æpəˈfiːni.ə The psychological tendency to recognize patterns/connections between seemingly random data; schizophrenia symptom.

Apophenia is a quartet turned sextet created with the aim of exploring music that eliminates the barrier between composition and improvisation, asking the question “to what extent can you distort and mutate an initial idea without taking away its character?”

Created in 2020 and premiered in 2022, Apophenia uses the languages of jazz, contemporary music and free improvisation to create a hybrid and energetic aesthetic in constant metamorphosis.

In 2022, Apophenia recorded its first record in quartet, the album “Prötzeler” (Robalo), distinguished by national (1) and international critics (2) and nominated for the Portuguese RTP Play award for best Jazz album (2023). In 2022 and early 2023 Apophenia toured in Portugal, Germany, Belgium and Netherlands.

(1) Here is new proof, if necessary, of the phase of enormous vitality that national jazz crosses, by the hand of four musicians belonging to a new generation with a lot to say and that perseveres in not allowing themselves to be policed.” – António Branco, Jazz.pt (2022)

(2) “What is more important is originality and I think within the idiom these guys are the business. The writing is absorbing and there is plenty of puckish spirit.” – Stephen marlbank, marlbank.net (2022)

In 2023, the group officially became a sextet with the addition of the French cellist Adele Viret and the portuguese vibraphone player Duarte Ventura, allowing the group to explore more polyphonic material, autonomous composition system and classical/contemporary timbres.

The contrasts become even more enticing as the enlarged formation allows the group to explore even more instrumental constellations for the improvised sections and to ingrain in the music some sonorities derived from atonal chamber music, whilst keeping the core of composing and deciding in real time. Suddenly, there’s the possibility for longer sections with less sonic information and more nuanced layers.

In March 2024, Apophenia sextet did a residency in Lisbon, toured for 4 days in Portugal and recorded an album where each musician contributed with one composition, keeping with the collective nature of group. The album is scheduled to be released in the beginning of 2025 and is, as of yet, untitled.