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Hornstrom

Dark

Price: € 14.95
Format: CD
Label: Double Moon Records
UPC: 0608917118629
Catnr: DMCHR 71186
Release date: 02 June 2017
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Label
Double Moon Records
UPC
0608917118629
Catalogue number
DMCHR 71186
Release date
02 June 2017

"A special quartet, that Hornstrom. With 'Dark' they deliver a beautifully balanced, coherent album, in which they highlight the unique characteristics of the trombone."

Draai Om Je Oren, 16-5-2018
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Artist(s)
Composer(s)
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About the album

Two trombones, bass and drums – that suffices completely! No piano or guitar. Nobody misses them, not for a second! Astounding with this somewhat idiosyncratic formulation, Hornstrom has surprised and thrilled every listener with this fresh, unconventional four man orchestra for the past 11 years. With the richness of their sound of their current CD "Dark", the ideal of the band, the members of which used to like wear bathing caps and called themselves "proficient swimmers", is inevitably ascending to provisional heights.

Because Klaus Heidenreich, Tobias Wember, Silvio Morger, and Markus Braun have actually succeeded with "Dark” in creating something like a comprehensible quadrature of a circle: combining the highest degree of compositional diligence with the unconditional desire for improvisational freedom as well as the greatest possible virtuosity in the handling of the instruments with a casual portion of humor, which can sometimes also take refreshing self-mocking twists. All factors that Hornstrom purposefully but never audibly cramped acquired during its quite long existence in addition to a number of awards (e.g., Biberach Jazz Prize and "New Generation" Jazz Prize Straubing).

The eight songs—all self-compositions by the trombonists Wember and Heidenreich—meander somewhere on the edges of modern jazz, rock, minimal music, and drum'n'bass without wanting to join the general trend of cross-bordering. It just happens, more consistently than ever. To mold clear musical structures with sober and at the same time elegiac elements into a homogeneous band sound is the declared goal, Tobias Wember stated. It need not be a contradiction by any means if the guys of Hornstrom place the development of the four individuals in the foreground precisely in this mature collective.

In fact, a lot has happened and a lot of water has flowed down the Rhine near Cologne since the debut CD "Endlich Sinnfrei" (2008). The playful sound of once has given way to a relaxed, or—as Wember expresses it—"honest" sound, which makes the ensemble pleasantly different from those, which mostly only attract attention with shrill effects and fulminating symbolism. Compositions such as the title song, "Optimistic", "Cloud Above The Zoo", "Restive Region", "Dystopia", "Snug", "Faith Hope" and "Perky" live from their great, varied narrative arcs, in which a lot of familiar things also appear in addition to new, amazing valuables. This is the reason why many unexpected spaces are developed for exciting and fascinating duo improvisations in particularly successful moments.

According to the wishes of the busy four, Hornstrom is to work "project-oriented" in the future and go on a small tour twice a year. Wember: "This is necessary simply due to the spatial situation, since we now live in four different places and this form of collaboration seems to be that much more meaningful and productive." Here’s to the firing their creative impulses in friction and common understanding again and again!
Zwei Posaunen, Bass und Schlagzeug – das reicht völlig! Kein Klavier oder eine Gitarre. Vermisst niemand, zu keiner Sekunde! Mit dieser etwas eigenwilligen Rezeptur verblüfft, überrascht und begeistert Hornstrom, dieses frische, unkonventionelle Vier-Mann-Orchester, seit gut elf Jahren jeden Zuhörer. Mit dem Klangfarbenreichtum ihrer aktuellen CD „Dark“ bewegt sich das Ideal der Band, die sich früher gerne Badekappen aufsetzte und als „Freischwimmer“ titulierte, unweigerlich auf einen vorläufigen Höhepunkt zu.

Denn Klaus Heidenreich, Tobias Wember, Silvio Morger, Markus Braun gelingt mit „Dark“ tatsächlich so etwas wie eine nachvollziehbare Quadratur des Kreises: ein Höchstmaß an kompositorischer Sorgfalt mit dem unbedingten Willen zur improvisatorischen Freiheit zu bündeln, aber auch größtmögliche Virtuosität in der Handhabung der Instrumente mit einer lässigen Portion Humor zu kombinieren, die mitunter auch erfrischend selbstironische Züge annehmen kann. Alles Faktoren, die sich Hornstrom seiner durchaus langen Existenz sowie einer Reihe von Auszeichnungen (Biberacher Jazzpreis, „New Generation“ Jazzpreis Straubing) zielstrebig, aber nie hörbar verkrampft erarbeitet hat.

Die acht Songs – allesamt Eigenkompositionen der Posaunisten Wember und Heidenreich – mäandern irgendwo an den Rändern von Modern Jazz, Rock, Minimal Music und Drum´n´Bass umher, ohne sich dem allgemeinen Modetrend des Grenzgängertums anschließen zu wollen. Es passiert einfach, konsequenter denn je. Klare musikalische Strukturen mit nüchternen und zugleich elegischen Elementen in einen homogenen Bandsound zu gießen, das sei das erklärte Ziel, meint Tobias Wember. Und es muss beileibe kein Widerspruch sein, wenn die Jungs von Hornstrom ausgerechnet in diesem gereiften Kollektiv die Weiterentwicklung der vier Individuen in den Vordergrund stellen.

