Por onde começar? Jon Hopkins. Pianista, músico e produtor brilhante. Arquitecto de alguns dos mais preciosos planos de fuga e de escape, por paisagens sonoras que têm desafiado qualquer rótulo, género ou estilo que lhe queiram pôr em cima. Compositor de uma esfera cinematográfica texturada, bem batida em camadas instrumentais e ambientais de contrastes e volumes baixos que nos fazem voar baixinho. Ele, pois, Jon. Da formação iniciática no Royal College of Music aos dias de hoje, não vai um salto. Vai uma longa viagem. Dos tempos da dream pop de Imogen Heap e nascimento de Opalescent em 2001, presenciámos um crescimento que está longe de ser unidimensional, marcado ora por colaborações fulcrais - palpáveis na intimidade de “Diamond Mine” com King Creosote, num registo folk, ou na colaboração seminal com Brian Eno, selada entre bandas sonoras e o EP Small Craft on a Milk Sea com a participação de Leo Abrahams - ora por um processo de descoberta pessoal profunda, reflectido nas evoluções dos quase “ensaios” Contact Note e Insides (onde ‘Vessel’ deixava já denunciar um traço singular). Pois que à chegada de Immunity tudo mudava para ele e tudo mudava para nós. Immunity é o gigante que ainda hoje espera sucessor, após a nomeação Mercury-Prize e os 165 live acts que o fizeram rodar o mundo inteiro e fechar o ciclo num esgotadíssimo live na Brixton Academy, há dois anos atrás. Dançámos. Ansiámos pela orla pujante e melódica com que nos enredou. E o álbum poderá dizer-se ser a sua confirmação no espectro da electrónica e da música de dança, sem sombra de dúvida. Mas felizmente, também, sem vínculo: Immutiny deixou abertas todas as margens para explorar sem constância, entre batimentos fortes e desacelaração lenta - permitindo-o, inclusivamente, o elevar do seu registo dançável a um composto de meditadas ‘Asleep Versions’ do álbum. Esteve em Portugal num já longínquo Boom Festival. Esteve na primeira edição do delicioso Semibreve. Voltou a estar faz precisamente 3 anos, quando a imunidade nos tocou. E vem, finalmente, à nossa casa, em formato DJ Set e acompanhado por Dan Tombs, o video artist responsável pela projecção visual que promete tornar memorável a experiência e o reencontro, numa noite com Barker e Switchdance. Por onde começar? Já era tempo, Jon. - Ana Sofia Castanho \\ ENGLISH // Where to begin? Jon Hopkins. Pianist, musician, ingenious producer. Architect of some of the most precious, genre-defying soundscapes of the modern age. A composer of textured, cinematic pieces, infused with juxtaposed layers of instrumental and environmental contrasts fused with melodic passages that challenge mind and heart equally. Yes, him. From his initial training at the Royal College of Music to the present day, his path was not so linearly pulled into the ‘realms of techno’ as one may expect (and that, I think, is what makes his signature sound particularly overwhelming). From the trip hop/dream pop days of Imogen Heap and the birth of Opalescent in 2001, we witnessed Jon’s somewhat multidimensional growth, tangible in core collaborations — exemplified in the intimate "Diamond Mine" with King Creosote, or his seminal pairing with Brian Eno, on a variety original soundtracks and the “Small Craft on a Milk Sea” EP with the participation of Leo Abrahams — and in a deep process of personal discovery, effortlessly reflected in the evolution that took him from Contact Note to Insides, where tracks like ‘Vessel’ already displayed his richly detailed production style, amplified intensity and singular traits that had yet to come to full fruition. With the release of “Immunity”, everything changed for him and, inevitably, for us. “Immunity” is an astounding piece of work, monolithic in scope, unparalleled to this day. After the Mercury Prize nomination he toured the world taking in over 165 live performances and rounding out that particular cycle with a sold out evening at Brixton Academy two years ago. We danced, we craved that unsettling experience, that union of driving, distorted tones shot through with flashes of melody. An inner journey, sharply brought into focus on an album that confirmed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that his was a wholly unique voice within the vast spectrum of electronica and dance music. Fortunately the depths of his talent allow him to work unrestrained by the success of “Immunity” which left a breadth of sounds and stories yet to be explored. His freedom from the bonds of repetition and the craving for instant satisfaction has allowed him to revisit this record and compose a more meditative companion suite of 'Asleep Versions’, and curate a masterful “Late Night Tales” compilation that still elicits an ear to ear smile from any and all who fall under it’s hazy spell. He came to Lisbon precisely 3 years ago at the tail end of the “Immunity” tour and now, while we eagerly await the release of his new record, he will finally step into our home for a DJ Set accompanied by Dan Tombs, the video artist that will surely elevate this experience with his mind-blowing visuals, in a evening that also pairs him with Barker and Switchdance. So where to begin, really? “It was about time, dear Jon.” - Ana Sofia Castanho
