imperial tiger orchestra

Imperial Tiger Orchestra

Imperial Tiger Orchestra is an instrumental group from Genève, Switzerland, active since 2007. It includes Raphaël Anker on trumpet, Alexandre Rodrigues on Rhodes and keyboards, John Menoud on saxophone, Cyril Moulas on bass, Luc Détraz on percussion and Julien Israelian on drums.

Music and style

The group builds its repertoire from reworked versions of music associated with the Golden Age of modern Ethiopian music, especially the period from 1969 to 1978. It revisits major artists from that era in turn, combining Ethiopian rhythms with its own influences. Although the music it draws on is often sung, the group performs entirely instrumentally. Its sound centres on dark, hypnotic rhythmic grooves and polished, atmospheric brass lines, with improvisation, changes in texture and dynamics, distorted sounds and noise also forming part of the music.

Releases and label association

Imperial Tiger Orchestra is associated with Mental Groove Records.