In der Tat ist seit dem Erstling „Endlich Sinnfrei“ von 2008 eine Menge Wasser den Rhein bei Köln hinuntergeflossen. Das Verspielte von einst wich einem gelassenen, oder wie Wember es ausdrückt „ehrlichen“ Sound, der das Ensemble angenehm von jenen unterscheidet, die sich meist nur durch grelle Effekte und krachende Symbolik in Szene setzen. Kompositionen wie der Titelsong, „Optimistic“, „Cloud Above The Zoo“, „Restive Region“, Dystopia“, „Snug“, „Faith Hope“ oder „Perky“ leben von ihren großen, abwechslungsreichen Erzählbögen, in denen neben neuen, verblüffenden Preziosen auch jede Menge Altbekanntes, Vertrautes auftaucht. Daraus entwickeln sich in besonders gelungenen Momenten manch unerwartete Räume für ebenso spannende wie faszinierende Duo-Improvisationen.

Nach dem Willen der vielbeschäftigten Vier soll Hornstrom in Zukunft „projektorientiert“ zu Werke gehen und zwei Mal pro Jahr eine kleine Tour absolvieren. Wember: „Dies ist schon alleine aufgrund der räumlichen Situation notwendig, da wir mittlerweile an vier verschieden Orten wohnen und diese Form der Zusammenarbeit so deutlich sinnvoller und produktiver erscheint.“ Auf dass die kreativen Impulse in der Reibung und dem gegenseitigen Einvernehmen immer wieder aufs Neue zünden mögen!

Artist(s)

Hornstrom

Two trombones, bass and drums – that´s Hornstrom! Founded in 2006, the goal of this Cologne/Germany - based band is to establish a unique sound that doesn´t miss a piano or guitar.  Stilistically, the bands sound could be settled somewhere between modern jazz, rock, minimal music and drum´n bass. Still related in the history of jazz, Hornstrom is trying to find new ways to express their music. Hornstrom only plays original music composed by Tobias Wember. Hornstrom wears Hornstrom bathing clothes only.
more
Two trombones, bass and drums – that´s Hornstrom! Founded in 2006, the goal of this Cologne/Germany - based band is to establish a unique sound that doesn´t miss a piano or guitar. Stilistically, the bands sound could be settled somewhere between modern jazz, rock, minimal music and drum´n bass. Still related in the history of jazz, Hornstrom is trying to find new ways to express their music. Hornstrom only plays original music composed by Tobias Wember. Hornstrom wears Hornstrom bathing clothes only.

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Tobias Wember (trombone)

Klaus Heidenreich (trombone)

In spite of the surprisingly numerous known colleagues, Klaus Heidenreich has become established and became the successor to  Nils Landgren as member of the NDR Big Band in 2008. In addition to the 'leader' (expressed in a better way: primus inter pares) Heidenreich, keyboard player Sebastian Sternal deserves special mention. He is anyhow one of the most skillful among the new, young and wild Germans on the keyboard. However, Heidenreich and Sternal could not perform so entertainingly if they were not supported fittingly by the rhythm group composed of Robert Landfermann on bass and Jonas Burgwinkel on drums. Both have won the WDR prize for improvisation. They play here so inconspicuously as required and as present as possible. If 'Travel...
more
In spite of the surprisingly numerous known colleagues, Klaus Heidenreich has become established and became the successor to Nils Landgren as member of the NDR Big Band in 2008. In addition to the "leader" (expressed in a better way: primus inter pares) Heidenreich, keyboard player Sebastian Sternal deserves special mention. He is anyhow one of the most skillful among the new, young and wild Germans on the keyboard. However, Heidenreich and Sternal could not perform so entertainingly if they were not supported fittingly by the rhythm group composed of Robert Landfermann on bass and Jonas Burgwinkel on drums. Both have won the WDR prize for improvisation. They play here so inconspicuously as required and as present as possible. If "Travel Notes" were a book, you would have to read between the lines for the contributions of these two – and have fun doing it.
less

Composer(s)

Tobias Wember (trombone)

Klaus Heidenreich (trombone)

In spite of the surprisingly numerous known colleagues, Klaus Heidenreich has become established and became the successor to  Nils Landgren as member of the NDR Big Band in 2008. In addition to the 'leader' (expressed in a better way: primus inter pares) Heidenreich, keyboard player Sebastian Sternal deserves special mention. He is anyhow one of the most skillful among the new, young and wild Germans on the keyboard. However, Heidenreich and Sternal could not perform so entertainingly if they were not supported fittingly by the rhythm group composed of Robert Landfermann on bass and Jonas Burgwinkel on drums. Both have won the WDR prize for improvisation. They play here so inconspicuously as required and as present as possible. If 'Travel...
more
In spite of the surprisingly numerous known colleagues, Klaus Heidenreich has become established and became the successor to Nils Landgren as member of the NDR Big Band in 2008. In addition to the "leader" (expressed in a better way: primus inter pares) Heidenreich, keyboard player Sebastian Sternal deserves special mention. He is anyhow one of the most skillful among the new, young and wild Germans on the keyboard. However, Heidenreich and Sternal could not perform so entertainingly if they were not supported fittingly by the rhythm group composed of Robert Landfermann on bass and Jonas Burgwinkel on drums. Both have won the WDR prize for improvisation. They play here so inconspicuously as required and as present as possible. If "Travel Notes" were a book, you would have to read between the lines for the contributions of these two – and have fun doing it.
less

Press

A special quartet, that Hornstrom. With 'Dark' they deliver a beautifully balanced, coherent album, in which they highlight the unique characteristics of the trombone.
Draai Om Je Oren, 16-5-2018

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