Reviews

STATES OF PLAY – Enola (May, 2018)

“The audience is completely blown away by Sebastian Gramss ‘ States of Play, an international line up that emphasizes the discovery character of the festival. Of the nonet only clarinetist Rudi Mahall is known in our parts (relatively), but what a performance we get here. The ensemble is driven by a double rhythm section, which immediately gives the potential of a small nuclear power plant, but it is so much more than that. Gramss ‘ compositions make repeated use of a primitive thrust, which is always accompanied by a compositional ingenuity, an occasionally staggering stylistic variation and the ability to seamlessly combine the most diverse temperaments and style influences.
[read more=”read more” less=”read less”]The band only comes to rest a few times, but every time it leads to ecstatic reactions of the audience. They are after all treated to an ingenious collage of styles that sounds cinematic and theatrical and then quickly has to give way to thundering fractions, then goes towards electroacoustic improvisation and brass band madness à la X-Legged Sally (do you know them yet?). Exotica, free jazz and passages full of swing, straight from Harlem of the early thirties, are put together, then derailing with a broad smile, end up with a fast big city funk played with so much tension it is on the edge of exploding. It was a tightly conducted and impressively executed opulence and in addition a lesson in colouring outside of the lines that can clearly also impress a large audience.”
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RNZ (Mannheim 2017)

“Futuristische Klangvision. Magische Klänge von größer Schönheit.”