and violinist Javier Orman – the “duo” in Dúo del Sol – spent many hours in the studio fine-tuning their sound, a mix of world, jazz and art-rock music, at Beacon Street Studios in Venice.
“There are songs that we sing but it’s kind of mostly instrumental,” said Orman, who promises their forthcoming album, “Hello Kaleidoscope,” will be “intense and violent at times. Our first EP had that hard-hitting rhythmic groove that we do.”
Both musicians live locally – Farrell in Venice, Orman in Santa Monica – but originally hail from outside of California. Born in Israel and raised in the artsy port city of Montevideo, Uruguay, Orman lists, among his influences Radiohead’s “Exit Music” and Gustav Mahler’s symphonies. Meanwhile, Chicagoan Farrell grew up weaned on Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Metallica and The Cult.
“These were my first obsessions and led me to want to play guitar,” said Farrell, who, in lieu of a real guitar, constructed one out of a tennis racket and rubber bands as a youth. Farrell later became obsessed with composers Igor Stravinsky, Bela Bartok and Gyorgy Ligeti. The pair met in late 2010 while working at a Santa Monica-based nonprofit school, Sol-LA Music Academy.
“We started getting together casually and we worked from there,” Orman said. “We’ve definitely been influenced by dance music, from Manu Chau to electronic music. We both have been Radiohead fans.”
“Thom Yorke is just one of my idols,” Orman continued of the English art-rock group. “I love his solo CD (2006’s “The Eraser”). How he’s so free. We live in a post-genre era. He and the rest of the Radiohead guys have kind of led that a bit.”
By early 2011, Farrell and Orman had formed their own act and came up with their name, riffing off of their place of work and something “reminiscent of (innovative rap act) De La Soul,” Farrell explained.
“We crossed paths (at a time) when we both had masters in music and we have both traveled a bit,” Orman said.
Collectively, they forged a single voice in Dúo del Sol.
“We’re community-made,” said Farrell. “People from all backgrounds tell us how much our music has moved and changed them, and they feel they are a part of our group.”
In the summer of 2011 their writing process flourished.
“All those influences started to come out,” Orman said.
“I continuously discover new sounds and new ways of approaching this instrument,” Farrell said. “The guitar in Dúo del Sol is the drum set, the bass, the cello and the mandolin.”
They have already played such venues as The Edison in downtown Los Angeles, the King-King and the Witzend in Venice. They’ve since performed concerts in Chicago, Denver and San Francisco.
Farrell loves Venice’s bohemian vibe and artistic bent.
“Venice was one of the reasons I wanted to move to Los Angeles to begin with,” said Farrell, who has lived in Venice for six years.
The Talking Stick on Lincoln Boulevard is a spot where Farrell’s musical instruction business, Tom Farrell Music, has often held its teen rock band showcases.
“It’s great for the kids,” Farrell said. “They get nervous but they get to perform (in a real venue).”
Orman loves the coastal communities in which he lives and circulates through.
“It reminds me a lot of home (in South America),” he said of Santa Monica and Venice. “It’s a very artsy city and an anti-establishment place where art has flourished. Everybody seems to be here. I just love talking to people in other art forms. There are so many great photographers and great artists we have met here.”
Up next for Dúo del Sol: some extensive touring. The pair will play in El Salvador in November, a visit to Brazil is in the works, and Europe is also in their sights.
Orman firmly believes that their music will follow a trajectory not unlike heroes Radiohead and Bjork: savvy usage of trending new technological platforms. Bjork, for example, created a mobile app “that is amazing,” according to Orman. “It takes you on a visual adventure through each song.
“We have barely touched the surface on iPads,” he continued, “and these devices and how much we can express through them.”
Another direction Orman and Farrell see themselves exploring is providing scores for films.
“Things are changing,” Orman said. “I’m not pessimistic. I feel that there’s a lot in store and it’s kind of exciting. There’s so much potential of things to be done.”
“People still wonder sometimes what to make of us,” Farrell said of his eclectic, multi-cultural act.
Truth be told, he and Orman probably wouldn’t want to have it any other way. - The Argonaut

“Tightrope” is the third track on Duo Del Sol’s new debut album, hello Kaleidoscope. It takes a certain skill to produce instrumental music that offers something new and different and remains something pleasing and entrancing

artworks-000057133303-htuwjj-t500x500Duo Del Sol’s debut LP has several songs that achieve just that. Band members, Tom Farrell on the guitar and Javier Orman on the violin, work together using their instruments in unconventional ways to create unconventional sounds and songs.

