CRITICS RAVE ABOUT “GUILTY OF INNOCENCE!”

DEC, 2017 REVIEW BY Strings Magazine

With herky-jerky momentum, the sinister yet jolly “Behind the Curtain” kicks o Joe Den-inzon & Stratospheerius’ exhilarating fifth album Guilty of Innocence. Chunky guitars, a battery of drums, and a seesawing Jacob’s lad- der of electric violin battle for supremacy as Deninzon’s piercing tenor equates American exceptionalism with the fraudulent Wizard of Oz. e metaphor has been employed before, but seldom with such panache.

Deninzon has been called the Jimi Hen- drix of electric violin, and that comparison seems apt on “Dream Diary Cadenza,” an excerpt of Deninzon’s solo concerto, where his violin swoops, howls, and dive bombs amid quickening arpeggios.

Elsewhere, Deninzon nods to Jean-Luc Ponty and George Clinton’s Funkadelic while charting an eccentric course that conjoins whiplash funk, spacey electronic, and pro- gressive rock. Vocals adopt a snarky tone, but the lyrics convey anything but cynicism. Deninzon is a moralist raising an alarm and pointing out insanity.

“Take Your Medicine,” a revenge fantasy aimed at scam artists, entangles Deninzon’s hyperkinetic bowing and a rubbery bass line in a muscular groove. The set’s title track lambasts the United States court system with squawking guitar, wiseacre lyrics, and Den- inzon’s dust-devil ostinatos.

On “Face,” coiled percussion, crunchy gui- tars, and whirlpooling violin entangle in a grand slalom of power chords, syncopation, and distortion. e 12-minute progressive rock epic “Soul Food” reels out vertiginous violin switchbacks, operatic choruses, and pummeling panzer division drums before galloping to a nale that combines crescendo and cacophony.

Splashy and theatrical, Guilty of Innocence is a howl for justice delivered by virtuosos completely in synch with one another. It’s a darkly comic clarion call to combat a u- enza, self-delusion, and the commoditiza- tion of daily life. Otherwise, Deninzon seems to say, we’re just another brick in the mall.

MORE CRITICAL ACCLAIM!

“When you put distorted guitars up against a violin you get magic. When you put a violin solo in a metal song, you get Fucking amazing shit! I love it when artists push the boundaries of what is perceived as the norm….. And I love it even more when it’s pure magic… I tip my hat and bow my head in awe ..”-Act/one Magazine. Read full review HERE

“Stratospheerius music is otherworldly!”They can tear out ear hairs and stomp them flat!…sounding both ahead of the curve and accessible at the same time. ”-#cirdecsongs. (www.proglodytes.com) Read full review HERE

“Guilty of Innocence is not only great, but one of the most hectic and heart-stopping albums I’ve listened to.-Zachary Nathanson
MUSIC FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM

“Joe Deninzon’s virtuosity is undeniable….It’s progressive music that’s not afraid of a catchy chorus. The 12 minute closing track, ”Soul Food” is a well crafted multi-tempo road trip. It ventures into magnum opus territory where 70’s rockers Kansas were at home…”
-Haydn Seek SkeletonPete.com

“Deninzon’s perfect vocal delivery and skills as a violinist. Stratospheerius is as tight as ever and really create a strong organic melody. Bravo! This is music!”
Warlock Asylum International News

Review of Stratospheerius “Hysteria” on Act/One

https://gustumusic.wixsite.com/actone/single-post/2017/12/01/Joe-Deninzon-Stratospheerius-Hysteria

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius // Hysteria

December 1, 2017

Johnny Cash – Hurt
Nirvana – The Man Who Sold The World
Jimi Hendrix – All Along the Watchtower..
… Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius – Hysteria

When you put distorted guitars up against a violin you get magic. When you put a violin solo in a metal song, you get F***g amazing shit! That’s all I can say about that..

There is always some danger attached to the task of releasing a cover track.. to be successful the artist must find his or her own way and unique expression. Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius did just that.

 It’s amazing and in my book, a thousand times better than the original.

I love it when artists push the boundaries of what is perceived as the norm….. And I love it even more when it’s pure magic, just like Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius did with this cover.

I tip my hat and bow my head in awe ..

Check out the video here:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKp89PxikpQ&feature=youtu.be. 

New review of Joe Deninzon's book "Plugging In" in American Strings Journal

New review of Joe Deninzon's book "Plugging In" in American Strings Journal

plugging_in

 

PLUGGING IN: A GUIDE TO GEAR AND NEW TECHNIQUES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY VIOLINIST.

Joe Deninzon. Mel Bay, 2012, $32.99

Deninzon,  a seven-string electric violin virtuoso, has written a remarkable book, demystifying the technique and technology of the electric violin, Plugging In is intelligently organized, providing necessary information to make music through the electric violin. Deninzon answers many basic questions, e.g.: How do I shop for an electronic violin? What kind of amp should I buy? How do i get this equipment ro work? Deninzon also explores improvisation and specific techniques like “chopping,” “comping,” and using pedal effects. He also includes over sixty different musical examples, a sixty-minute DVD< and seventy-minute CD. Plugging In provides a welcome catalyst towards my goal of joining the twenty-first century.

