“One of the most inspiring electric guitarists active today.” – Matte Henderson

“The remarkable guitarist and composer from Madrid, Álvaro Domene – based in New York since 2015- has become, on his own merits, one of the most promising representatives of the new creative music. ” – Sergio Piccirilli, El Intruso

“Álvaro Domene’s Lenticlouds. Total facemelt music. Just what I needed today.“–  Nate Chinen (New York Times)

“Kingston-based artist Álvaro Domene is one of the most inventive and hyper-productive guitarist-composers in the world. For starters, he has released 19 either solo or collaborative efforts since 2020. I’m not kidding. Look it up. It’s staggering. I find the dialogue he initiates between virtuosic guitar playing and various programmed drum machines and algorithms to be his most fascinating vehicle for expression.” – Max Kutner (The Upbeat Deadbeat Blog)

“Álvaro Domene has made a home on the frontier of sound. For over a decade, one of the underground’s most creative forces has constructed compositions that sound unlike anything else, a unique amalgam of guitar-centric jazz, metal, modern classical, and electronic influences that evades easy categorization and often doesn’t sound like traditional guitar-centric music. Those lucky enough to find those solo and collaborative releases discover works that rewrite the books on the possibilities of the guitar and the genres Domene chooses to delve into. And for those brave enough to stick around, it often seems like he’s rewiring multiple styles at once, flipping the off switches on tropes and cliches while patching together something new. – Ian Chainey, Stereogum

“Álvaro’s style is very much his own yet we may hear hints of John Abercrombie, Anthony Braxton, and Thelonious Monk not to mention the intensity and virtuosity of Cecil Taylor or the mathematical bluesiness of Conlon Nancarrow’s pieces for player piano.” – Elliott Sharp on Heptad Volume III (2022)

“If you’re looking for a bad ass hot hand guitarist who puts art before showmanship stop here and have a gander. I love how well he can play and the perfection of his tone especially, but more than that I love the finished product that’s completely unspoiled by ego.” – BirdBoyBlizzard Music

“Álvaro Domene es uno de los referentes del jazz de vanguardia en la escena de Nueva York” JM Sebastián, (RTVE Spain)

“Álvaro Domene is an utterly uncompromising, fearless presence on his seven-string instrument contextualized within creative processing and experimental techniques. His work yields outcomes ranging from the tranquil and calm to raging, volcanic intensity.” – Anil Prasad (Innerviews.org)

“Domene’s use of pedals and digital processing is not just at the cutting edge of guitar-slinging. Still, it’s also at the cutting edge of real-time creation of improvised and complex musical structures that could only exist through his advanced and innovative use of exotic delay pedals.” – Henry Kaiser (avant-guitar trailblazer)

Standards, the new album from Domene and frequent collaborator Álvaro Pérez is out now via Iluso Records, and, in typical Domene fashion, it’s an absolute brain-buster. If you’re into the truly avant-garde side of jazz and guitar music, it’s well worth your time. The take on Mancini’s “Days of Wine and Roses” is one of those sublime moments when experimental music also hits you straight in the heart.” – Wolf Rambatz (music journalist)

“Domene sounds like a frightful demolition team.” – Paul Acquaro, Free Jazz Blog

“Domene has his own voice that is both in your face and laden with subtleties.” – Mike Borella (Avant Music News)

Collisions and Contradictions are fine examples of the ineffable sensations that Domene’s music evokes. The related sets are named quite literally, letting metal, jazz, and electronic elements, among other touchstones, smash together like particle beams in an accelerator. What’s produced can be quite contradictory and even disarmingly alien. Take “Fierce Universalism,” Collisions’ opener. With its body-blow beats, skittering solos, and metallic chugs, it’s like a computer trying to recover a Blotted Science song lost on a severely fragmented drive. However, unlike some self-consciously experimental releases that come off as a skunkworks produced solely for other musicians, Collisions and Contradictions have something else swimming around in the soup of the neat noises. In a sense, it’s the trademark touch of all of Domene’s releases: These songs are teeming with life, imbued with the human experience. They’re less a didactic exercise in theoretical possibilities and more like someone showing you the inner workings of their mind. – Stereogum

“Domene continues his virtuosic exploration of the guitar as a tool to conjure soundscapes, induce pure thought via music, and invoke sonic mayhem.” – Ed Keller (Creative Director Venice Biennale)

“Biomimicry” is Álvaro Domene swinging for the fences. It’s all quicksilver, sped up melodies over noisy pads, loops and thumps, over under upside down signals, otherworldly whammy bar and harmonizer torture.  A noise jazz industrial racket of the highest order, from the bastard son of Buckethead and Albert Ayler. – NYS Music

“I’m a guitarist myself and, when I heard Álvaro play, I knew that there was an originality, a creativity, and a kind of bold exploratory sense about him. Guitar can be a very cliche instrument and most guitarists pretty much sound alike. Álvaro is not that. His approach to sound design, composition, and flow, is truly unique.

