Focus Pocus

/ concert / zeitraumexit @ T6/18 / 

Since its creation in early 2020, Focus Pocus has drawn inspiration from groups like NOVEMBRE, Kartet, Octurn, and Amok Amor. Exploring the possible connections between demanding writing and improvisation, this instrumental quartet combines the languages of contemporary music, jazz, and electronic with the tools of street art and beatmaking : sampling, looping, collaging, and breaking. A minimalist approach allows the musicians to invoke, through collective improvisations,loops, textures, and fragmented melodies derived from a shared repertoire. Each element is shifted, diverted, and manipulated to the extreme with a childlike and contagious joy of playing. From these spontaneous compositions emerge frenetic sound painting reminiscent of Basquiat, always different. Transitioning from a punchy, uninhibited sound to a gentle spectral pause, the urgency of play and the unwavering commitment of the musicians serve the clarity of the message and the brilliance of the expression.

Trumpet: Achille Alvarado. Double Bass: Tom Boizot. Saxophone: Liam Szymonik. Drums: Loup Godfroy.

Loup Godfroy 
is a French drummer and improviser from the countryside ofBurgundy. He studied at the National Conservatory of Paris and is recognized asa versatile improviser without barriers. He plays in numerous improvised and experimental projects in europe, ranging from jazz to contemporary music or progressive rock. In 2020 he co-created the free rock band SCP- 055, he play in the quartet FOCUS POCUS, and he recently created a electroacoustic duo based on saturation and natural resonance of the drum called « Détruits-Tu? ». He also play in large ensembles such as the national french orchestra, « NoNotion » of Sigrid Aftret and recently the Trondheim jazz Orchestra.

Liam Szymonik 
is a French saxophonist and composer, active on the European scene both as a leader and sideman. He was trained at the Paris Conservatoire (CNSMDP) in the jazz, improvised music, and generative improvisation departments, where he studied in particular with Vincent Lê Quang, Pierre de Bethmann, François Théberge, Alexandros Markeas, and
Stéphane Payen. He quickly gained recognition as a member of the band New Fly, hailed as a “Revelation” by Jazz Magazine, as well as through his participation in the Orchestre des Jeunes de l’ONJ (French National Jazz Orchestra Youth Orchestra), under the direction of Claude Barthélémy and later Marc Ducret. At the same time, he has developed several personal and collective projects, including the Liam Szymonik Trio (with Samuel Ber and Tom Boizot), the quartet Focus Pocus, the project Rough!, and the Liam Szymonik Octet, in
which he incorporates principles drawn from spectral music into his compositions. Strongly inspired by figures such as Henry Threadgill, Eric Dolphy, Anthony Braxton, Steve Lehman,  Ornette Coleman, and Anna Webber, Liam Szymonik has developed a distinctive musical language focused on rhythmic research, timbral exploration, and free improvisation.

Achille Alvarado 
is a trumpeter. After studying the classical technique of this instrument, he was introduced to jazz and was quickly drawn to improvised music. Born in Lyon, Achille plays a significant role as a composer in the projects he leads. He joined the jazz program at the Paris Conservatory (CNSM) in 2021, where he showcased his talents as a composer, performer, and improviser, participating in a multitude of projects ranging from contemporary creation to the production of multidisciplinary works (dance, electroacoustic music). He is currently involved in several groups, composing and exploring sound, rhythm, and form: the quartet Focus Pocus, the trio Radjadja, and the septet ElectroApocalypse. In 2024, he co-founded the Franco-Italian-Belgian association Amygdala, dedicated to promoting contemporary electronic and acoustic music. Having studied trumpet with Médéric Collignon and inspired by the sound worlds of Peter Evans, Gerard Grisey, or the cinema of David Lynch, Achille continues today to delve into his work on the trumpet, the piccolo trumpet and electronics (pedals and software), bearing witness to this eternal musical, scientific and philosophical quest.

Tom Boizot 
is a young French double bassist based in Paris. Drawing from a wide range of influences—including Mark Dresser, Eddie Gomez, John Hébert, andMatt Brewer—he is an active participant in the jazz,improvised, and creative music scenes. His diverse musical approach is reflected in his collaborations with artists like Liam Szymonik in both his trio and quartet,Lucille Moussalli, as well as his involvement in projects such as Focus Pocus and Jet Trio of Sigrid Aftret.

Photo: Focus Pocus