ECSTASY THROUGH ASCETICISM
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RITUAL GROOVE MUSIC, the title of my first CD, also points to the fundamental concept of my musical thinking. The music shows a close affinity to architecturally organized space and is governed by the principles of repetition and reduction as well as by interlocking rhythms. A piece of music can be entered, inhabited like a room. It moves forward and transforms through obsessive circular movements, superimposition of different meters and micro-interplay. The listeners attention is directed toward minimal variations and phrasing. The band becomes an integral organism - like an animal, a habitat, an urban space. One must think with ears and hands.
Normally, we work in three distinct formations. The group MOBILE plays purely acoustic music, performed in rituals of up to 36 hours, including light- and room design. The Zen-funk quartet RONIN, by contrast, is more flexible and plays the compositions more freely. As a solo performer I perform my compositions on prepared piano with percussion.
Despite the tightly organized compositional construction, improvisation plays an important role in our music. On the one hand, accentuation, ghost notes, and variations within a composition are tossed back and forth between the musicians; on the other hand, a particular voice within a composition might have more freedom than the others. In doing so, that voice forms an independent module that can interact with the strictly notated interlocking patterns in continuously changing ways. Groove-habitats or void musical space of raw poetry emerge.
My thinking and music are based on the tradition of urban space. They are not distilled from a national or stylistic tradition but from the universal sound of cities. The city in its roaring diversity requires an ability to focus and concentrate on the essential: to measure one’s actions, to remain silent at the right place. This music draws its energy from the tension between compositional precision and the self-circumvention of improvisation. From self-implied restriction stems freedom.
Ecstasy through asceticism.
Nik Bärtsch
For more texts, interviews and publications, see below.
NEW RELEASE MAY 2021
Nik Bärtsch, LISTENING - Music, Movement, Mind, 2021.
A useless guide for everything.
Nik Bärtsch, in collaboration with Andrea Pfisterer.
Lars Müller Publishers.
RELEASES
Next Events
RELEVANT COMPOSITIONS, PROJECTS AND RECORDS
DISCOGRAPHY
- Nik Bärtsch solo, „ENTENDRE“, ECM 2021
- Nik Bärtschs Ronin, „AWASE“, ECM 2018
- Nik Bärtschs Mobile, „CONTINUUM“, ECM 2016
- Nik Bärtschs Ronin, „LIVE“, ECM 2012
- Nik Bärtschs Ronin, „LLYRIA“, ECM 2010
- Nik Bärtschs Ronin, „HOLON“, ECM 2008
- Nik Bärtschs Ronin, „STOA“, ECM 2006
- Nik Bärtschs Mobile, „AER“, 2004, Ronin Rhythm Records
- Nik Bärtschs Ronin, „REA“, 2004, Ronin Rhythm Records
- Nik Bärtschs Ronin, Live, 2003, Ronin Rhythm Records
- Nik Bärtsch, „Hishiryo“, Piano Solo, 2002, Ronin Rhythm Records
- Nik Bärtschs Ronin, „Randori“, 2002, Ronin Rhythm Records
- Nik Bärtschs Mobile, „Ritual Groove Music“, 2001, Ronin Rhythm Records
- Tonus-Music Labor Res. Result LIVE Vol. 1 & 2 Tonus Music Records 2002
- Don Li's Tonus, GEN , Tonus Music Records 2001
- Don Pfäffli's Tonus, SU:N, Brambus, 1999
- Menico Ferrari & the groove cooperative, About Roses and Thorns 1994, out of stock.
As producer
- Blaer, „Pure“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2023
- Blaer, „Yellow“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2020
- Makrokosmos Quartet, „ROFU, MANTA MANTRA“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2020
- Ikarus, „Mosaismic“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2019
- Kali, „Riot“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2018
- Hely, „Borderland“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2018
- Ikarus, „Chronosome“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2016
- Ikarus, „Echo“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2015
- Ingrid Lukas, „Demimonde“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2015
- Dee Day Dub, „Race“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2014
- Ingrid Lukas, „We Need To Repeat“, Ronin Rhythm Records 2009
BIOGRAPHY
Born 1971 in Zurich. Pianist, composer and producer. Lives in Zurich. Instruction in piano and percussion from the age 8. 1997 Graduation from the 'Musikhochschule Zürich'. 1998-2001 studies in philosophy, linguistics and musicology at the University of Zurich. 2003/04 stay in japan for half a year.
Ongoing work on his RITUAL GROOVE MUSIC as pianist and composer. Leader of MOBILE (since 1997; with Kaspar Rast, Mats Eser & Sha) and the zen-funk quartet RONIN (since 2001; with Kaspar Rast, Thomy Jordi (till 2011 Björn Meyer) and Sha. 2002 - 2012 also with Andi Pupato).
For special projects and compositions he also collaborates with artists and ensembles like Laurie Anderson, Sophie Clements, Third Coast Percussion, Bang On A Can All Stars, Les Percussions De Strassbourg, Basel Sinfonietta, Britten Sinfonia, RIAS chamber choir Berlin or the architects of OOS.
Instructor for ‘Practical Aesthetics’ at the 'Musikhochschule Zürich/Winterthur' (2000-2003).
Founder of the label Ronin Rhythm Records, a platform for creative groove music (since 2006).
Co-founder of the Music club EXIL in Zurich (2009).
Co-founder and co-artistic director (together with Judd Greenstein and Etienne Abelin) of the Indie-Classcial Festival Zurich Apples and Olives (2014).
Interest in the influence and the combination of music and movement, specially in the following Bodytechniques: Aikido, Feldenkrais, Gyrotonic.
Nik trains at Kokoro Aikido Dojo Zurich (3rd Dan).
Residencies, workshops and lectures at several institutions (f.e. Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance London (UK), Musikhochschule für Musik und Theater Leipzig (DE), Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts (CH), Zürcher Hochschule der Künste (CH), Conservatorio Die Musica Trieste (IT), Accademia Di Architettura Mendrisio (CH), ETH Zürich (CH)).
INTERVIEW (CH, 2012) AT SWISS NATIONAL TV SRF.
INTERVIEW (CH, 2021) STERNSTUNDE PHILOSOPHY SRF.
SMALL PORTRAIT (CH, D, 2015) AT SRF.
INTERVIEW (CH, E, 2015) FOR THE SWISS MUSIC PRIZE.
1999 & 2002 career award of the ‘UBS Cultural Foundation’
2002 'Werkjahr' (career award) from the city of Zurich
2004 culture-award from the town of Zollikon (appreciation-award)
2006 priority jazz support from the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia
2007 composition mandate from the Swiss Arts Council
2015 Swiss Music Prize by the federal office of Culture of Switzerland
2016 winner category "rising stars keyboards", critics poll Downbeat Magazine (USA)
2019 art award of the city of Zurich2021 winner category "rising stars piano", critics poll Downbeat Magazine (USA)