Artist: Spaltklang
Label: Fazzul Music
Release: 2006
Rating: 4.3/5
Markus Stauss is one of the best Swiss experimental and jazz saxophonists. Before his set at the Altrock festival he was a total unknown to me, but after the gorgeous show with Spaltklang (and one track with French TV) he’s no stranger anymore, but someone I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on from here on out.
Spaltklang is just one of Stauss’ many projects. Everything he’s involved in usually comes out on his own label, Fazzul music. For Spaltklang, Stauss gathered a group of relatively young musicians around him. He’s behind most of the compositions, while the others help out with the arrangements and now and then take care of some improvisation. The end result is enviable.
Spaltklang play music that’s really hard to pin down. You could say they fall under jazz/rock, but that wouldn’t cover everything they do. Their music contains plenty of elements from other styles, classical and avant-garde among them. For me the main ingredient is the incredible energy and enthusiasm. The music sounds so fresh and exciting, and it’s obvious the band believes in what they’re playing. Even though it’s mostly composed, it feels like it flows freely and knows no limits. When I put this album on, my mood instantly gets better, the vibes are just right.
Even though Markus Stauss is the main composer on Lontano, he doesn’t hog all the glory. Sure, he delivers some outstanding moments on sax, but he leaves room for the violin and viola too. Bass and drums matter just as much, and you can catch the occasional synth as well. Spaltklang feel like a really tight unit, and that harmony runs through the whole album, which for me personally is one of the best albums released in the last few years.
Before the Altrock festival I wasn’t even aware of Spaltklang, but now, after listening to a lot of music by Spaltklang and Stauss’ other projects, I can say without hesitation that Stauss is one of the finest discoveries around and one of the most exciting musicians out there. His music is impossible to pin down, he’s always original and inventive, and his stuff just keeps growing on you. To me Spaltklang is his best project, and Lontano is the top contender for Stauss’ best album. It’s a record that’s super focused, built on compositions, demanding but still incredibly enjoyable. I urge you to hop over to his site and buy this album, because it’s really that good.
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Markus Stauss is one of Switzerland’s leading experimental and jazz saxophone players. He’s been relatively unknown to me before his appearance at the Altrock festival in Italy, but after the magnificent show he put on with Spaltklang (and French TV, on one song), Stauss is no longer an unknown musician to me, but someone to watch out for in the future.
Spaltklang is one of Stauss’ many projects. All of the things he’s involved with usually gets put out by his own label – Fazzul music. For Spaltklang, Stauss assembled a relatively young group of musicians around him. Stauss is responsible for most of the compositions, while the other guys are responsible for the arrangements and the occasional improvisations. The end result is stunning.
Spaltklang play a style of music that is incredibly difficult to classify. You could put them into the jazz rock category, but that would be doing them a disservice. Their music contains so many elements from other styles as well, like classical, avant-garde and many more. The main ingredient in the music is the constant sense of energy and enthusiasm. The music sounds so fresh and exciting and it is obvious the band believes in what they are playing. Even though most of the music is composed, the music really seems to breathe freely and has no restrictions. Just listening to it makes me feel better, the vibe really is that good.
While Markus Stauss is the composer on Lontano, he doesn’t take all the glory. Sure, he provides some shining sax parts, but he lets the violin and viola have a go as well. The bass and drums also play a vital role in the music and there is an occasional synth part thrown in for good measure as well. It appears as if Spaltklang really is a tight unit and this harmony shines throughout Lontano, which for me is one of the best records released in the last few years.
Before the Altrock festival, I wasn’t even aware of Spaltklang, but now, after hearing a great deal of music both by Spaltklang and Markus Stauss’ other projects, I can safely say that Stauss is one of the best kept secrets in the music world (in general) and one of the most exciting musicians out there. His music is impossible to pigeonhole, he is always original and inventive whatever he is working on and his music just grows and grows on you. I consider Spaltklang to be the best of his projects and Lontano a really strong contender for Stauss’ best album in his extensive discography. It’s extremely focused and composed, challenging yet pleasant to listen to. I urge you to go to Markus’s site and buy this record, this stuff is really good.
Lineup
Markus Stauss: saxophone
Stephan Brunner: bass
Oliver Vogt: violin, viola
Rémy Sträuli: drums & synthesizer
Production
Markus Stauss
Tracklist
1. Antipasto
2. Nachher
3. Primo
4. Der Wurm
5. 4 + 1
6. Secondo
7. Old & New
8. Berg & Tal
9. Dessert
10. Another Dance tune