He is an unbelievably creative and unique artist who takes his work so seriously. When I heard him play I knew this is the glue, the space, and the energy that we need to make this show really pop. I can only say the best thing to do is to hear some of his music. It’s adventurous, and not easy to take but if you are willing to open your mind to what he brings to the table, prepare to have your mind blown because it’s complex, nuanced, rich and so surprising, and done with such care and craft. It’s truly outstanding. We had to have him in the project!” – David González (storyteller, poet, musician) speaking about The Effects of Gravity show on The Roundtable, WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

“‘Heptad Volume 1’ captures Álvaro in real-time performance mode. As he describes it, the pieces are composed and notated and then spontaneously interpreted for this album. All processing happens in the moment, with custom-programmed pitch delay algorithms that influence the final output. Its seven pieces reflect a diversity of approaches. Pulsing, percussive, ambient, ethereal, disquieting and lacerating are just a handful of words that reflect what you’ll hear.” – Anil Prasad (Innerviews.org)

“Not Arbitrary scratches a lot of my itches. I’ve listened to it tens of times because it’s like a key that unlocks a part of my soul that I don’t get to commune with often. It’s so weird to write this about an album that others will hear as noise, but the sheer fact that it exists makes me feel less alone. Somewhere in this world that seems to prioritize separation and destruction of community, resulting in an irrepressible loneliness wracking our brains and bodies that are starved for connection, there’s someone out there making music that I can relate to. The older I get, with the wrinkles of my alienating idiosyncrasies growing ever deeper, that feels more and more miraculous.” – Ian Chainey, Stereogum

“Everyone knows the old joke: HOW MANY GUITARISTS DOES IT TAKE TO SCREW IN A LIGHT BULB? It takes one hundred guitarists…. One guitarist to actually screw it in and ninety-nine guitarists to stand around and say how they could do it better. Metaphorically speaking, Álvaro is the rare dude who has figured out new ways to screw in a light bulb. And all of those ways are ways that nobody else has figured out yet. So, nobody can stand around and say that they could do it better. It’s really new stuff – the first time you will hear anyone doing what he is doing. That’s my favorite kind of guitar surprise. I urge you to check his The Compass CD out!” – Henry Kaiser

“Ambient clean tones morph into Wagnerian waves of distortion, as he employs the entire range of his 7-string guitar. Álvaro Domene has mastered the art of turning non-pitched abrasive sounds into a kind of beauty.” – Michael Ross, Guitar Moderne.

Read full in-depth interview with Guitar Moderne HERE

“Expressed By The Circumference is a strong date by three gifted improvisers who are at the top of their game.” – Bruce Lee Gallanter, (Downtown Music Gallery, New York).

“The Iluso discography expanded with the release of Warning Bells, a collaboration between Álvaro Domene and Tom Law. Is it heady? Of course it is. The lead stream, “Stigmergic,” merges spider-esque guitar skittering with ‘photons spinning around your head’-style electronics à la Iannis Xenakis’s electroacoustic works. When the more legato leads kick in, you’re either all aboard this train or not. Naturally, I’m all aboard. It’s one of my favorite albums of the year so far.” – Wolf Rambatz (music journalist)

” ‘Illustris’ is an ever-surprising thunderous distortion fest. It’s more on the noise rock improv side of his output, but it’s not without several extended, flickering, atmospheric passages. The entire album morphs seamlessly from mood to mood and makes for a thrilling listen for the open-minded.” – Anil Prasad (Innerviews.org)

“Catatonic Effigy’s debut album is a powerful and effective attempt at inhabiting the zones between extreme metal, free jazz, and modern composition. The combination of the density of metal and the rhythmic looseness of jazz is breathtaking. One of the most exciting additions to the post-metal canon in years.” – Phil Freeman (The Wire)

“Catatonic Effigy includes three of the best minds that avant-garde music has to offer. “- (Pop Matters)

“Trio Grande: Scott Amendola, Henry Kaiser and Álvaro Domene, proverbially set Tom’s House on fire last night in Berkeley, CA with a mercurial, improvised set.” – Anil Prasad (Innerviews.org)

“Jesus!! Incredible phrasing and linear directional shifts, beautiful!!” – Matte Henderson.

“El notable guitarrista y compositor madrileño Álvaro Domene -con residencia en la ciudad de Nueva York desde 2015- se ha constituido por mérito propio en uno de los representantes más promisorios de la nueva música creativa.” – Sergio Piccirilli, El Intruso

“I thoroughly enjoyed The Compass. Álvaro did an excellent job summoning the darkness… I appreciate the variety of textures and harmonies, and the great recorded sound. I’ll definitely be listening to this more in the coming days.”

– Ben Monder

“Immense show. Álvaro’s deep slabs of hardened steel, gut and gristle were sometimes Wagnerian, sometimes hardcore mathcore, with Michaël Attias’ alto standing in for human yearning and vulnerability in the face of overwhelming power, like Lear against the storm, with the ever-inventive Mike Pride building backbones for every surprising sonic beast as it appeared. Wonderful!” – Steve Ventura, Quinn’s.

