In this new b*records release, Marie Ythier, a passionate advocate of contemporary repertoire, pays tribute to a young generation of composers united by the collective essence of the cello with three works written for her. The Orchestre national d'Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, the Ensemble Sillages and the free spirit Arno Deforce, under the auspices of the Fondation Royaumont, bring to life the avant-garde, organic aesthetics of Augustin Braud, Matteo Gualandi and Bastien David, whose diverse influences, from Baroque to rock metal, open up a surprisingly generous sonic horizon.

Grokking Improvisations developed out of a completely informal recording session in the main concert hall of the Concertgebouw in Bruges on 8 February 2017. After a brief soundcheck three numbers were recorded spontaneously without any preconceived plan and the listener will discover an inspiring conversation that developed intuitively. The word to grok was coined by the American science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein in his book Stranger in a Strange Land in 1961.