Chicago-born record label International Anthem capped off an entire year of anniversary activities (under the IA11 chrysanthemum banner) with a very special event celebrating the label’s actual eleventh solar return at their new Southside Chicago HQ inside Theaster Gates and Rebuild Foundation’s latest space-based project, The Land School.

The evening featured a performance by Rob Mazurek with Matthew Lux and Mikel Patrick Avery (the ensemble behind Alternate Moon Cycles, the very first album in the IARC catalog, which was originally released December 2nd, 2014), in what Mazurek refers to as “A Polysonic Resonance Field in One Continuous Movement.”

Artist and composer Rob Mazurek presents a new body of work with an exhibition of paintings, sound generated animations, large-format sound prints and sculpture that converge into hybrid visual forms of one another.

Rob Mazurek received critical acclaim and award nominations for his original score for Kelly Reichardt’s 2025 film The Mastermind, which features  trumpeter Mazurek, drummer Chad Taylor, and others. .

The most compelling releases of the year reimagined hip-hop tracks, deep-rooted collaborations and longstanding inspirations.

Hyperglyph isthe first new album in 11 years from composer/trumpeter/synthesist Rob Mazurek and composer/percussionist Chad Taylor under the Chicago Underground Duo moniker.

As part of the “JAZZHOCHBURG” Carinthia event series.

An unreal moment from the Red Carpet at Cannes — Chicago Underground Duo style.

Featuring Mazurek on trumpet alongside Chad Taylor on drums, with contributions from Mikel Patrick Avery, Victor Vieira-Branco, Joey Sullivan, and John Moran, the score plays a central role in the film’s sonic landscape.

“An assignment: find the titles of Rob Mazurek’s records and the names of his bands. Put them in a line. Now tell me he’s not a poet…”

New York Times mention

NYT mention

Beautiful new live document from interdisciplinary artist, composer and bandleader Rob Mazurek and a nine-piece iteration of his long-running Exploding Star Orchestra (ESO). Live at the Adler Planetarium will be released on LP, CD and DD on September 27th.

Sound Prints, Paintings, Sculpture, Installation

From the age of twenty, captivated by the paintings of Mark Rothko, Rob Mazurek developed a passion for color field painting, and with a systematic desire to do things himself, he began painting and composing in an attempt to recapture the emotional precision that had moved him so deeply. Thus, when he paints, he brings tones and rhythms, creating what are essentially graphic scores.

The Free Jazz Collective review by Gary Chapin

A collection of photos from the Rob Mazurek Special Project at Centro d'Arte in Padova on March 26 and 27, 2024 featuring Rob Mazurek, Damon Locks, Chad Taylor, Mauricio Takara, Pasquale Mirra and Mikel Patrick Avery.

Crashing through space into pure grain