“Things start out easily enough with “Temor V” on guitarist Álvaro Domene’s solo recording. Dreamy notes wash over a shoreline that could go on indefinitely. But there is an ominous tone hovering above the music. Domene controls the weather through heavy chords and sustain. Thunder rumbles and…well, is resolved with the most refrain. You know he is just playing with you. These ten tracks, half improvised/half composed, draw inspiration from ambient soundscapes and heavy metal explorations. The guitarist is a connoisseur of both noise and extended technique, kind of like Robert Fripp-meets-Merzbow.
That said, we understand Domene’s process to be detailed and attentive. He slags heavy drones, mixing them à la Sunn O))) with dark metal ambience that skirts the fringes of rock, noise, free improvisation, and nightmare. If it weren’t for the extraordinary control, terror might ensue. “Fermi Paradox” takes its initial cues from the stylings of Derek Bailey‘s fingerings before inflating into the worlds of Sonny Sharrock and the Melvins. But wait, there’s more. Domene can hypnotize you with his seventh string, a bass-line that sets up the mesmeric piece “Pendulum,” which swings between deftly plucked notes.” – Mark Corroto, All About Jazz

“Domene has given us a solo album that offers a different take on the modern electric guitar. An impressive outing wherein technique is clearly on display yet always in service to the compositions. Álvaro informs us ( if you hear ) of his very unique influences and has assimilated them into an organic language all his own. I hope there is more to come.” – Thano Lomiento

 

“Both Briggan Krauss and Álvaro Domene are well-seasoned and sound like they are coming from a common place of mature and thoughtfully crafted improv. Extraordinary!”  – Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery, NYC

“If you are of the opinion that the best way to save jazz is to raze it, then the demolition team of dMu is just the ticket. Just as DIY punk saved rock music in the 1970s and 80s (only to see it back on life support in the 21st century), the trio of saxophonist Josh Sinton, guitarist Álvaro Domene, and drummer Mike Caratti has an appetite for destruction. Their power trio, named after a Tibetan mythological demon, purposefully conjures a feverish tumult throughout the six tracks, all composed by Caratti. Opening with the stuttering “Onda,” the trio plunges towards an organized chaos of overblown baritone sax, rip/torn guitar notes and monster beats. Sinton and Domene charge, often in lockstep, into the void.
The closest comparison here might be to The Thing, when Ingebrigt Håker Flaten swaps acoustic for electric bass. dMu shares the same avant/garage/punk/jazz attitude. Like the DIY punk revolution, it is vitriol (and venom) that powers this music. With a dynamo like Sinton and the shred-ready nimbleness of Domene, we are given a tinderbox, one that finds its accelerant in Caratti’s pulse. The music, though, is distinct from punk in that these are first rate musicians negotiating some tricky compositions. The intricacies and twists of “Lake Disappointment” and “Dropsy” are jaw-dropping, amazing. Don’t let the sweat stained exhaustion of a listening session with dMu deceive you, it’s just the Tibetan sorcery working.”–Mark Corroto, All About Jazz

“The atmosphere the duo develops is enveloping, the slow ooze at the start is created by Krauss’ intensely rhythmic phrases and Domene’s deliberate chordal movement. The fog burns off quickly though as the two engage in an intensely percussive passage that raises the tempo and quickens the pulse. Throughout the performance, they move seamlessly from sound-sculpting to earth-scorching.” – Paul Acquaro from The Free Jazz Blog

“Great writing, unbelievable playing, and a superb recording.”–  Ben Goldberg

“This live document was recorded in Brooklyn, 2016, and features two very distinctive voices. Spanish-born guitarist Álvaro Domene and American saxophonist Briggan Krauss. The guitarist, new to the New York scene, paired up with a veteran of the Uptown/Downtown wars. Krauss’ work, beside his recordings, includes Wayne Horvitz‘ Pigpen and Zony Mash, Bakas, Jerry Granelli, Steven Bernstein‘s Sexmob, and Satoko Fujii‘s Orchestra New York. The meat of this recording is the 40-minute opener which sneaks in on little Carl Sandberg cat paws. Krauss has quietly overblown alto saxophone notes and Domene maintains the same confidentiality. The pair suggest we relax and ready ourselves for the journey. This is patient music making. The saxophonist exploits the edges of his horn bending notes and pitches like, well, like Domene does, with his guitar foot pedals. As you might expect, the energy ramps up, building to a thunderous crescendo, then a busy solo rat-tat-tat by Krauss. Domene accents swirls and fills behind the saxophone, creating a dreamscape before laying down his own blanket of notes both beautiful and, at times, machine-like harsh. This is a co-exploration of sound, a true partnership of determination.” – Mark Corroto, All About Jazz

“dMu is an avant-garde metal and jazz fusion coalescence with baritone sax, bass clarinet, electric guitars, and heavy drums. Synaptic Self is an album of pure and masochistic ecstasy. It’s a truly creative, visceral, and memorable album unlike any other. A must.“ David Tremblay, Can This Even Be Called Music?