Uneven Same – Saxophone Quartets | Thomas K.J. Mejer

Uneven Same – Saxophone Quartets

by Thomas K.J. Mejer

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1.	Sulpizianische Bilderwelt I 04:47	info	buy track
2.	Sulpizianische Bilderwelt II 04:56	info	buy track
3.	Sulpizianische Bilderwelt III 06:01	info	buy track
4.	Sulpizianische Bilderwelt IV 04:42	info	buy track
5.	Dark Snow Falls upon the Bagpipers 08:34	info	buy track
6.	Endless Pleasures - Endless Pressures 10:08	info	buy track
7.	Resonating Voids #1 04:53	info	buy track
8.	Resonating Voids #2 05:36	info	buy track
9.	Resonating Voids #3 04:39	info	buy track
10.	Resonating Voids #4 05:50	info	buy track
11.	Resonating Voids #5 04:54	info	buy track
12.	Resonating Voids #6 04:43	info	buy track
13.	… Now They Won’t Stop Coming 11:55	info	buy track

about

Performed by:

"Saxophone Quartet Uneven Same"

Manuela Villiger (ss, as)
Eva-Maria Karbacher (as)
Vera Wahl (ts, as)
Silke Strahl (bs, as)

Thomas K.J. Mejer (cbs) on No. 6

LINER NOTES

deutsch:
Wir schreiben das Jahr 1990. Thomas K.J. Mejer komponiert sein erstes Saxophonquartett, die «Sulpizianische Bilderwelt». Doch apostolisch-klösterlich geht es darin keineswegs zu und her, viel mehr sprühen die zwanzig Minuten vor Rhythmen, Eindrücken und Spielarten der vier Saxophone. Hier ist angelegt, was in den späteren Quartetten zunehmend ohrenfällig wird: Mit Mejer ist ein komponierender Saxophonist am Werk, der seine Instrumente in- und auswendig kennt und liebt.
Monochrome Erwartungen weckt «Dark Snow Falls upon the Bagpipers» – ist das Quartett doch mit vier Altsaxophonen besetzt. Doch die vier identischen Instrumente bilden alles andere als eine einfarbige Masse. Sie konstruieren einen eigenen Organismus, voll mit bisweilen winzigen Details und Geräuschen.
Denn was für den Komponisten gilt, trifft auch auf die Interpretinnen zu: Im Saxophonquartett Uneven Same spielen vier junge Frauen, die sich den Techniken und Implikationen der verschiedenen Saxophone vollends bewusst sind und diese freudig, präzise und lustvoll ausspielen.
Sie spannen mit ihren Interpretationen den Bogen über das «Uneven Same» der fünf Quartette aus drei Jahrzehnten bis hin zu «... Now They Won’t Stop Coming» (2021): Im Stückverlauf gewinnt die kontrastierende Idee aus Rhythmik und schwebenden Vielklängen zunehmend an Komplexität. Die Gegensätze wiederholen und wiederholen sich, mehr und mehr Obertöne mischen sich ins Geschehen, die Wiederholungen «won’t stop coming»… Und dann ist das Stück zu Ende.
Nomen est omen, bleibt da zu hoffen: Neben den fünf auf diesem Tonträger zum Klingen gebrachten Mejer-Quartetten existieren zwei weitere. Und die Vorfreude auf noch mehr «Endless Pleasures» ist gross.
PS: Auch «Resonating Voids» ist für vier gleiche Saxophone geschrieben (Kontrabass, in diesem Fall). Und es ist gespielt vom Komponisten, der die drei Tonspuren in Bali
montiert und die Solostimme wiederholt aufgenommen, editiert, gemixt und gemastert hat. Eine musik-archäologische Trouvaille für das 21. Jahrhundert.

english:
It is the year 1990. Thomas K.J. Mejer composes his first saxophone quartet: the «Sulpician Pictures». Far from being apostolically cloistered, the twenty-minute piece bursts with rhythms, impressions, and varieties of the four saxophones. It contains what will become more and more ear-catching in the later quartets: Mejer is a composer-instrumentalist who has a deep knowledge and love for his instruments.
«Dark Snow Falls upon the Bagpipers» raises monochrome expectations as it’s written for four alto-saxophones. But rather than a single-coloured mass, the respective instruments form an organism of their own; and it’s packed with the most intricate detail, sound and noise.
What is true for the composer is also true for the players: The all-female saxophone quartet Uneven Same share the composers’ awareness of their instruments’ techniques and capabilities – and indulge in playing them joyfully, precisely, and full of relish.
Their interpretation spans the range of the «Uneven Same» of the five quartets from three decades right up to «… Now They Won’t Stop Coming» (2021): As the piece develops, the idea of contrast between rhythm and floating polyphonies gets more complex. The contrasts keep repeating, harmonic after harmonic is mixed in, the repetitions «won’t stop coming» – right up until the piece comes to a halt.
Nomen est omen, one hopes! Apart from the five Mejer-quartets included on this recording, there are two more. And the anticipation of even more «Endless Pleasures» is high.
PS: «Resonating Voids» also casts four identical saxophones (contrabass, in this case). And it is played by the composer, who montaged the three tapes in Bali and has repeatedly recorded, edited, mixed, and mastered the solo part. A musical trouvaille for the 21st century.

credits

released February 23, 2022

Co-produced by SRF and Thomas K.J. Mejer.
Recorded: 1–3/11/2021 at SRF Studio 1, Zurich by Moritz Wetter. No. 6 recorded in summer 2010 at Capitol Lucerne by Simon Iten.
Mixed and mastered: 17/12/2021 and 7/1/2022 at Hardstudio Winterthur by Moritz Wetter.
Liner Notes: Katharina Thalmann.
Artwork: Sabina Oehninger.

Many thanks to Ela, Eva, Vera, Silke, Nadja, Moritz, Simon, Sabina, Katharina, Sarah, Steve, Raffaella, Florian, Dionys, Alex
Many thanks for the financial support to SRF, Pro Helvetia, Fondation Suisa, Albert Koechlin Stiftung, Stadt Luzern Fuka Fonds, RKK, Stadt Baden, Josef Müller Stiftung Muri, RHL Foundation, Gemeinnützige Gesellschaft der Stadt Luzern

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WideEarRecords is a musician-run collective, platform and record label based in Zürich. We are dedicated to releasing fresh exciting original music from the vibrant Swiss scene and from friends living abroad, leaving as much control as possible to the artists over their music and artwork. Although most of our releases so far tend to be in the field of improvised music we are stylistically open. ... more

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