RADAR Press infos
RADAR
the new album of bassist and composer Alex Bayer will be released on LP and CD on 22 MAY 2022 by mono-Ton Records
the Album
Press text
Alex Bayer – RADAR
featuring: Stefan Karl Schmid, Roland Neffe, Peter Fulda, Jim Black
On his new album RADAR, Alex Bayer resumes the compositional path taken on his last album ZODIAC (2019). Driven by creative curiosity, the idea of letting music grow from small cells is further developed, rethought and refined.
Formations of three tones (so-called trichords) provided the basis for melodic and harmonic turns on ZODIAC. Whereas on RADAR not only does the tonal material grow from a nucleolus, but this also forms the basis for rhythmic and formal structures that branch out into the improvisations. The raw essences are modeled into musical stories, each piece becomes its own entity - familiar forms are largely dispensed with. The resulting compositions each have theirown character, but are similar in a certain way, like siblings. The characters of the pieces are as diverse as the people themselves - sometimes wild, tender, energetic, humorous, nerdy or introverted.
In addition to the unusual compositional style, the album's other strength is its collective improvisation. On RADAR, the individuality of the five musicians merges with the compositions to form a cohesive whole. The music thrives on the balance between the architecture of the composition and the autonomy of improvisation. The result is refined yet expressive music that pushes forward while seeming to float in the air.
Stefan Karl Schmid: saxophone, clarinet
Roland Neffe: vibraphone
Peter Fulda: piano
Jim Black: drums
Alex Bayer: bass/composition
Recording/Mixing: Florian Oestreicher @ Realistic Sound Studio, Munich
Mastering: Christoph Stickel CS Mastering, Vienna
Produced: Robert Landfermann & Alex Bayer
Artwork & Design: Katharina Frick
Label: mono-Ton records, Nurenberg
Press Photo
photo by Lukas Diller