Traumton Records

Jul 26 2017

Recommended: Masaa – “Outspoken”

 

It’s remarkable how much the sound of Masaa has expanded over the course of three albums even as they drill down on the basic elements that embody the heart of the trio.  Rabih Lahoud, already bridging the expanse between Lebanese music and European jazz, expands his lexicon by incorporating French, German and English vocals into their new album Outspoken.  The trio of trumpeter Marcus Rust, pianist Clemens Christian Pötzsch and drummer Demian Kappenstein bring a huge presence to their music, which isn’t new, but the consistency of its application certainly is.  It also comes off as far more relaxed, reflecting an increased comfort with the inner workings of the quartet.  It’s an effect that leads to an even richer personality.

“Ta Voix” has the pulse of a street vendor scene, and by incorporating both the literal sounds of the streets and a tone that is quiet as a whisper, a shout above the crowd, and the many textures in between, the quartet captures the spirit of the scene both literally and metaphorically.  “Natra” is a mainline to the heart, embodying the beauty of sunrises over the mountains, sunsets over the water, the stars on a cloudless night, and all of the countless, far too few moments when life feels exactly as it was meant to be and your heart can barely contain the joy from the experience.

That way in which voice and trumpet run melodic lines in parallel and an intricate weave, and how piano traces the pattern of each while giving the melody a shape of its own, and that way in which percussion conjures up a storm that transforms a focused intensity into comforting whisper, this is the context of the drama this band is able to effortlessly generate and the dividends of its nuanced approach to melodic imagery and rhythmic dialog.  It’s how it all comes together.

Anyways, this was one of my Best of Bandcamp selections back when the album was released in May, but I wanted to get the spotlight on it again here on Bird is the Worm. It also provides the opportunity to mention that Afkar, Masaa’s last album, earned the #9 slot on this site’s Best of 2014 list (go check it out).

Your album personnel:  Rabih Lahoud (vocals), Marcus Rust (flugelhorn, trumpet), Clemens Christian Pötzsch (piano) and Demian Kappenstein (drums, percussion).

Released on Traumton Records.

Listen to more of the album on the label’s Bandcamp page.

Music from Berlin, Germany.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon

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Mar 26 2017

Traumton Records is opening up shop on Bandcamp

 

Falling under the recurring conversation topic of Labels We’d Like To See Show Up On Bandcamp, I’m excited to announce that Traumton Records has begun uploading their recent catalog to a Bandcamp label page.

Located in Berlin, Germany, Traumton puts out an enticing mix of different genres, and in many cases, they all sort of bleed into one another stylistically. Over the years, I’ve recommended many recordings in their catalog, and very rarely do their fall into a straight-ahead category. There’s always something different about each of their albums, and it’s always something interesting.

They are currently adding their recent releases to their Bandcamp page, but over time they’ll be adding the older recordings, too. Because of Bandcamp’s functionality for limited streams of the recording, it means you’ll get to just wander through their store and hit the play button of anything that looks interesting. And when you find something (and I guarantee you will), you’re already on the page to buy it.

Here’s a few recent recommendations of albums now on their Bandcamp page:

Brot & Sterne – Tales of Herbst

Read about it  |  Check it out on Bandcamp

 

Hely – Jangal

Read about it  |  Check it out on Bandcamp

 

Enjuti – Schönheit durch Zerbrechlichkeit

Read about it  |  Check it out on Bandcamp

 

So, start digging through their catalog on Bandcamp (take me there).

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Mar 16 2017

Recommended: Brot & Sterne – “Tales of Herbst”

 

This is a potent serenity.  This is music whose imagery is so strong, it’ll compel even the most distracted, awoke listener into daydreams.  The enfolding harmonics of the hurdy-gurdy, the melodic warmth of trumpet and the mesmerizing percussion of hang drum come together on Tales of Herbst for one expression of tranquility after the other.  But this isn’t sleepytime music.  Augmenting their instruments with electronic effects, the trio’s hypnotic sound bubbles with activity and reveals an unending supply of nuance and details.  Perhaps most reflective of the approach from the trio that goes by the name of Brot & Sterne is their riveting version of the Joe Zawinul composition “In a Silent Way.”  With their unique instrumentation and singular sound, the trio doesn’t mimic the legendary Miles Davis album, but they certainly channel its spirit.  Intensely introspective, the music captivates right from the first note.  But they wind new melodic diversions around expressions of the original, and when the cadence bursts ahead, the rhythmic potential of all three primary instruments takes hold.

The source of the enchantment is in the details, and the details are everywhere on this album.  There’s the way that trumpeter Franz Hautzinger makes the melody dance on “Unterm Mostbirnenbaum,” and how Peter Rosmanith directs bursts of hang drum to modulate the tone of “Rimmal” from something unrelenting to something quite tuneful, and how the hurdy-gurdy of Matthias Loibner blurs the line between leading the melody and reshaping it after the fact.  Ultimately, however, the magic of this recording is revealed during moments when all of these elements, and more, come together in unison, and exudes a beauty greater than the sum of its individual efforts.  No better evidence of this exists than opening track “Aufbrechen” and finale “Heimweg,” and how the former piece builds intensity one small step at a time, while the latter piece dives right into a pool of serenity and never comes up for air.

