Founded by Kari Ikonen and Manuel Hermia, Orchestra Nazionale della Luna is a modern jazz quartet, both rooted in the tradition of jazz and open to our time and all the horizons of our vast world. Their new album Selene’s View questions the social disruptions caused by new technologies and AI, balancing between composition and improvisation, acoustic and electronic sounds, order and chaos.

The Italian-sounding name of Orchestra Nazionale della Luna, founded by Finnish keyboardist Kari Ikonen and Belgian wind player Manuel Hermia, is as misleading as their claim that they have become one of the most important bands on the moon. The international quartet is rooted in the tradition of jazz, but open to our time and all the horizons of our vast world. Its members expand the field of a classical quartet by inviting the sounds of India and Arabic music, as well as more electronic effects. Piano and sax are supported by the background of an intense rhythmic complicity between French bassist Sébastien Boisseau and Belgian drummer Teun Verbruggen, who share rhythmic and melodic jousting with the soloists. An intoxication of swing rocked by modernism, with the suspicion sometimes of a spiritual depth in the music, sometimes of quirky, almost Fellinian humor, make this Orchestra Nazionale della Luna a quite unique musical meteorite. The band’s second album, There’s Still Life On Earth – a musical statement on the ecological crisis – was released in 2020 on BMC Records. Their new album, Selene’s View questions the social disruptions caused by new technologies and AI, balancing between composition and improvisation, acoustic and electronic sounds, order and chaos.

Kari Ikonen is also known for his solo projects, and as a member of Quartet Ajaton, the Jeff Denson Trio and John Hollenbeck’s band. Manuel Hermia is also a wellknown figure on the European scene, active in a number of international ensembles, including the Darrifourcq – Hermia – Ceccaldi trio and the Freetet. With more than 20 albums on the label, Sébastien Boisseau is one of BMC Records’ busiest artists, while Teun Verbruggen is a renowned musician in his native Belgium. Ikonen and Hermia share a common interest in Middle Eastern music, and their participation in world music movements has left a strong mark on the sound of Orchestra Nazionale della Luna, even if the material of Selene’s View is rather dominated by electronic effects.