I learned about Nik Bärtsch via a documentary on YouTube a few months ago and am surprised I didn’t know about his music before this, especially since he’s had albums on ECM!
Just minutes into the documentary I became obsessed. His compositional style and dedication are really inspiring, and I find the music to be undeniable. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
The full documentary playlist: Nik Bärtsch’s RONIN
Nik calls his music “ritual groove music.” It’s based on polyrhythms and is incredibly hypnotic as the rhythms and harmony build on top of each other.
I rarely travel to see shows, but was compelled to fly to Cleveland to see them at Bop Stop while they were on a short tour of North America. I figured it was my best chance to see them live and a lot easier than going to Switzerland.
The band features Kaspar Rast (drums), Jeremias Keller (bass) and Sha (reeds). It was a thrill to meet them all after the gig.
Kaspar is a great drummer and a very nice guy. After the show he brought me to the bandstand so I could check out his cymbals and the snare drum he travels with. He even brings his own bass drum beater on the road with him!
I highly recommend seeing the band live if you can.
Also, Cleveland has stunning architecture. This is the Hyatt hotel and it was only $150 a night!