M.G.K

The Next World review for thecornernews.com by Wildman Steve

http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/music_n_movies/comments/out-of-this-world-album/

 

http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/music_n_movies/comments/out-of-this-world-album/

Out of this world album

Wildman Steve

For The Corner News

Published: September 5, 2012 1:32:17 pm

Joe Deninzon is a Russian violinist born to two members of that country’s leading Philharmonic Orchestra. He’s been labeled “The Jimi Hendrix of the Violin” by many, due to his extreme virtuosity on the seven-string electric violin. That’s right—seven strings. His style throughout his career has blended jazz, rock and gypsy music in ways no other could possibly imagine. He’s performed with an amazing array of musicians, including Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen, Phoebe Snow, Everclear, Ritchie Blackmore, Smokey Robinson and Les Paul, just to name a few. He’s also performed as a solo electric violinist with the New York Ballet.

Deninzon leads the band Stratospheerius, who’ve just released their fifth album, “The Next World,” on Steve Vai’s Digital Nations label, and once again shows the world that Russians and Americans can make beautiful and exciting music together. Actually, exciting is too tame a word for this album, as it opens with the astounding “Release,” a smoking progressive rocker that will suck you into this album like an industrial vacuum. What follows is a thrilling array of songs that run the gamut from complex prog tunes to simple ballads, from Zappa-esque epics to alluring soundscapes. Deninzon’s acuity on the violin is multi-faceted and consistently over-the-top amazing, and always deeply musical.

You’ll hear nods to influences like Jean-Luc Ponty, Jerry Goodman, and Dixie Dregs’ Allen Sloane, but through it all Deninzon presents a unique personality and perspective on the violin. “The Next World” is an electrifying album, guaranteed to take you into the stratosphere and beyond.

The Next World review by Mike Popke for www.seaoftranquility.com

http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=13257

STRATOSPHEERIUS: THE NEXT WORLD

REVIEW BY MICHAEL POPKE ON WWW.SEAOFTRANQUILITY.COM

The fact that in-demand electric violinist Joe Deninzon has performed with everyone from Bruce Springsteen and Ritchie Blackmore to Johnny Mathis and Smokey Robinson suggests that his band Stratospheerius has broad appeal. And does it ever!

This New Jersey-based outfit’s distinct hybrid of progressive rock, jam band, funk, jazz and Gypsy influences turns Stratospheerius’ latest album, The Next World…, into a formidable musical beast. The disc opens with “Release,” a track that evokes Kansas’ savvy use of violin, borrows a reggae-pop beat and boasts an elegant vocal arrangement akin to Spock’s Beard. The Yes influence begins showing up in “The Missing Link,” the manic “Tech Support” bounces along like something Umphrey’s McGee could have written, “Climbing” has a late-summer country-rock groove that would work on mainstream radio, and “The House Always Wins” is a sparse blues ditty.

Lyrically, Stratospheerius is just as adventurous, with Deninzon’s chameleon voice shifting on each song, not so much dominating these tunes as inhabiting them. And a trio of instrumentals — two wild ones (“Road Rage” and “Fleshbot”) and the mellowest track on the album (“Ballad for Ding Bang”) — showcases Deninzon’s prowess while not slighting his talent-rich band: guitarist Aurelien Budynek, bassist Jamie Bishop and drummer Lucianna Padmore.

Every Deninzon and Stratospheerius album is worthy of your attention, but if you’re new to these guys, start here. And if you’re not — well, you know you want this…

Track Listing: 
1) Release 
2) The Missing Link 
3) Tech Support 
4) Climbing 
5) Fleshbot 
6) The House Always Wins 
7) Gods 
8) Ballad for Ding Bang 
9) Road Rage 
10) One Foot in the Next World 
11) The Prism

Added: August 29th 2012
Reviewer: Michael PopkeScore:Related Link: Official Stratospheerius WebsiteHits: 159
Language: english

Review of "Plugging In" by Joe Deninzon. STRINGS Magazine September, 2012

PLUGGING IN REVIEW

STRINGS MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER, 2012

By Mimi Rabson

 http://www.allthingsstrings.com/Reviews/Editions/Plugging-In-A-Guide-to-Gear-and-New-Techniques-for-the-21st-Century-Violinist

 BOOK BRINGS VIOLIN INTO THE 21ST CENTURY

It’s hard to understand why the violin and the guitar went such disparate ways in the 20th century. After all, they are both stringed instruments with long histories in Western classical music and with repertoires filled with works by great composers. Both instruments also play pivotal roles in non-concert music.

Yet today when a child says, “I want to play the violin,” that child gets an entirely different education than the one who finishes that sentence with “guitar.” Joe Deninzon brings the process of bringing the violin into the 21st century by making the music and technology of the contemporary electric guitarist available to the curious and willing violinist.

Plugging In begins with an ample, informative discussion of the hardware involved-from instruments to amps and pedals-including step-by-step instructions about how to make the equipment sound good and work well. Also included are fantastic etudes for developing new bowing techniques, as well as harmonic and rhythmic concepts for the rock-oriented player.

The book translates the language that electric guitar players have been using for years into “violin-ese.” Deninzon’s magnificent playing and technical expertise make it easy to understand. The book also lends legitimacy to the pursuit of rock and funk violin, something that I feel is long overdue.

Deninzon makes a point of encouraging violinists to carve out their own roles in the music and bands they love. While violin is not yet an essential instrument in every rock band, with this book around, it won’t be long before that changes.

-M.R.