Monday, April 11, 2016

GERMANY/SWITZERLAND: Nik Bartsch's Mobile-Continuum (ECM 2016)

Mobile is Swiss keyboardist/composer Nik Bartschs original all-acoustic group.

MOBILE:
Nik Bärtsch: piano
Sha: bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet
Kaspar Rast: drums, percussion
Nicolas Stocker: drums, tuned percussion

EXTENDED:
Etienne Abelin: violin
Ola Sendecki: violin
David Schnee: viola
Solme Hong: cello
Ambrosius Huber: cello

After four ECM recordings with his other band Ronin, Bartsch presents this new album featuring Mobile augmented on three pieces by a string quintet. Textures from jazz, funk, new music, minimal as well as ritual and sacred music are organically interwoven with Bartsch and his partners aiming for an energetic total group sound rather than displays of soloistic virtuosity.