Bogdo Ula is a group of two artists, Samuli Kristian and Ivan Horder. The spectrum of their art is wide. It is music but also poetry, paintings, and film. They both have graduated at film school, Ivan Horder specifying in sound design and Samuli Kristian in cinematography. Additional studies in history of art (Ivan) and music (Samuli) have contributed to their orientation, not to focus just on a career in film industry but to look for a specific combination of their interests and skills. That is how Bogdo Ula was born.
"Music is the best" (Frank Zappa). Bogdo Ula is a duo, guitar (Samuli Kristian) and drums (Ivan Horder). To express and convey emotion through music Bogdo Ula focuses on free improvisation. Nothing is composed or rehearsed. Basically, the creative process starts, when they start to play, and ends when the song is over. It is a musical travel through time, sculpting in time or out of time. Inspired by John Coltrane, who would give his band only two notes as the basis for a new tune, Bogdo Ula tries to make music from a minimalistic starting point. But the finished product is not minimalistic. It is complex and full of meaning and emotion.
The music is guiding the way to unknown places. Bogdo Ula wants to create something instantaneous, not building on predefined structures. Frank Zappa's idea of instant compositions on his album Shut Up 'n' Play Yer Guitar has also encouraged Bogdo Ula to go this way. To let the music flow, to reach a total freedom of expression without any boundaries. And as a special reward, to communicate with one who wants to listen.
Kristian's energetic, rock-style guitar tones together with Horder's drums create a style, that is not free jazz or hard rock, but something different. The musical idea may grow from a simple melody line, a scale or a guitar riff to a furious improvisation. Mystical soundscapes, modal scales, angular rhythms and ethnic flavours are the characteristics of the music of Bogdo Ula.
Bogdo Ula is a mountain near the city of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. There are also other places in the world called by that same name. For this band, Bogdo Ula is a state of mind, a place to go in our imagination. Where does the music come from? From inside or from outside? The answer is irrelevant. Music is a place you can go to, where ever you are.
On these web pages you can explore Bogdo Ula's travels in art. In addition to Bogdo Ula music there are poems written by Ivan Horder, paintings and computer music by Samuli Kristian. The computer music has another approach for making music, more constructed and composed. New stuff will be added regularly, so check back soon. Bogdo Ula doesn't stay still as a mountain. It is evolving and growing all the time.
