Bugge Wesseltoft & Henrik Schwarz - Duo II [LP]

Cat. no: 3779494
Format: LP
Barcode: 0687437794940
Release Date: 14 Oct 2022
Genre: Jazz

Wesseltoft Schwarz return with a new selection of tracks, DUOII, demonstrating that while neither acclaimed jazz composer and keyboardist Bugge Wesseltoft nor electronics maestro and producer Henrik Schwarz could be described as predictable, as a duo they are absolutely mercurial

Their natural afnity and symbiotic musical relationship seem to provide both with equal amounts of inquisitive, experimental and creative energy, and all without sacrifcing their accessibility. This second collaboration album (or third, if you also include the equally superb "Trialogue" where the duo was joined by bassist Dan Berglund - of EST, Tonbruket and RYMDEN fame) travels the sonic landscapes of their imaginations, in all directions. Like its predecessor, the album retains that organic quality that allowed the music to breathe and expand, blurring the distinction between electronic and acoustic, and between live and sampled performance. However, that is where the similarities end, as this time their stylistic mutations have followed different paths, and they have augmented their sound with guest musicians and vocalists, conjuring different vibes, sounds, methods and moods - all while remaining distinctly Wesseltoft Schwarz. The sparseness of opener "Woodened Stone" with its insistent melodic percussive fgure and interweaving pads, overlaid with serene interjections of piano, lays an open and welcoming path to the rest of the album. "Future Strings" takes us on a new direction that initially seems like some alternate reality where Romantic orchestras incorporated synthesisers, while "My First Life" (featuring vocals from Kid Be Kid) presents us with the contrast of a fresh take on urban soul, complete with lush strings. The track pairing of "Duolism" ("One Two" and "Two Two") brings Solistenensemble Kaleidoscop, a string quartet (Paul Valikoski - violin, Grégoire Simon - violin, Ildiko Ludwig - Viola, and Boram Lie - Cello), into the mix, and the
expanded sound frst firts with the baroque while retaining a distinctly pop sensibility, then moves into a resonant and rhythmic dynamic that is somehow minimalist while simultaneously swelling at the seams. "Eye for an Eye" continues with the quasi- minimalist feeling, while the strings give way to a synthesiser/ piano combo expanded by the voices of Jenniffer Kae, Jemma Endersby and Catharina Schorling, creating a piece of much larger scale than the constituent parts would suggest is possible. "Basstorious", featuring trumpeter Sebastian Studnitzky, brings together more traditional jazz elements, TB-303 style basslines, and the percussive stone/woodblocks heard at the album's beginning, and shifts effortlessly between upbeat urban dance and hazy late- night moods without dropping a semiquaver or its melodic hooks. The album's closer, "Now I'm Better" gradually comes into focus, with low sine bass tones, a steady beat that emerges
and recedes, vibraphone soloing interweaving with piano over an evolving soundscape -

LP Tracks: Woodened Stone / Future Strings / My First Life / Duolism - One Two / Duolism - Two Two / Eye for an Eye / Basstorious / Now I'm Better

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