Mimika Orchestra - Altur Mur (2022)

You are cordially invited to Mimika Orchestra's infinite feast in the Mediterranean, taking place at Altur Mur, a vision of cultural and personal reinvention captured on Mimika's 4th studio album released in October 2022.

“Mimika are far more than a conventional big band; the territory they inhabit is closer to Sun Ra’s Arkestra, with a large and constantly shifting membership, a devotion to science fiction, fantasy and folklore, strange theatrical make-up and costumes.”
London Jazz News, 2018

“They are an astonishing band in the live arena and present a unique sound that you could not find anywhere else in the world. ”
TimeOut.com, 2019

This 4th studio album by the renowned Mimika Orchestra founded by the composer Mak Murtić and main vocalist Maja Rivić brings you on a journey into the long lost soul of the Mediterranean. Dive into the secret mist carried on “those asymmetric Balkan rhythms, wall of brass from the huge wind section” (Musicdeli, 2016) and dare to awaken the feelings of love, death and existence captured in the passing of time.

In cooperation with lyricist Marta Kolega, Mak started researching the rhythms and language of the Mediterranean almost 3 years ago in preparation for this album. The end result is one of cultural exchange over the centuries that created the Mediterranean as they see it today. Whilst the music follows the norm of modern structure, it also brings to life the sound buried in the sand that created its primordial form. Written in an extinct Romance language off the coast of Croatia, Marta’s words echo through the album delivering the infinite feast that is Altur Mur.

Creating the word-land for Altur Mur has been a journey into the Adriatic islands: its atmosphere, its idiosyncrasies, its language, its lifestyle, its worldviews. I collected phrases that had a strong sound, a peculiar image, a strange beauty, and I collaged them to tell a story of a (lost) soul, an individual trying to find his way in this world, a story that resonates back to Odysseus, and carries the same salty smell of the sea, and a wavering sense of not knowing exactly where she’s going, says Marta.

Mimika Orchestra was founded in London almost 12 years ago, and played many big venues and festivals across the UK, including London Jazz Festivals 2012/14/15, Love Supreme Jazz Festival 2014 (Winners of the Jazz FM Discovery Competition), Latitude Festival, Olympic & Paralympic Festival, and renowned London venues such as The Vortex Jazz Club, Bussey Building, RichMix, PizzaExpress Jazz Club, Union Chapel, and Courtyard Theatre.