The band reigns from Venice Beach, California but have been all over the map gathering musical experiences. Orman is originally from Israel but grew up in the Montevideo, Uruguay, a port-city. Farrell got his start in Chicago, on make-shift instruments.

Over time the two came to find a voice as a duo. The music they produce allows each of them to showcase their true skills without overpowering one another. They fit seamlessly together, making beautiful compositions.

This LP sounds almost Latin-inspired at times, but you can hear some beach inspired sounds in the tracks too. - Monkey Biz

This is something really unusual for Invisible Guy. I got a mail from Dúo del Sol, which is a classically trained duo consisting of Tom Farrell (Guitar) and Javier Orman (Violin). I must admit, I didn’t really see myself delving into the sphere of classical music, even though I like it. Anyway, these two gentlemen have a history of playing classical music after college, touring around the USA and winning awards for that. However, they felt like something was missing and Dúo del Sol, according to themselves – set them free of those bonds and added the thing that was missing. Instead of being locked into that dome, they broke free and set improvisation and creativity in the first room. LA Weekly have called them “avant-sonic acrobats“. Another thing that needs to be added, is that this particular album came out after an overwhelmingly successful Kickstarter-campaign. Without any words used, this first release; “hello Kaleidoscope” symbolizes just what they were missing earlier. It is a mixture of raw talent, being channeled into an open landscape of sound, breaking free from every little constraint and barrier that can or could be found. Over here at Invisible Guy, we were offered to premiere a track from their album. It’s a track that wasn’t meant to be on the record at first, but they included it anyway. The track is titled “Never the Same River Twice” and you can read for yourselves about the process behind it, from the band themselves: - Invisible Guy

Dúo del Sol is Tom Farrell (guitar/vocals) and Javier Orman (violin/vocals), and they are from Los Angeles, via Chicago and Uruguay.

hello Kaleidoscope is their first full length record, and features assistance from Oscar ‘Luminoso’ Rospide (accordion), Cameron Stone (cello), Derek Stein (cello) and Andrew Bush (percussion) on some tracks.

Their sound is an awesome intoxicating swirl of classical forms and world music (mostly Latin) rhythms, and is kind of like a fine red wine: you have to do the aural equivalent of letting it breathe, i.e. just sit back and listen to it. Allow yourself to be swept up and away.

These are a few of my favorite tracks:

Never The Same River Twice, in which the violin sings a song of longing and adventure, accompanied by a cello and guitar that sound like the steady movement of water. - Now This Sound

When it comes to music, many of us like to stay within our comfort zones. We each can be defined, and define ourselves, by our lyrical indulgences. Our tastes in tunes reflect the spectrum of our personalities and emotions, an operation that allows us to feel unique (even if that may be, in fact, only an illusion). Be it a Blues and Hip-Hop lover, or a Country and Metal fan, our range of interests often lets us symbolize ourselves with another’s poetry. We can represent with songs a score of feelings that makes us actually feel… something… in a world in which we continue to slowly slip away from human connections.

So we tend to be attracted to what we know, to what our Facebook friends know, to the familiar, even when the familiar has found a new form. But what we might miss are those unconventional artists that don’t seem to have a place within the genre list on iTunes.

Duo del Sol falls into this category.

While the string duo has a spot in the Latin set, can claim a small corner of classical and has its own status in the jazz scene, it is difficult to truly define their sound, or be defined by it.

What the music of Duo del Sol does is define moments. Their first album, Mirá, gave us a channel for enthusiasm and invigoration with its mix of animated string and intermittent percussion. The spirited melodies are the kind that dance around in your mind long after the song is done. Tunes like Mirá and Panic That Way pop up again when you least expect it to act as the soundtrack to an inspirational impulse or a burst of energy.

However, their latest album, hello Kaleidoscope, delivers something very different. Though only two of the songs truly include vocals, one of which is the beautiful original ballad Me Hace Bien, the remaining nine tracks tell a thousand stories without a single word. The sometimes solemn, often intense, always emotionally vibrating melodies go deeper, and perhaps a little darker, into the depths of one’s psyche. While lyrics allow us to visualize the tales that popular music chooses to tell, it’s the sounds within songs like Never the Same River Twice and Clusterfük that take us down a path of fables of our creation. But go with caution. While with classic genres you generally know what you are in for, the music of hello Kaleidoscope paints a slowly swirling tornado of imagery and emotion, which may surface something surprising from inside. But it is well worth the journey, an opportunity to explore beneath the surface of your own soul, if you dare to go.

