Daniel Studer

Kimmig-Studer-Zimmerlin Electric Trio
Black Forest Diary
Wide Ear Records WER 074

Together for 15 years, the Swiss string trio of violinist Harald Kimmig, cellist Alfred Zimmerlin and double bassist Daniel Studer has expanded its creativity in the past few years by playing with guests like John Butcher and Elliott Sharp. Adding personnel, but maintaining an acoustic arrangement is Extended II For Strings & Piano, a composition by Studer. Extended I For Strings & Piano, was recorded few years ago with Austrian pianist Philip Zoubek and French-Japanese violist Frantz Loriot, and this three-part sequel  features the same quintet. A notable departure from KZS’ acoustic stance, the three-part suite Black Forest Diary has the original trio playing  electric instruments, with the violinist and cellist also introducing electronics.

Recorded live with the players arrayed around the audience members, Extended II’s program is based on an introduction and coda, which are mid-length and an almost 22 centrepiece. Busy piano clips and clusters support the back-and-forth between viola and violin on “Part 1”, which extended up and down the scale as the bass adds thumping expressions. Interaction is more bellicose on “Part 3”, with the lower pitched strings sliding along with col legno slaps and jagged pumps meeting key stopping and woody crashes from the pianist. Following a melodic interval the finale completes a four-part wrenching string slide as  Zoubek expresses final keyboard thump.

Given more scope on “Part 2”, the string players seesaw between concentrated stops and strains to supple patterning, often at a quieter volume and sometimes in solo sequences. As pressurized stops, wood banging and elevated whistles from the high strings meld, they suggest the percussiveness that is completed with “Part 3”. However the intensity slightly lessens as concentrated strokes descend to distant swills.

Confronting the electrified challenge, the diary entries on the other disc use the plugged-in voltage to add sharp buzzes, synthesized rattles and spatial distance to shore up dissident timbres. But even as doomy glissandi, sul ponticello pressure and elevated squeals are most easily ricocheted  at prestissimo speeds and the light and dark textures remain separate, a harmonic veneer exists in the background.

As “Entry Three”  is reached and during the rest of the session, the trio members now seem more comfortable with balancing their long-standing acoustic strategy with electronic extensions. Layering the connections, Studer’s double bass pumps are often the foundation, playing basement level notes that vibrate with deeper and darker timbres. Kimmig’s string sluices protrude in widening arcs with pennywhistle-like tones given extra flanged oscillations from electronics. Meanwhile Zimmerlin’s cello strokes cut through the traffic jam-like cacophony with animated but measured stability.

Although there are points on “Entry Five” that oscillated excitement appears to get the best of the band as soaring string flanges reach screeching gauntness of arena rock guitar recoil, a responsive electric-acoustic meld is attained by the conclusion. Wrapping plucks, strokes and rubs within the electronics’ pulsating drone, the three manage to simultaneously stabilize references to synthesized expression and acoustic directness.

Extended II For Strings & Piano proves that there’s still much to explore within an all-acoustic setting and Black Forest Diary shows that the core trio is still open to timbral exploration.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Extended: Stereo mix: 1. Part 1 2. Part 2 3. Part 3 Binaural mix (for headphones) 4. Part 1 5. Part 2 6. Part 3

Personnel: Extended: Harald Kimmig (violin); Frantz Loriot (viola); Alfred Zimmerlin (cello); Daniel Studer (bass) and Philip Zoubek (piano)

Track Listing: Black: 1. Entry One 2.  Entry Two 3. Entry Three 4. Entry Four 5. Entry Five 6. Entry Six

Personnel: Black: Harald Kimmig (electric violin and electronics); Alfred Zimmerlin (electric cello and electronics) and Daniel Studer (electric bass)