Whether you know Syoma Klochko from her work as the unpredictable percussionist for free-jazz collective Bongus or as the stalwart guitarist for ska/reggae army Florida Man, you're going to be surprised by her new solo album of guitar and accordion improvisations, Tall Tales, for Cosmo Sound Collective.
I mostly know you as a drummer, so this album was a bit of a surprise.
It's actually kind of a surprise to me when people mainly know me as a percussionist, but I realized that in experimental circles I'm most often playing drums with Bongus. But outside of that I play music for a living, and the majority of my gigs are guitar gigs, and guitar is actually my primary instrument. I very much enjoy improvising on guitar.
So on this record, there's a handful of guitar improvisations and accordion improvisations. And there's maybe one or two composed pieces on there, one of them being a Georgian folk song and one of them being an original song of mine, and the rest are all just improvisation in the spur of the moment.
You traverse very different musical worlds with the bands you're in.
These are all gigs that I do because I want to do them, and I'm fortunate enough to play with groups of people that I really like as musicians and as people, and play music that inspires me in different styles. So it always feels good. It always feels gratifying. It always feels like I'm pushing my creativity in a new direction. I feel lucky to be able to do that.
What's next for you? I know Bongus is reconvening in late May at Will's Pub ...
I'm very excited about Bongus playing again because it has been a really long time with the pandemic. Shows like that really haven't been happening. Aside from that, I'm playing with Florida Man, playing with Shay Butter Band, trying to find the time to play with Dougie Flesh and the Slashers again.
I'm playing as a side musician for a lot of really great and talented people around Orlando. Whenever I get called and whenever somebody needs me, I'm there.