Duo del Sol‘s hello Kaleidoscope has been nominated for an Independent Music award. If you find the music moves you as much as it does me, register and vote for them here. - Born Again Brazilian

Probably because of this Midweek Music Break series, a couple of years ago I started to receive, via email, promotional announcements about new performers (or new albums by old performers) — even or especially, performers whose work I’ve never covered. The first time this happened was shortly after I music-broke with a band called Harlan Pepper; the group is from Hamilton, Ontario, and so — coincidentally — were the other performers alerting me to new releases. (I don’t know much about Hamilton, Ontario, but I know it’s got an uncommonly high concentration of musical talent and ambition.)

Most of the writeups I get this way don’t encourage me to explore further, although I’ll usually give a listen for the first 30 seconds or so of the new video or free download. The bands often describe themselves in terms like this (not quoting anyone’s exact words, but this is the sense):

We’re just a bunch of four guys who’ve known each other our whole lives. We think music sounds best when it’s spontaneous and played from the heart. And the music on our first EP reflects that. We recorded it in a barn on Jimmy’s dad’s farm over an intense weekend of loud, soul-ripping throat-shredding sound…

They often cite the influence of bands I’ve never heard of (not really a surprise: I’m no authority). They’re always earnest, generous with their sample MP3s, and often (not always) young. I wish them all well, and apologize to any I’ve seemed to ignore: there’s just too much music to hear — way more than books to read, even — and I just don’t write about it often enough.

Still, there are exceptions. Here’s how Dúo del Sol described themselves in the email announcement of their first album, called hello Kaleidoscope (and released yesterday):

Both of us were accomplished classical players during and after college, touring and winning awards in that realm. The most obvious career choice would have been to stay the course, but something was missing.

Dúo del Sol freed us. It is the most rewarding thing we’ve ever done. Musically, we innovate from improvisation and obsess over the songwriting. Creativity is the norm and our lifestyle, and we explore any world that our muse takes us to… We’re both drawn to highly emotional, personal music. Dúo del Sol lets our shared classical training shine through, but we are not constrained by any preconceived blueprint.
That got my attention.

The duo had already released an EP when they held their successful, modest Kickstarter campaign to fund the album’s production. I didn’t know of them then, but I know I’ll pay attention henceforth. hello Kaleidoscope — as the video above hints — pretty much bursts at the seams with energy. Guitar and violin together is not an unusual combination, of course, and even not-an-authority I have heard them in jazz settings. But Dúo del Sol, with all its percussive, insistent Latin urgency, has already earned a place in my Favorites playlist.

About that “energy” and “urgency”: although the video suggests that the tunes on hello Kaleidoscope will bring you to your feet, pulse pounding, the album also attends to the quieter urgencies of the heart: you’ll find yearning here, expressions of things painfully absent as well as joyfully in attendance, and sometimes the one turning into the other. Here, for example, is “Louie” — which escorts you from almost twenty seconds of silent contemplation to a sort of quiet swing (which may further lead you, as it led me, to a sudden grin), and ties it all up with a prolonged, single sweet note of finish: a last swipe with a buffing pad at the polished musical surface. - Running After My Hat

hello Kaleidoscope, the debut full-length album from Los Angeles based outfit Dúo del Sol, arrives tomorrow. Guitarist Tom Farrell and violinist Javier Orman, who make up Dúo del Sol, are both classically trained musicians and their compositions are influenced by diverse genres, geographical experiences and personal emotions. They “innovate from improvisation and obsess over the songwriting”, as they put it themselves. “Creativity is the norm and our lifestyle, and we explore any world that our muse takes us to”.
Dúo del Sol have shared a video to accompany the beautiful and cinematic first single ‘While You Were Gone’. Check it out below and head over to their bandcamp to stream and order hello Kaleidoscope. - Cast the Dice

Dúo del Sol was one of the first bands ACL reviewed, and Mira was one of 2012′s most popular reviews ~ so we were not surprised at the success of the duo’s recent Kickstarter campaign, which financed this debut album. Would Mira‘s magical charm be replicated here? Or would success change the duo, making them fat and complacent?

