Nik Bärtsch's MOBILE

Nik Bärtsch , Composition Sha Bass clarinet Kaspar Rast Drums Nicolas Stocker Percussion

Photo: Architekturbild

RITUAL GROOVE MUSIC is the title of the band`s first CD and, at the same time, contains the essence of Nik Bärtschs musical thought. The purely acoustic music is full of surprising turns and bold combinations. The ingredients from funk, new classical music as well as elements of Japanese ritual music are combined to produce an exiting sound mixture, at times funky, at times ambient- like and relaxed and then again dramatically charged. It is a sound world of raw poetry, propelled by obsessive motion.

The compositions leave room for a variety of phrasing, which is readily exploited by the very diverse musical personalities that constitute the band. The drummer Kaspar Rast, with his powerful groove, is as much at home in jazz and funk contexts as in the studio. Alt saxophonist and bass clarinettist Sha captivates the listener through rhythmic refinement and implacable calm and has already earned a reputation as a newcomer in the New Minimal scene. Percussionist Nicolas Stocker belongs to the new generation of modern musicians who naturally combine the competence for classical interpretation, improvisation and the ability to groove. Nik Bärtsch, the inspirational don of MOBILE, easily crosses the borders between all of the above codes, setting connections which in turn mutate to fuses. The formation MOBILE EXTENDED includes a string quintet with Etienne Abelin and Ola Sendecka (violin), David Schnee (viola), Ambrosius Huber and Solme Hong (cello).

MOBILE has collaborated with different partners and guest performers: with the architects of oos, with the german Iaido-Master Martin Krahl, with butoh dancer Imre Thormann and solo violoncello player Walter Grimmer. In addition to conventional concerts, the group also develops integral musical concepts within a ritualistic framework. The performance of the music is usually combined with a multi-medial set-up of the surrounding space.

(Text: Michel Mettler) www.nikbaertsch.com/mobile

Photo: Martin Möll

Presse

»Bärtsch's mysterious music will be around for a lot longer than the quick fix that majority taste seems to clamour for.« Stuart Nicholson, The Observer (UK)

» »The motto 'Ritual Groove Music' is not accidental in Nik Bärtsch’s music; it reconciles minimal music with funk, Steve Reich with James Brown, Lennie Tristano with Japanese Nô-music.« (Peter Niklas Wilson, Du – Die Zeitschrift für Kultur)

»Cool modules instead of true songs, polyrhythmic funk that’s hypnotically tenacious.« (Rolling Stone)

»Groove without ego – Swiss musician Nik Bärtsch makes magnificent zen-funk.« (Alex Rühle, Süddeutsche Zeitung)

»Twangs as Japanese blades, Bärtsch's precision keeps you wide awake… Recommendable to all – from theoreticians and lovers of tea ceremonies to party goers.« (Oliver Hochkeppel, Süddeutsche Zeitung DE))

»Mobile: hypnotic, repetitive, purely acoustic, primarily dark coloured and enormously complex groove music.« (Der Bund, Berne)

»Minimal, maximum prepared: Mobile.« (NZZ, Zurich)

»Nik Bärtsch is an unsung wunderkind of European new music.« (Ellen Pearlman, The Brooklyn Rail, New York)

»Extremely subtle erotic of material poverty« (Basler Zeitung)

»Nik Bärtsch, the scientist of groove.« (Tages Anzeiger Zurich)

»Bärtsch has managed to discover a style of his own before nonexistent.« (Jazz`n`More)

Member Biographies:

Nik Bärtsch (composition, piano)

Born 1971 in Zurich. Pianist, composer and producer. Instruction in piano and percussion from the age 8. 1997 Graduation from the 'Musikhoch-schule Zürich'. 1989-2001 studies in philosophy, linguistics and musico-logy at the University of Zurich. 2003-04 stay in Japan. Ongoing work on his RITUAL GROOVE MUSIC as pianist and composer. Leader of zen-funk quintet RONIN (since 2001; with Kaspar Rast, Björn Meyer, Andi Pupato & Sha) and MOBILE (since 1997). Teacher for ‘practical aesthetics’ at the 'Musikhochschule Zürich/Winterthur' (2000-03). Together with Kaspar Rast founder of the Mondays concert series (since 2004, www.montags.com). Cofounder of the music club EXIL in Zürich (2009, www.exil.cl). Interest in the influence and the combination of music and movement, specially in the following body techniques: Aikido, Feldenkrais, Gyrotonic (workshop offers at music academies, several institutions and at the own club since 2002). Numerous awards from 1999, including the jazz priority award of Swiss Arts Council in 2006.

Large compositions and projects

With Mobile: - 'BLUE TRILOGY' with MOBILE ((AREA BLUE 2000, AQUA BLUE 2001, MU BLUE 2002)), three 36 hour multimedia live concerts with lightdesign, videoart, architecture and swordart. - 'SEE - a life musical space picture' with MOBILE and OOS (4 hours, 2005), performance on the lake stage in Zurich; together with oos (Co-Production with the Theaterspektakel Zurich). - Openair performance together with the Butoh dancer Imre Thormann and the Gagaku ensemble of the Osaka Gakuin University Japan at the Hiyoshi Shrine in Otsu Japan (2005). - 2005: 'Perpetual Rhythm - a musical dance ritual', with Butho dancer Imre Thormann & his Bodygarage Tokyo, 8 hour performance in the Rondorama on the Stanserhorn (Co-Production with Stanser Musiktage). - 2003: 'Water Church Ritual', Wasserkirche Zürich, with guest Walter Grimmer, cello, 6 hour mirror performance

