FUSK
Philipp Gropper / Rudi Mahall / Andreas Lang / Kasper Tom Christiansen
FUSK – das sind Kasper Tom Christiansen (Kran, QUARTz), Andreas Lang (QUARTz, a la Cour), Philipp Gropper (Hyperaktive Kid, Philm) und Rudi Mahall (Der Rote Bereich, Fossile3) – glänzen mit Spielwitz und Ideenreichtum. Das Quartett spannt einen Bogen von einprägsamen Melodien, über komplexe Strukturen, hin zur expressiven Auflösung der Muster. Hier regieren Ernstes und Kurioses gemeinsam, der Umgang mit dem Themen- und Tonmaterial ist stets spielerisch und damit sehr erfrischend. Ein wahrer Ohrenschmaus!
Philipp Gropper (Saxophon)
Rudi Mahall (Bassklarinette)
Andreas Lang (Bass)
Kasper Tom Christiansen (Schlagzeug)
Veröffentlichungen
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FUSK
Veröffentlichung: April 2011 |
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Konzerte
2012
14. MärSowieso, Berlin, DE
15. MärBagatella, Darlowo, PL
16. MärKoeppenhaus, Greifswald, DE
17. MärTBA, Lodz, PL
18. MärFoolsgarden-Jazz, Hamburg, DE
19. MärKKI Laboratorium, Flensburg, DE
20. MärV58, Aarhus, DK
21. MärVærkstedet, Struer, DK
22. MärGiant Steps, Svendborg, DK
23. MärDexter, Odense, DK
Links
Reviews
Gapplegate Music review on FUSK (November 2011)
What impresses me about this one is the total leverage of the unit. They kick the music with some torque and have well-poised forward movement. It's the kind of new jazz that takes the impetus of Ornette's early ensembles and the emerging masters of that era, like Simmons, Dolphy, the NY Contemporary Five, early Don Cherry and the Dixon-Shepp unit, and goes someplace new with that.
They do a very good job at it. If you like the propulsed freedom of the giants that came before, you will find something new to like with Fusk. Recommended.
Bjarne Søltoft, Jazz Special Magazine (Oktober 2011)
"Fusk" (fudge) - plain and simple, but not in that sense. Bandname and title of the debut record are the same. But not at all is the music ”fudge”. The young Danish drummer Kasper Tom Christiansen has during his Berlin settlement had the privilege of being joined in his quartet by one of Germany's most prominent jazz soloists, Rudi Mahall - with sax player, the young, also German, Philipp Gropper and his Danish partner from the berlin-base, Andreas Lang. A surprisingly strong group with an own sound, which especially depends on the original reed players - but also on the organic pulsating ”carpet” the Danes on bass and drums propagate, as the basis for creativity in the music. Christiansen has written some exceptionally strong themes, often in two-part, intricate lines, that the group turn and twist for all their melodic substance. In the group's melodic and tonal soundscape you hear kinship with the music of Joe Lovano, Ornette Coleman, Charlie Haden and Don Cherry's Complete Communion. So one doesn't long for "a good solo." But luckily they come - in full bloom along with many duo improvisations by the two reeds. Mahalls Baroque and edgy markato playing contrasts interestingly to Gropper's pronounced legato playing with the special matted and at times guttural tone on the tenor sax. Both are captivating improvisers who often intercept ideas from each other or from the thematic presentation. On the harmonic and rhythmic side there is Lang's bass, at once solidly supportive and open for solistic movement, and on the drums Christiansen is a tailored and fiery turmoil and commentator, as he is obviously the general for the refreshing variations in tempi and rhythmic patterns that pervade several tracks. In two collective free improvisations the group wisely keep track of direction and with sharp attention to each other's movements, seize the potential of dialogue and contrast. But the melodic value of themes and solo playing is undeniably the group's hallmark. For example the initial riff-styled and Coleman-like Ein Kopf Kaffe, bitte, and the harmonically long streched swinger Berliner Bratwunder plus the beautiful hymn-like November and the strongly cantabile Kammiena Wola in 5/4-time. The German-Danish quartet is, regardless of the name, a group that plays carefully embellished music, one would like to hear more of.
