Rusconi was a Swiss jazz band. It was one of the most successful contemporary representatives of Free Rock, Noise, New Improvisational Music, Groove and Electronica in Switzerland.
History
Stefan Rusconi, Claudio Strüby und Richard Pechota founded the bandRusconi in 2001. In 2004 Fabian Gisler succeeded Richard Pechota on the bass. Rusconi issued their first two albums with independent Swiss labels and then got into an agreement with Sony Music Germany which in 2009 issued the albumOne Up Down Left Right. For all three albums mainly Stefan Rusconi wrote the music. In 2010 they dealt in their album It’s a Sonic Life with the works of Sonic Youth. The artwork is made out of video stills by Pipilotti Rist. In 2012 Rusconi terminated the agreement with Sony Music Entertainment and founded their own label Qilin Records. With this step Rusconi wanted to enable their fans - in the age of free downloads - to support them more directly than it would have been possible with a major label. Rusconi issued their recordings on CD, and partly or exclusively on LP. With their 'Manifest' Rusconi adapted to the changed market situation.
On March 2, 2012 they released the well known album Revolutionfor free downloads with Bandcamp.
In parallel, they produced LPs of the last two albums and released them also for free downloads.
Since December 2012 the French label BEEJAZZ distributes the album Revolution as CD.
2014 the band released their new album History Sugar Dream as CD and LP exclusively on their own label Qilin Record and also offers it through bandcamp as a free download.
Their Live-album Rusconi + Fred Frith - live in Europe was released on Qilin Records in 2016. This was also their last album. End of 2017 Rusconi parted by mutual consent. On their website the band thanks everyone for their interest and support over the last 14 years.
Rusconi gave concerts in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Turkey, Czech Republic, Spain, France, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Japan and Korea.
Styles
Rusconi fused ideas from jazz, rock and pop. Styles and influences reached from the avant-garde of the electronic music to noise rock and to the stars of pop.
Video Clips
Rusconi did various video clips for their albums. In 2008 they cooperated for the first time with the Winterthur Movie Collective zweihund and produced the video clipOne Up Down Left Right, which was shown at movie festivals the world over. Rusconi received three awards, e.g. the Audience Award and the Jury Award of the Solothurn Movie Days in 2010.
In 2011 the video clip The Destroyed Room received the Jury Award of the Solothurn Movie Days.
In 2013 the newest product of zweihund and Rusconi Alice in the sky received the award for the 'Best Swiss Video Clip' of the Solothurn Movie Days, m4music and the SUISA Foundation.
Awards
Rusconi are winners of several awards and rewards.
2009: Jury Award and Audience Award of the Solothurn Movie Days for the video clip "One up down left right" of zweihund and Rusconi
2010: Jury Award of the Solothurn Movie Days for the video clip Destroyed Room of zweihund and Rusconi
2010... 2012: Support of the foundation Pro Helvetia for Stefan Rusconi and his band Rusconi within its main scope of jazz promotion
2013: Jury Award of the Solothurn Movie Days for the video clip "Alice in the sky" of zweihund and Rusconi
2013: Nomination for Prix Walo as 'Jazz Trio of the year'
2013: Rusconi is winner of the ECHO Jazz Award for 'Best live act 2012'
Discography
2004: Scenes & Sceneries
2006: Stop & Go
2009: One Up Down Left Right
2010: It's a Sonic Life
2012: Revolution
2013: It's A Sonic Life
2014: History Sugar Dream
Collaborations
Rusconi has been recording and playing concerts with Fred Frith, Luca Aquino, Achille Succi, Sardine Sauvage Dance Company Sweden, Andreas Schaerer and Elia Rediger and worked and collaborated with artists like Pipilotti Rist, Diana Scheunemann, Gregor Brändli, Tobias Madison, Paul Polaris and zweihund collective
