Erez Aviram - Ensemble (2025) [Hi-Res]

Living in New York during and after the pandemic, I discovered the city’s music in its rawest forms: drum circles and improvised jams in Prospect Park, late-night bars overflowing with sounds and instruments from different parts of the world.

Live music was the only way to listen, and I knew I wanted a group of my own in this melting pot. At first, it was just a grant application. But on a trip to L.A., after meeting with an orchestration mentor, I received a piece of advice I’ve carried ever since: never argue with your inner ear.

When I returned to New York, I gather some of NYC’s finest musicians and booked our first show. A year later came our first festival invitation, and then the recording—part documentation, part exploration, made in a day at the Bunker Studios in Brooklyn.

Recording can feel like freezing something alive, but I wanted to capture every detail of the orchestration and energy of the musicians, so you can return to the song, the same way I return again and again to the music I love.

This music is eclectic and cinematic by design. I’ve come to realize we don’t need to choose one outlet—we can be many things, like the city itself. These pieces are a glimpse of my story, made with love and the generosity of the musicians, technicians and artists who brought it to life.