A seriously mesmerizing album.

Your album personnel:  Franz Hautzinger (trumpet, electronics), Matthias Loibner (hurdy-gurdy, electronics) and Peter Rosmanith (hang, percussion).

Released on Traumton Records.

Listen to more of the album at the label’s Bandcamp page.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon | eMusic

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Nov 13 2015

Recommended: Lisbeth Quartett – “Lisbeth Live”

 

Lisbeth Quartett - "Lisbeth Live"Sometimes you just need to hear a band perform live to get a better sense of what they’re all about.  Lisbeth Quartett has put out a couple of nice studio albums, which I’ve mentioned previously either on this site and/or my eMusic Wondering Sound columns… but nothing about those albums really blew me away.  They were both interesting enough to garner a mention, and one of the quartet’s members is saxophonist Charlotte Greve, who is one of those musicians who keeps popping up on interesting projects, so there was that, too.  But there was something about those studio recordings that left me feeling like maybe the band was holding something back, or conversely, what was intended never actually materialized in its fullest form.

Culled from a handful of different concerts, Lisbeth Live doesn’t hold back and there’s no shortage of creative inspirations seeing the light of day.  Consisting of seven tracks, most over ten minutes in length each, the quartet tucks a melodic inspiration under their arm and just go wandering.  Often, they end up in some seriously beautiful places.  Sometimes paths taken don’t lead to anywhere in particular, and that’s okay, since the journey can be just as fruitful as the landing spot.  But this album’s biggest attraction is the opportunity to hear the musicians flesh out their ideas, with the question of what-comes-next just as compelling as any one expression at a particular moment in time.  This is not a perfect album by any means, but this is the kind of recording that shouldn’t get measured by its individual parts… it needs to be taken in as a whole.  It’s the kind of recording that slowly accumulates a strong appreciation, where you’re less likely to hang onto the edge of each and every moment and more likely to suddenly snap to and think, hey, I’ve really been enjoying this album.

Favorite track: “Secret Ingredient” – Its mix of thick contemplation and a strong beating heart pumping blood like mad is just outstanding.

Bonus upside to this live album:  It provides an additional context for their studio albums and a motivation to revisit each of them.

Definitely check this one out.

Your album personnel: Charlotte Greve (sax), Manuel Schmiedel (piano), Marc Muellbauer (bass) and Moritz Baumgärtner (drums).

Released on Traumton Records.

Jazz from the Brooklyn scene.

Available at:  eMusic | Amazon

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Sep 23 2014

Recommended: Max Andrzejewski – “Hütte und Chor”

 

Max Andrzejewski - "Hutte und Chor"There was already something gloriously hyperactive about the music of Max Andrzejewski.  His quartet, Hütte, creates music that is varying degrees of modern post-bop, indie-rock and theatrical soundtrack.  On his new release Hütte und Chor, Andrzejewski goes a step further and adds a vocal quintet, each a soloist in their own right and each proving it in their own way… individuals doing their own thing that just so happens to amount to a cohesive expression.

Adding gospel and operatic elements to music already in possession of an abounding personality, Andrzejewski takes advantage of the new sonic ingredients without materially changing the heart of the music that led to his successful previous release, 2012’s Hütte.  Songs with a serious geometry are provided a healthy sense of humor, and melodies that refuse to sit still are corralled by rhythms that move just a little bit quicker.

For instance, “Countrygirl” offers up some twang and rockabilly rhythms.  Of especial appeal is how the choir matches the cadence, slipping in a little harmonization, erupting with some wild shouts.  It leads in nicely to the gentle sway of “Gospel,” a slow dance saxophone tune interspersed with soft waves of vocal cooing.  It’s a different kind of scene with the stumbling, tumbling, flailing of “Austria Nervös.”

Arguably, the diamond amongst this album of little gems is “Presque Isle,” in which the quartet and vocal choir achieve an ambling tunefulness that is equal parts charm and challenge.  There is nothing straight-forward about the song’s odd melodic angles and shifting tempos, and yet it presents itself with the disarming presence of a friendly smile.

“Bändigung” scoots along with a rock ‘n roll demeanor, whereas “Ziegenproblem” is a post-bop by free association.  “Auf dieser Ebene” is all about the vocal aeronautics, and an interesting counterpart to the interludes of vocal theater that mark this unconventional recording.  Like bits of German opera as flash fiction in the midst of a modern jazz recording, the quintet of soloists deliver their lines with the same whimsy and fearless abandon as do the instrumentalists on the other album tracks.

Bringing the album to a close is “Memo!” with its untamed enthusiasm of a free jazz song performed at a pep rally, whereas album finale “Für Ali A.” is the solemn, but comforting tones of the descending night, a fond farewell and a curtain drop.

There is something admirably courageous about this unconventional, daringly creative project.

Your album personnel:  Max Andrzejewski (drums), Johannes Schleiermacher (tenor sax), Tobias Hoffmann (guitar), Andreas Lang (bass), and Friederike Merz, Sarah Whitteron, Zola Mennenöh, Laura Winkler, Tobias Christl (voices).

Released on Traumton Records.

Listen to more of the album on the label’s Bandcamp page.

Jazz from the Berlin scene.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon

 

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