Okay, enough teasing. Javier is jumping in the air while playing the violin, as pictured on Dúo del Sol’s home page. And Tom is trying to duck under a giant logo so we can’t see his face. So we’ll have to go to the teaser video to see if they still have the energy we remember. Oh look, they do! Wow, they are clearly having a blast! No wonder audiences love them! And WOAH ~ WAS THAT OUR NAME IN THE VIDEO?

It is a good thing we liked Dúo del Sol before seeing that, because otherwise, there goes our objectivity. Woo-hoo, we’re all famous!

Mira also appeared in our feature, The Happiest Music of the Year, and for good reason, as the EP exuded alegría y entusiasmo. This trend continues on hello Kaleidoscope, but this time around, felicidad is tempered by melancolía. This results in a deeper and more mature set, as one might expect given the format. Life can still be a party, but a party is best appreciated as a break from what it is not: the sometimes sorrowful and often mundane nature of daily life. And so yes, the album contains its belters, its out-of-the-chair, hands-in-the-air songs. The first of these is “Cualquiera”, which can be translated in many ways. We’re going with “whatever” (as in “whatever will be”), because the vibe is very que sera, sera (the phrase, not the song). This early highlight concludes with a quickened tempo and a rush of handclaps, bearing distant memories of Santa Esmeralda’s version of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”. “Satoomba” (the song in the video) begins swiftly and speeds to a rousing and nearly atonal climax, climaxed by a single sweet note. And the amusing “El Gran Luminoso” (“The Great Light”) sounds like the work of a Gypsy serenading a group of insomniac companions outside a circus tent, long after the crowds have gone home.

But not everything here is so light, as the duo lets us know with the wistful “Never the Same River Twice”, a wise choice of opener as it establishes the expectations early. This is also the first of five tracks that contain cello, an instrument that seldom sounds as if it is smiling. “Louie” is particularly affecting, a darker turn for the duo, but a welcome one. Some of Dúo del Sol’s best compositions combine moods: “Tightrope” begins with pensive explorations, then decides to get out of bed and face the day. The album also includes the two longest pieces the duo have attempted. The six-and-a-half-minute “After Words” borders on post-rock, needing only a longer title to qualify. And while we don’t normally encourage such things, two vocal tracks are included, one in English and the other in Spanish. Could Dúo del Sol end up with radio hits in two hemispheres? It’s quite possible; the sprightly “Rain” is a perfect song for summer’s end, and that’s exactly when this album is being released. By stretching their boundaries, Tom and Javier have demonstrated that they are not thinking of playing it safe. Those who helped finance this album have spent their money well; hopefully the next will take care of itself. Te deseamos todo el éxito posible. (Richard Allen) - A Closer Listen

The daily album today comes from Dúo del Sol, two guys who originally started making music in Chicago. Guitarist Tom Farrell and violinist Javier Orman have just released their first full-length album, due in large part to their Kickstarter campaign. There are a ton of influences that go into their music, and the end result is pretty phenomenal.
hello Kaleidoscope opens with “Never the Same River Twice”, a beautiful, cinematic piece that introduces the guitar/string duality that is the basis for much of the album. The track moves effortlessly between major and minor, at times sad and pensive, and at other times hopeful and sunny; really a metaphor for life. The work is classically inspired, but there are strong folk and native influences here. “Cualquiera” follows, and there is more than a hint of Latin influence here, in the guitar work, the percussion, and the overall flair of the piece. The tempo work is great; the artists are really toying with our emotions here.
“Tightrope” succeeds in being a very anxiety-ridden piece. Confidence builds and builds, and is broken – back to square one. Ironically, themes from “Never the Same River Twice” reappear. Tom, Javier, and their set of accompanying artists on hello Kaleidoscope all do a magnificent job of controlling their instruments. In a music world currently saturated with loud, compressed tracks, this is a breath of fresh air.
“After words” has a dreamy feel that is juxtaposed with racing guitar interludes, resulting in quite the roller coaster ride. There is certainly no lack of emotion on this album. “Rain” is definitely one of the poppier tracks, and one of the few featuring vocals. It has a different feel, more theatrical versus the very cinematic feel of the rest of the album, but it’s a nice change of pace. Plus, that accordion!
hello Kaleidoscope closes with “El Gran Luminoso”, which like much of the rest of the album, transports you. But where? To a carnival? To carneval? A canal? Who knows where, exactly… But that’s what this group is good at: setting a musical stage. Folk, latin, jazz, and classical fuse together here, resulting in some great music that is sweet and spicy at the same time. - The Daily Album