Nik Bartsch

In the beginning there was Mobile, Swiss keyboardist/composer Nik Bärtsch's original all-acoustic group. Now, after four ECM recordings with his other band Ronin (three studio and one live), Bärtsch presents a new album featuring Mobile augmented on three pieces by a string quintet.

Founded in 1997 Mobile is effectively the wellspring of Bärtsch’s ritualistic approach to music making, nourished by his concepts of reduction and repetition as well as his fascination with Japanese culture. Here textures from jazz, funk, new music, minimal as well as ritual and sacred music are organically interwoven. Bärtsch and his partners Kaspar Rast, Sha and Nicolas Stocker aim for an energetic total group sound rather than displays of soloistic virtuosity.8

PERSONNEL:

NIK BÄRTSCH, piano
SHA, bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet
KASPAR RAST, drums, percussin
NICOLAS STOCKER, drums, tuned percussion
ETIENNE ABELIN, violin
OLA SENDECKI, violin
DAVID SCHNNE, viola
SOLME HONG, cello
AMBROSIUS HUBER, cello

Recorded March 21-23 at Auditorio Stelio Molo RSI, Lugano

TRACKS:

01. Modul 29_14
02. Modul 12
03. Modul 18
04. Modul 5
05. Modul 60
06. Modul 4
07. Modul 44
08. Modul 8_11