About

When some collaborations occur, it feels like Fate has been paying close attention, planning something special. On one hand: Bugge Wesseltoft, pianist, composer and pioneer of electronic jazz; on the other: Henrik Schwarz, one of the most sought after producers of electronic music who has remixed stars from Michael Jackson to Ane Brun. This combination may not seem as radical as once it might, as in the days before Bugge's New Conception of Jazz, but the results most certainly are: this does not feel like your typical electronic jazz outing. It's a Super-Group in microcosm.

Wesseltoft comes from a jazz background and has moved towards electronic music. He started on the ECM label with Jan Garbarek, and later collaborated with club music legends like Laurent Garnier and Francois Kervorkian on stage. Schwarz comes from the Chicago/ Detroit techno culture, and performs at music festivals and in clubs on all continents. He has been moving towards the jazz and improvisation. Henrik: "Bugge and myself are moving towards each other, there are these energies."

This was the very first collaboration between the duo, totally improvised, and recorded in Berlin in 2009. Like other spontaneous compositions on the album, such as "Dudelange" and "Where is the Edge?", the feeling of natural and spontaneous growth is omnipresent, both showing how even when Bugge leads the way in, it’s as though Henrik has been waiting for him, armed with an arsenal of great ideas and smart moves. "Where is the Edge?" also demonstrates how the improvisational emphasis does not necessarily mean that "improvisation = jazz" in any stylistic sense - this is an energetic track worthy of any dancefloor. The lines between live playing and live sampling blur, and, without a visual reference, it becomes impossible to tell which musician is responsible for any given sound you are hearing.

Yet, while the innovative technical aspects of the album are truly remarkable, it is the final results that shine brightest. If we forget about the wizardry going on and just listen, what we have is the sound of great contemporary music. When asked what the most exciting aspect of their collaboration was, Bugge quickly responds: "Meeting and working with Henrik. No doubt!" And Henrik just as quickly agrees: "Yes - meeting Bugge - absolutely. Everybody who has ever tried to play with someone else knows how difficult it is to find the right partner. When you find the right one it becomes magical, and that's what it's all about in the end."

All the technical marvels in the world count for nothing unless they are in the hands of people with genuine musical talent, and it is the respective talents of Bugge Wesseltoft and Henrik Schwarz that Fate must have been observing when they were brought together. After listening, fans of each artist will undoubtedly hope for more in the future. — (via Label)

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Duo's concept is simple—Wesseltoft on piano, Schwarz on electronics. Simple on paper, anyway. The absence of musical notation for synthesisers—and their huge palette of sounds—can make stylistic syncronisation tough. Thankfully, the duo take the high road, crafting intricate and often imperfect pieces, rather than resorting to simplistic programming and predictability. "First Track," for example, is a live recording of their very first collaboration (Berlin, 2009), which shows their commitment to spontaneity. To ensure results, the pair frequently seem to provide backing for one another, rather than actually play in tandem. In "Kammermusik," for example, Schwarz lays down a bed of shuffling white noise, with his partner's elegant key work resting on top. The latter half of the same song sees Wesseltoft retreat, with wistful synths and a rubbery arpeggio taking over. The final piece "One One"—live from Cologne—even seems to be entirely electronic. — (via Resident Advisor)

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- 15th Anniversary remastered edition
- Pressed on 180g standard black vinyl

Vinyl Tracklist
A1 Dreaming
A2 Kammermusik
A3 First Track (Live From Berlin)
B1 Leave My Head Alone Brain
B2 See You Tomorrow
B3 Where Is The Edge?
B4 Dudelange (Live From Luxembourg)

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Label: Mule Musiq
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue
Reissued: 2026 / Originally Released: 2011
Genre: Electronic, Jazz
Style: Contemporary Jazz, Abstract, Free Improvisation

File under: Leftfield
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