Bartsch, Nik & Ronin / Awase
Album: Awase   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Bartsch, Nik & Ronin   Added:Jul 2018
Label:Ecm Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2018-07-11 Pull Date: 2018-09-12 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Sep 9 Aug 26 Aug 19 Aug 12 Jul 22
Airplays: 1 2 1 3 3

Recent Airplay
1. Sep 06, 2018: No Cover, No Minimum
Modul 59
4. Aug 17, 2018: Old Fart at Play
Modul 60
2. Aug 24, 2018: Old Fart at Play
A
5. Aug 11, 2018: Music Casserole
A
3. Aug 23, 2018: subwoofer etc etc etc
Modul 58
6. Aug 09, 2018: subwoofer etc etc etc
A

Album Review
Tom McCarter
Reviewed 2018-07-04
Reviewed: 2018-05-05
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: Bartsch’s music consistently follows the same aesthetic vision under various instrumental guises: creating the maximum effect by minimal means. Despite the multiplicity of the band’s influences, Ronin’s music always possesses a strong individuality. They incorporate elements of disparate musical worlds, amalgamated into a coherent new style, employing simple patterns unconcerned with downbeats or expectations and mantra-like modules (or "Moduls," as Bärtsch chooses to title his works) of sheer minimalist groove that expand, contract and expand again at the whim and will of both composer and players.
If You Like: Vijay Iver, Egberto Gismonti, Steve Reich
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
*1/ Modul 60 (5:08) – piano starts> slow jam> quick stop
*2/ Modul 58 (13:38) – piano starts, quiet & slow> slow jam slowly expands, then shifts into rocking uptempo jam> electric piano solo> uptempo jam> quick stop
3/ A (8:51) – synth starts with modulating riff> slow jam> swings to midtempo> piano/percussion duet> pause> piano/percussion duet> melody shift> midtempo funk jam with repetitive riff on keyboards> melody shift> midtempo jam> melody shift> midtempo jam> quick stop
4/ Modul 36 (11:01) – slow drone starts> slow space jam> pause> slow jam with repetitive piano riff builds in volume & intensity, then shifts to midtempo jam> fade> false stop> slow jam> slow fade

Track Listing
1. Modul 60   4. Modul 36
2. Modul 58   5. Modul 34
3. A   6. Modul 59