How does one approach music when one has studied it? Is an overly theoretical mode of access an obstacle, or does it in fact open up the possibility of unlocking its potentials beyond obvious limits? Often, however, the most radical and adventurous musical approach emerges precisely where conventions are all too familiar. Through his studies in instrument making, Belgian bassist Nils Vermeulen has gained an additional perspective. It also becomes audible in the tactile and spatial music he improvises and composes together with violinist and sound artist Elisabeth Klinck.
This is highly physical, tangible experimental music which – as in »Silence« or the title track »Pioen« – reaches into the room through vocal sounds and creaking instrumental playing, making every pluck and every movement visible to the mind’s eye. With no more than their two familiar tools of work, they create a starkly pared-down variation of avant-garde, minimalist chamber jazz, one that in pieces such as »Undulatus« even allows itself a touch of drama.
