TWO CARAVANS
Stentor Zwolle - May 2010
by Margaretha Coornstra
'Composer Guy Harries uses extended tonality, loaded with folk influences: gospel, a touch of klezmer, a bit of milonga. The chameleon-like ensemble with clarinet, accordeon, guitar, double bass and percussion easily switches 'couleur locale' . And even though Harries claims that the composition is based mainly on the text, the results include melodious lines and accessible harmonies.'
SOLO WORK
David Fenech's audioblog - 17/1/2006
'His voice is captivating, similar at times to that of David Sylvian, and Scott Walker at other moments.'
www.indie-eye.it - 4/6/2006
by Michele Faggi
'Guy Harries's laptop-based music is influenced by an ephemeral world, of glitch, folktronica. Soundscapes, Kurt Weill, Monteverdi, Anton Karas, David Sylvian, Fennesz and maybe a touch of melodrama from the likes of Antony and The Johnsons.'
LULLABY - ON THE TURSA/KAPARTE COMPILATION WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE
www.blackmagazin.com - 11/5/2010
'Interesting pop from Guy Harries, who with his singing, reminiscent of Brendan Perry, performs the darkest lullaby since Ärzte.'
JASSER DE OPERA
Trouw - 3/10/2006
by Hans Oranje
'The music was created by Israeli born Guy Harries, who wrote a fascinating work, based on western and Arabic music traditions...
The original bleak text, is now presented as an integrated piece - manifest in its aesthetic, and its beautiful sounds and images.'
www.joods.nl - 9/10/2006
by Daniëlle van den Bos
'Jasser the opera' is definitely worthwhile. It hits you in the face (as Guy Harries describes it) in a confrontational, but also refreshing way. The theme of recognising one's thinking in stereotypes and then trying to undo this forces the spectator to confront his/her own prejudices. The multimedia aspect of the piece is also impressive. Jasser belly-dances to the klezmer tunes of the ensemble, while in the background one can see images of the actor walking in the Israeli desert, as well as the back of his girlfriend Marjolein being written on with melted chocolate.'
moose.nl - 2/10/2006
'Israeli composer Guy Harries has managed to accomplish what he states he has set out to do: to ' follow what the text is about'. The piece carries you through a multi-faceted form, and flows seamlessly between spoken and sung texts, music and instrumentation in which arabic and western styles flow into each other, engaging you in the conflicts which the Palestinian-Dutch actor Yasser Mansour is experiencing.'
(*****)
THINGS THAT BEGIN WITH AN M
Trouw - 31/10/2000
by Kees Polling
'The ensemble performed the beautiful, and at times humorous, piece by young Israeli composer Guy Harries titled Things that begin with an M that he composed for LOOS as part of the Henriette Bosmans Prize he was awarded.
...the piece seemed to be tailored specially for the ensemble, but went further than that. It was utterly comical to see guest-vocalist Jannie Pranger singing texts such as 'Eat me...aha' and 'Drink me....aha'. The conviction in the music is, and remains, LOOS, but the comical aspect which the music brings about puts the LOOS sound in a different context and has a liberating effect.'