As well as: - 2013: 'TWO THREE - for string orchestra, piano, bass clarinet and percussion' for the Zurich Chamber Orchestra (35 minutes, premiere at Kaufleuten Zurich 2013). - 2012: 'ROFU - for two and two percussionits' for the group Makrokosmos (45 minutes, premiere at Morton Feldman Festival Bern 2012). - 'The Proportions Of The Temple' for piano, string trio and choir (performance and two new pieces, 2011, premiere at the Norfolk & Norwich festival). - 'Modul 26 for Sextet' for the New York group Bang On A Can (20 minutes, 2010, premiere at Merkin Hall NY). - 'Orit' for three percussionists (20 minutes, 2008, premiere at the Mehrklang Festival Freiburg 08). - 'Modul Ritual', New Chamber Funk I, composition for 4 saxophones, piano, rhodes, drums & percussion (70 minutes, written in Japan 2003/04 for the ARTE QUARTETT). - 'Orchestrated Moduls', New Chamber Funk II, RONIN and the Ensemble für Neue Musik ZH (2005, 60 min). - 'Macbeth' by Shakespeare/Müller, (Sophiensäle Berlin 2004), director: Nora Somaini. - Solo project Hishiryo’ for prepared piano and percussion (since 2001). - Music for the documentary film projects “Swiss View” (2005-10 with the producer Marco Fumasoli) for the Swiss TV SFDRS. Selection of Recordings: Nik Bärtschs Ronin, “LIVE”, ECM 2012 Nik Bärtschs Ronin, “”, ECM 2010 Nik Bärtschs Ronin, “HOLON”, ECM 2008 Nik Bärtschs Ronin, “STOA”, ECM 2006 Nik Bärtschs Ronin, “REA”, Ronin Rhythm Records 2004; Nik Bärtschs Mobile, “AER”, RRR 2004; Nik Bärtschs Ronin, “Live”, RRR 2003; Nik Bärtschs Ronin, “Randori”, RRR 2002; Nik Bärtsch, “Hishiryo”, Piano Solo, RRR 2002; Nik Bärtschs Mobile, “Ritual Groove Music”, RRR 2001

Kaspar Rast (drums )

Kaspar was born in 1972 in Zurich. He has been playing drums since the age of 6. Trained at the JMS in Zurich and the Drummers Collective in New York. Kaspar’s list of concerts and tours covers Europe, Africa and South America. He works in various Swiss musical formations and projects, plays sessions and acts as a studio musician. www.rast-violins.ch

Selection of Recordings: Nik Bärtschs Ronin, “LIVE”, ECM 2012; Sha’s Feckel, “Greates Hits” (Ronin Rhythm Records 2012)

Sha (altosax, bass- and contrabass clarinets)

Sha was born in 1983. He plays the saxophone and the bass clarinet. Among his teachers are Don Li, Nik Bärtsch, Sujay Bobade and Bänz Oester. Sha made his master in performance at the Jazz School in Lucerne with distinction. He is also a member of Mik Keusen’s 'Blau' and the leader and composer for his own band 'Banryu'. Sha has worked with Anja Losinger, Walter Grimmer, Michael Gassmann, Philipp Schaufelberger and Claudio Puntin. www.s-ha.ch

Selection of Recordings: Nik Bärtschs Ronin, “LIVE”, ECM 2012; Sha's Banryu, “Chessboxing Vol. One” (Ronin Rhythm Records 2008); Sha’s Feckel, “Greates Hits” (Ronin Rhythm Records 2012)

Nicolas Stocker (Perkussion)

Born 1988 in Zurich. Composer, drummer and percussionist. Raised in a musicians family, he plays piano since the age of five and drums since the age of eleven. Bachelor of arts at ZHdK (2011). Afterwards studies in New York for several month with Jim Black, Mark Giuliana, Kendrick Scott and Dan Weiss. 2011-2013 Master in music education at ZHdK and studies in composition with Felix Profos. 2012 career award of the Friedl-Wald Stiftung. At the moment "Master Jazz Performance" studies at HSLU with Gerry Hemingway, Norbert Pfammatter and Pascal Pons. Leader of his own Band "Bells for Pony" and Co-Leader of "Marylane". www.marylane.ch

Selection of Recordings: Marylane, „Marylane“ (Sophie Records), 2012 Ursina, „Hiding Behind a Mask“ (Eigenvertrieb), 2014

Daniel Eaton (Lightdesign)

Daniel was born in 1987 in Basel. Studies in physics 2006-2010 (unfinished). Since 2010 studies oft he bass at the ZHDK (Bachelor of arts 2013) with Rätus Flisch, Uli Heinzler and Björn Meyer (E- bass), Christoph Sprenger and Dominique Girod (doublebass). Lightdesigner with Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin since 2009.

For additional information, please contact:

Management

Jazzbrain Music Management Agency Ellen Schörner Nussberggasse 7B/23 AT-1190 Vienna Phone: +43 1 890 26 36 Mobile: +43 664 916 64 61 Email: [email protected] www.jazzbrain.com

Booking DE, AT, CH, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe:

Reinhard Allgaier, La Candela Music agency Sömmeringstrasse 75 DE-50823 Cologne Phone: +49 221 39 90 98 0 Email: [email protected] Website: www.lacandela.de

Production Company

Ronin Rhythm Productions GmbH Nik Bärtsch Hafnerstrasse 47 CH-8005 Zurich Phone: +41 44 272 16 06 Email: [email protected] www.nikbaertsch.com www.exil.cl

(Photo by OOS AG)