PAVEL TCHIKOV
Musician
Composer
Improviser
SOLO WORKS
Pavel Tchikov is a Russia born, Belgium based musician, composer and multi-instrumentalist.
He’s active in the electronic, experimental, free-improvisation and sound-art scenes.
The artist’s main instrument is the modular system, which he uses as an instrument on its own or as an extention for guitars, percussions, theremin, and motor-driven instruments.
He mainly plays experimental electronic music with influences from classical pioneers , as well as artists from the modern electronic scene.
Solo Live Recordings Playlist
Pavel plays solo improrvised or composed electronic music shows or collaborates with artists such as G.W. Sok, Farida Amadou, Frédéric D. Oberland, Phil Maggi, Tom Malmendier, thisquietarmy, etc.
Solo Live @Botanique (Brussels)
MMM
MMM is an electroacoustic project based on an unique remote controlled acoustic instrument with percussive strings and bells, polyphonic strings sustainers, and a custom four-speakers diffusion set up.
The set up is controlled by the performer. He uses a custom controller for setting the speeds of the sustainers, allowing to access and sustain different overtones of the strings. A computer and a phone are used for sequencing the solenoid motors for the percussive sounds, controlling their dynamics, processing and live panning on the quadraphonic diffusion set up.
The main form of the project is a composed performance. However it is also possible to extend it to an installation, since it is equipped with infra-red sensors, allowing it to detect and react to human movements in the space.
The project was developed during residencies at Overtoon and Q-O2, and premiered at the Showcase Emerging Sound 2024 at Stuk (Leuven).
More :
OGIVES
OGIVES is a large ensemble at the border of genres. Chamber music, loud riffs, pure choirs, electronic textures, OGIVES is a myriad of contrasts.
The classical composing techniques such as tintinnabuli and polyphony intertwine the post-rock legacy, while the electronic textures of modular synths embrace the pure classical female vocals.
Moreover OGIVES' music finds its inspiration in the ancient European music and in its inherent spirituality. Byzantine chants, baroque counterpoints, Old Roman monodies are all elements in the background of the band's composing style.
Within the band, Pavel composes the music, plays bass, guitars, modular synth, sings and writes some of the lyrics. He also acts on the technical side as a recording engineer and producer.
“La mémoire des orages” - (The memory of storms), the debut album by the band, mixed by Steve Albini, was released on April 2023 through Sub Rosa.
Listen:
Watch :
MUSICAL HANDCRAFTING, STUDIO & LABEL
Pavel builds some sound installations and audio gear . He owns a humble yurt studio where he produces most of his music, builds his own ribbon microphones, plate reverbs, custom synths, etc.
He also runs a small label editing music with handcrafted covers, usually in metal.
DISCOGRAPHY
OGIIVES
La Mémoire des Orages
Sub Rosa, 2023
ANAMNESIS
Aldan
Nazlo Records / La Rouille, 2020
AMADOU / TCHIKOV DUO
Mal de Terre
Trouble in Mind, 2021
HGU
Ogives - Triple album
La Rouille, 2018
HGU
AJAT
La Rouille 2016
TOUT DOIT S’ARRANGER
Live duo w/
Olivier Praet
D’une Certaine Gaieté, 2022
NYSTAGMUS
Amadou / Malmendier /
Tchikov trio
La Rouille 2019
THISQUIETARMY //
QUMRÂN GROUNDS
SPES
Labelle Borgne, 2019
BIOGRAPHY
Currently
Early days
Pavel Tchikov was born in Omsk (Siberia) in 1987 and lived in Aldan (Yakoutia) until his 10th birthday, then his family moved to the Black Sea. In 1999 he definitely left Russia for Belgium where he started to learn music.
Training
Pavel learnt classical guitar, jazz guitar, piano and music theory in Belgian public music schools and then at the Conservatoire of Liège.
Pavel Tchikov is a Russia-born Belgium-based composer, a multi-instrumentalist and an improviser.
He's the brainmind behind the band « Ogives », a large ensemble at the border of genres combining modern classical composition with post-rock and electronic music. He composes the music, plays bass, guitar, modular synth, sings and writes some of the lyrics in the band. The first album of the band was mixed by Steve Albini and released through Sub Rosa label.
In parallel he's active as a solo artist. His main instrument is a modular system which he uses as an instrument on its own or as an extention for the guitar, percussions, and mechanical instruments. He mainly plays experimental electronic music with influences from classicaal pioneers as well as actual artists from the electronic scene.
His general artistic approach lies in the research of the sacred and of a perpetual inner transformation.
His first autobiographical album « Aldan » was released under the pseudonym « Anamnesis » on the Russian label Nazlo Records.
Pavel plays processed guitar in duo with the bassist Farida Amadou. Together they released two albums on the Chicago based label Trouble in Mind and the German Midira Records.
He is involved in various collaborations with musicians such as G.W. Sok, Farida Amadou, Frédéric D. Oberland, Tom Malmendier, thisquitarmy, ...
In his spare time he runs a studio and label called « La Rouille » or builds sound installations, audio gear and makes album covers in metal.
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