Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
Venue: KUD France Prešeren, Ljubljana
Gig date: 27.03.2009
Attendance: 50
Ticket price: €8/€10
Manufactur are Swiss acid jazzers who’ve built up quite a reputation worldwide with their original music, which mixes in elements of ambient, electronic effects, a bit of rock and plenty more on top of the jazz.
Manufactur are no newcomers, with four studio releases already under their belt (the last two came out on the German label Rent a Dog), which mostly earned some nice reviews. So the band didn’t go unnoticed in Slovenia either (they already played Trnfest in 2004), and when the Swiss hit the road again, Slovenian promoters lured them back to our parts. This time we got to see them at KUD France Prešeren.
Their jazz is not typical in any way. Above all, their compositions are more polished than most jazz. At least the foundation (keys, bass and drums) is stricter, while the trumpet solos over it. The songs can get pretty dark and hypnotic. There are lots of repeating motifs, electronic effects and even loops. You can also pick up a bit of post rock in their music, though maybe they aren’t even doing it on purpose. That mostly applies to the way some songs build up: they start slow and gentle, and the intensity keeps growing throughout the piece until it hits an incredible peak. In this department Manufactur are truly excellent and outdo most “real” post rock bands. There’s also plenty of electronics, or rather ambient keyboards, which add a charm of their own to the music.
You could say that Manufactur, or rather their trumpeter Werner Hasler, take a lot of cues from Miles Davis, since the trumpet is mostly front and center in the music. I’m not exactly a huge fan of the instrument myself, but Hasler, much like Davis did, can coax more out of his horn than you’d expect, and his trumpet solos never sound boring or recycled. Of course Hasler and his solo trumpet stand out the most, but for me the other three members matter just as much, since they worked hard (and succeeded) at creating a real atmosphere.
The gig was top-notch. I don’t know how much of their material is composed and how much is improvised, but they knew how to create a great, often hypnotic and dark vibe. I didn’t hear a single “flub” during the show as far as the playing goes (though with jazz that’s sometimes hard to say), and the sound was solid the whole time.
The turnout was kind of what you’d expect. I’d say there were around 50 people there (probably fewer), but everyone watched what was happening on stage with interest, and even more so listened to the music itself, which swept a few people into a whirlpool of hypnotic daydreaming. It’s a shame that some jazz bands here get so much attention while musicians like Manufactur get far less. Well, I guess a good part of that comes down to the experimental nature of their work, which just isn’t as accessible as typical jazz rock creations.
Manufactur showed us their “Swiss” approach to jazz, which is anything but ordinary. The gig rolled along to their hypnotic rhythm, which they held from start to finish. Some parts were really excellent, especially when Manufactur built a song up to its final peak, which was usually seriously great, if not spectacular. So, Manufactur didn’t disappoint in any respect. They showed that excellent jazz is being played in Europe right now, and all I can do is congratulate them on their originality and a superb performance.
Lineup:
Werner Hasler – trumpet
Oli Kuster – keyboards, electronics, synthesizers
Urban Lienert – bass
Dominik Burkhalter – drums
Photos: Miha Mally
Setlist
1. Bavarkookoo 2. Funn Manzini 3. Nullzwozwo 4. Cliché 5. Flambitres 6. Haaf Slomer 7. Geneber 8. April 9. Allamdynam
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