Marzio Scholten - Isolophilia

“One is so immersed in Scholten’s musical universe that it is impossible to let go of the deep melancholic atmosphere.”
- Volkskrant

Marzio Scholten - guitar
Wolfert Brederode - piano
Ernst Glerum - double bass


Total time: 39:16

Original one-mic recording format DXD 352kHz.
All other formats are converted versions of the original.
This recording is made using only one microphone; Josephson C700S.

"Music, I feel, must be emotional first and intellectual second”....
- Maurice Ravel

Marzio Scholten

"For his seventh album, guitarist Marzio Scholten has formed a superb trio with ECM recording star Wolfert Brederode on piano and bass icon Ernst Glerum on bass. The trio recorded the album Isolophilia in the legendary Studio 2 at the Dutch Music Centre of Broadcasters".

"It is a wonderful album. Scholten's compositions are more intimate than ever. His tender guitar sound is beautifully surrounded by Glerum’s counter melodies and Brederode’s impressionistic piano playing. This is silent music, yet it never gets boring due to surprising choices of notes and harmonies. In fact, as the album reach its conclusion, the gorgeous rendition of the traditional 'Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child', one is so immersed in Scholten’s musical universe that it is impossible to let go of the deep melancholic atmosphere. Scholten here approaches the high level of American guitarist Bill Frisell on his recent work for the progressive label ECM.
The trio is on tour this month, and will give the official presentation of Isolophilia on December 13 in the Amsterdam Concertgebouw".

Review by Gijsbert Kamer in the 'Volkskrant'  December 5, 2019.



The advantages of the One Microphone approach to recording are obvious; phase coherence, perfect imaging, great sense of depth and superior realism.
We have to make the complete sound stage on the spot by carefully moving each instrument closer or further away as well as left and right in relationship to the microphone.
For this album we used the Josephson C700S microphone to record the complete trio. We also placed support microphones in the piano and on the bass (DPA4099).
These microphones were added to ad a little bit of support (-20dB or less) to these two instruments when Marzio’s use of guitar effects would cover up the attack of the piano and the bass.
So the recording is basically a 'One Microphone Recording' or we could call it a
'One Mic +'.

Another advantage is that it forces the band being recorded to really play. There is nowhere to hide, no fixing it in the mix.

Frans de Rond & Peter Bjørnild 

Recording, mixing and mastering by Frans de Rond
Recorded at MCO, Studio 2, Hilversum, The Netherlands, on the 20th/21th of September 2019
Produced by Peter Bjørnild and Marzio Scholten

Piano tuning: Naomi van Schoot

Used equipment:

Marzio's setup:

Gun Telecaster (by Eugen Wulff)
Fender Deluxe Reverb '65
Gibson GA-8 '59 



Microphones:
Main system - Josephson C700S
(Piano: DPA 4099)
(Bass: DPA 4099)
Micpre's: Merging Horus
Microphone cables by AudioQuest

Speakers: TAD Compact Evolution One
Poweramp: Moon 760A
Mixing headphones: Sennheiser HD800S / AKG 702

All power cables and power conditioners by AudioQuest

Catalog Number: SL-1036A