East of West – Pastorale (4000 Records, 2025)
Instrumental trio East of West returns with Pastorale, their third studio album and a first-time collaboration with renowned Australian pianist and composer Romano Crivici. The album will be released on July 31 via 4000 Records, with a limited edition CD launch event at Queensland Multicultural Centre (BEMAC) on August 15.
Recorded live in Brisbane by Melbourne-based sound engineer Siiri Metsar, Pastorale features a collection of mesmerizing cinematic compositions, engaging melodic passages and improvisations. Crivici’s expressive piano playing adds a new dimension to East of West’s sound, which is influenced by Balkan and Mediterranean traditions, jazz, and contemporary western classical music. Known for their dynamic interplay and inventive bass lines, the gifted trio, Malindi Morris (percussion), Goran Gajić (double bass), and Philip Griffin (oud), has developed a distinctive musical identity over seven years of collaboration.
Gajić, the group’s principal composer, created much of the material on a salvaged upright spinet piano in his Brisbane apartment. Several tracks, including the title piece “Pastorale,” emerged from this period of sketching and exploration. After hearing Crivici perform on an album by long-time collaborator Linsey Pollak, Gajić invited him to join the project.
The album includes “Small Eyes,” a driving piece in 11/8 time composed by oud player Philip Griffin. Named after the Eastern Small-eyed Snake (Cryptophis nigrescens), the work balances precision with a playful nod to natural history. A video for the track “Where Is Your Accent From” captures the ensemble in-studio and was produced by Brisbane’s Vivid Visual Co.
The August 15 launch concert will feature Crivici performing live with East of West. Opening the evening is composer and multi-instrumentalist Linsey Pollak, known for his handmade instruments and genre-defying performances.
East of West was formed in 2017. The group is led by Bosnian-born double bassist and composer Goran Gajić, joined by Philip Griffin (oud, lauto) and Malindi Morris (frame drums and hand percussion).
Romano Crivici is a veteran composer-performer and former member of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He is known for his pioneering work with the Elektra String Quartet and Elektra Collektive Unconscious. Morover, Crivici has spent decades integrating classical performance with improvisation, cross-cultural collaborations, and multimedia formats. His compositions often address themes of shared humanity, personal introspection, and aesthetic balance.
Buy Pastorale.
Author: Tyler Bennet