Tine Kolenik, rockline.si (Juli 2011)
FUSK is one of those bands that creates a modern, innovative, new form of jazz, appropriate to the 21st century ... Indeed, you can look forward to great music ... they represent the best acoustic jazz in Europe
Martin Lutz, www.jazzstjerner.dk (Juni 2011)
FUSK moves in the area of tension between composition and improvisation in an original expression that is indicative of an orchestra that plays music with a very communicative approach. (...) Communication is always an important aspect in music, but positively in FUSK it is practiced as one of the absolute key parameters in the artistic expression. (...) Overall FUSK requires concentration and openness - but with this as the basis, the debut album is quite interesting, and I can imagine that a live concert by the quartet can be an exciting and inspiring experience.
Thomas Bjørnsten, Aarhus Stiftstidende (April 2011)
The Danish drummer Kasper Tom makes his debut with a strong, well-toured and precise, hard-hitting album, that in a wonderful and off-centered way unites Germany and Denmark. Tom has good connections to the neighboring country south of the border, which explains the appearances of the Berlin based saxophone-comet Philipp Gropper and Rudi Mahall on bass clarinet. Moreover, the eminent bass player Andreas Lang provides Tom with great support. The group freely sets out from modern, experimental jazz and finds a consistently, captivating combination of abstract improv and hard-swinging interplay – not least thanks to Tom himself. At more times the individual tracks offer downright outstanding solos, played at a really high level. It is extremely competent and imaginative, but also acquires an open-minded listener, when the most avantgardistic elements fill the sound scape. 5 stars (out of 6).
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Den danske trommslager Kasper Tom debuterer med et stærkt velturneret og præcist hårdtslående album, der bringer Tyskland og Danmark sammen i skøn og skæv musikalsk forening. Tom har gode forbindelser til nabolandet syd for grænsen, hvilket forklarer den berlinske komet-saxofonist Philipp Groppers og basklarinetisten Rudi Mahalls medvirken. Desuden får Tom stabil støtte af den eminente bassist Andreas Lang. Bandet tager frit afsæt i den moderne eksperimenterende jazz og rammer en konsekvent fængslende kombination af abstrakt impro og superswingende sammenspil – ikke mindst takket være Tom selv. Flere steder byder de enkelte numre på direkte fremragende soli, hvor der spilles på virkelig højt niveau. Det er uhyre kompetent og fantasifuldt, men kræver absolut også et åbent øre, når de mest avantgardistiske indslag fylder godt i lydbilledet. 5 stjerner (ud af 6).
Alex Henderson (April 2011)
But for those who do comprehend avant-garde jazz, it can be quite a pleasure to hear left-of-center musicians playing the type of music they enjoy instead of catering to a program director or a marketing department. And that play-what-you-feel-in-your-gut ethos is very much at work on this self-titled album by Fusk, a European avant-garde jazz quartet consisting of leader Kasper Tom Christiansen (who is from Denmark and writes most of the material) on drums, Berlin-born Philipp Gropper on sax, Denmark native Andreas Lang on upright bass and German-born Rudi Mahall on bass clarinet (...) Saying that Fusk would rather reflect and contemplate than confront is not to say that this album is without passion. There are plenty of passionate moments here. But the thing is that when Fusk decides to blow off some steam at times, they will build up to it rather than giving the listener scorching chaos from start to finish. There are some chaotic moments on “Eins Zwei Polizei,” “Ein Kopf Kaffe, Bitte” and the quirky “The Attack of the Überpea,” but it isn’t the sort of nonstop chaos and relentless sensory assault that the more extreme artists in jazz’ avant-garde are known for. Nuance is not a mere afterthought on this album, but an integral part of what Fusk do. And it should also be noted that Christiansen, Gropper, Lang and Mahall have a strong sense of teamwork on this album. The four of them are very much in sync, and together, they achieve a genuine group sound; they give the impression that they went into the studio with a sense of purpose.
Ostseeblog über Rudi Mahal und FUSK (Februar 2008)
… also was die Bassklarinette für Töne von sich gibt, während der Mann mit den Gummibeinen hineinbläst, ist unglaublich, ekstatisch, schräg, irgendwie hätte John Cage seine Freude dran gehabt. Wir natürlich erst recht. Einfach wunderbar … Denn wenn die Bassklarinette und das Saxophon das melancholische gemeinsam ihrem melodischen Rhythmus folgen, bläst es den ZuhörerInnen die Perücke weg … Rhythmisches Zusammenspiel, phantasievolle, manchmal melancholische Soli, schräge Töne: Was will man mehr.