Artist: Spaltklang
Label: Fazzul Music
Release: 2002
Rating: 4.3/5
I’ve written so much about Markus Stauss and his projects that sometimes I feel like I’ve got nothing left to add. But just when I think there’s nothing new to say about his music, his compositions inspire me all over again. That’s exactly what happened when I heard Spaltklang’s first album, Alpenglühen.
Markus Stauss wrote all the songs (like on pretty much every project he’s been part of), apart from a few short snippets that were a joint effort. Once again we’re confronted with the guy’s knack for writing downright cheerful melodies one minute and diving into fiendishly difficult, intricate and even sinister passages the next. Nothing is beyond him and he leaves nothing to chance. He draws on all his talents and as many musical influences as he can. The end result is usually music you can’t fault, whether in terms of melody or innovation – and Alpenglühen is a perfect example of that.
This album, too, is packed with fascinating rhythm changes, fast sections and slower moments where the intensity keeps building. The music isn’t dull for a single second, and a lot of the credit goes to the variety of styles on show here. Most of the album is a tribute to innovation. Even though every genre they tackle here has already been established by other artists, Spaltklang redefine the music and show it in a different light. Their take on jazz-rock doesn’t sound like any other band in the genre, partly because there’s a good dose of folk, classical, avant-garde and plenty more in the mix.
The musicians shine once again. Stauss’s soft and hard saxophone lines are brilliant as usual. The violin adds something special – at times it reminds you of the jazz-rock of Jean-Luc Ponty or Jerry Goodman, but at other times it sounds more classical or folksy. The bass is expressive and really stands out. The lines aren’t typical for an instrument in the rhythm section; they’re far more varied and demanding than you’d normally expect. Unlike on other Spaltklang albums, Rémy Stäuli works in a few more keyboard parts here. So we get some tasty synth sections, including the warm sound of a mellotron. He also wins us over with his impressive drumming chops, which, just like the bass, are anything but ordinary.
Since this is the band’s first album, someone who doesn’t know the history of the individual members might expect a typical debut – full of enthusiasm and excitement, but also full of sloppy mistakes and compositional inexperience. Not here. The enthusiasm and drive are definitely there, but the songs are meticulously crafted and clearly the work of seasoned pros (and I mean every single member). Even the arrangements (not the flower kind) are outstanding, which just shows how much talent this band has. True, Alpenglühen is their debut and they kept getting better with later albums, but this record defined the essence of Spaltklang’s sound and music.
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I’ve already written so much about Markus Stauss and his projects that I sometimes feel like I have nothing new to add. But just when I think I can’t write anything new about his music, his compositions inspire me again. This is how it was when I heard Spaltklang’s first album, entitled Alpenglühen.
All the compositions were written by Markus Stauss (like on most of the projects he’s involved in), except for a few short excerpts, which were a joint effort. We are once more faced with the man’s ability to write extremely “happy” melodies at one moment and extremely complex, intricate and even sinister segments at other times. Nothing is beyond his capabilities and he leaves no stone unturned. He exploits all of his talents and as many musical influences as possible. The end result is usually music that’s beyond reproach both in terms of melody and innovation – Alpenglühen is the perfect example of this.
This album is filled with many fascinating rhythm changes, up-tempo segments and also many slower parts which build in intensity. It isn’t boring for a single second and a lot of this has to do with the variety of stiles they deal with here. Most of the album is a shrine to innovation. Even though the genres they deal with have all been tackled by other artists, Spaltklang redefine the music and put a different spin on everything. Their variety of jazz-rock sounds unlike any other jazz-rock out there, with hints of folk, classical, avant-garde and lots more.
The musicians shine as usually. Stauss’s soft and hard saxophone lines are brilliant as always. The violin adds a special flavour to the music – sometimes it makes you recall the jazz-rock stylings of Jean-Luc Ponty or Jerry Goodman, but at other times it sounds classical or even folky. The bass is expressive and stands out on its own. The lines are not really typical for an instrument in the rhythm section, they’re much more varied and intricate than what we’re used to. Unlike the other Spaltklang albums, Rémy Sträuli fits a few more of his keyboard parts in here. Thus we are able to hear some very tasty synthesizer segments, including the warm sound of the mellotron, among others. He also enthrals us with his impressive drumming skills, which are, just like the bass, anything but ordinary.
Seeing as this is the band’s first album, someone who was unaware of the band members before this release might think this would be a typical first album – full of enthusiasm and eagerness, but also full of sloppy mistakes and compositional inexperience. There are no such problems here. The eagerness and dynamics of a band’s first album are here, but the compositions are finely honed and are obviously a work of skilled professionals (meaning all the members). The arrangements (not the flower kind) are also exceptional, which merely exhibits the talents of the group. It’s true that Alpenglühen is their first effort and the subsequent releases would just keep on getting better, but this album was the one which defined the essence of Spaltklang’s sound and music.
Lineup
Markus Stauss – saxophone
Stephan Brunner – bass
Oliver Vogt – violin
Rémy Sträuli – drums and synthesizer
Production
Markus Stauss
Tracklist
1. Wie einst im Mai
2. Unexpected
3. Immer wieder
4. Alpenglühen
5. Joker
6. Bambus
7. Sülz
8. A Dance Tune
9. Ewig
10. K 1 Full Blow
