Igor Matković – Pocket.Star

Running time: 70 minutes

Igor Matković, trumpet; Lenart De Bock, saxophone; Jani Moder, guitar; Samo Hude, keyboards; Peter Smrdel, double bass; Žiga Smrdel, drums

Renowned Slovenian trumpeter, composer, producer and educator Igor Matković’s new project, Pocket.Star, opens the door to a world of introspection and exploration of today’s human experience. His new album fuses jazz with contemporary musical influences, while still seeing improvisation as an act of freedom that rethinks relationships, calls for empathy and bears responsibility.

Pocket.Star is an idea that explores sufficiency – appreciating the given rather than constantly searching for "more", which tends to lead us away from what’s essential. It raises questions about how individuals and society can make responsible use of the resources that already exist, not only material or technological resources, but also human resources. At the same time, it stresses connectedness – not only with each other, but above all with one's own values and inner needs, which tend to get overlooked in a world of rapid technological progress and ever-increasing expectations.

Matković has carved out his musical career with albums such as Sonic Motion, Motion in Two Dimensions, State of Ku and Ephemeral Lake. These releases provided a vehicle for exploring a wide spectrum of idioms – from traditional jazz to atmospherics, subtleties and stories that transcend the usual boundaries of the genre. As a co-founder of Ecliptic, he released the albums Path Of 01 and Trash Society, and an eponymous album with Ground Ritual.

Recently, he has explored music also as a producer, with digital releases of singles. In collaboration with the duo Freekind Matković wrote the track Bad Moves, and in his own right the singles Corner Light and Pocket Star. The creative process for this project involves a combination of studio recording and home production work, which helps to define the compositional structure, while leaving room for exploration of musical ideas.

The new album, Pocket.Star, is a build-up of Matković's musical explorations – music that pushes back the boundaries of genre. It was made in collaboration with young music talents, representatives of a new generation of artists with a convincing and individual musical style. The music thus conveys the authenticity, connectedness and sincerity of the project creators.

Pocket.Star asks the question: Are we still capable of listening to ourselves and the world around us? As a society, have we been blinded by the idea of progress to the extent of forgetting about self-reflection, which might point us in new directions? Perhaps the necessary tools have long been within our reach.


The Cankarjevi torki concerts are available at a discounted price as part of the AD HOC subscription series.