Núria Andorrà: on the interdisciplinary nature of free improvisation
Many times the best music comes across through an observation of the creative idea, something that puts in communication the essence of an idea or a musical development early established in the mind of...
A focus on current times: Sergej Maingardt
I think that the Cologne Hochschule für Musik und Tanz began to regain a leading role of academic electronics with the arrival of Michael Beil in 2007. Beil's teachings were oriented towards an interdisciplinarity...
Kaufmann, Gratkowski & de Joode: Canberra
The trio of pianist Achim Kaufmann, clarinetist/saxophonist Frank Gratkowski, and double bassist Wilbert de Joode has been together for over twenty years now. First formed in Amsterdam in 2002, the group has toured extensively...
Giuseppe Doronzo, Andy Moor, and Frank Rosaly: Futuro Ancestrale
Futuro Ancestrale: ancestral future, a vision of a future with its roots sunk deep in the past. With this title of their debut album as a trio, baritone saxophonist Giuseppe Doronzo, guitarist Andy Moor,...
Marlies Debacker & Salim(a) Javaid: Convolution
Pianist Marlies Debacker and saxophonist Salim(a) Javaid, both based in Cologne, have been long-time collaborators since meeting as students at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, where they both now teach. Debacker, originally...
Modney: Ascending Primes
The primes of Ascending Primes, the new album by violinist/composer Modney, formerly known as Josh Modney, are prime numbers. As natural numbers evenly divisible only by themselves and by one, prime numbers can be...
François Wong & Davide Barbarino: Genius Loci
In Roman religion, the genius loci is the guardian of a place – like the Greek daimon, a low-level divinity, here given the task of presiding over a given site. More figuratively, the genius...
Sjöström, Floridis, Rodrigues, Casserley: Fields
Back in 2018, Finnish soprano and sopranino saxophonist Harri Sjöström recorded a series of improvisations with Lisbon’s Guilherme Rodrigues on cello. The music, released on the album The Treasures Are, was subtle and exhilarating...
Mimmo, Mevel, Waziniak: Constellative Trio
The Constellative Trio is the improvising trio of French musicians Gaël Mevel and Thierry Waziniak, along with the Italian soprano saxophonist Gianni Mimmo. Although this self-titled album is their debut release as the Constellative...
Félicie Bazelaire – Otos
The strange phenomenon of the creative illness is something we sometimes find among artists. What is meant here isn’t the often-noted connection between psychological instability and artistic activity, but rather the creative response of...