Tauchen by Peter Ehwald & Ensemble ~su

Peter Ehwald: saxophones, clarinet
Kim Bo-Sung: janggo, k´kwaenggwari, buk, jing, gayageum
Shin Hyo Jin: janggo, k´kwaenggwari, buk, jing, bara, jeongju, glockenspiel, voice

all titles composed by Peter Ehwald, except track 4 composed by Shin Hyo Jin and Kim Bo-Sung

recorded 2016, March 12th,13th and May 8th with Johannes Göppelt at Studio Erde, Berlin
mixed 2016, June 23th by Johannes Göppelt at Studio Erde, Berlin
photos by Nicole Müller
contact: www.ensemblesu.peter-ehwald.net

Peter Ehwald and Ensemble ~su

Peter Ehwald, Jazz Saxophonist, composer, and member of various groups, is a free soul. When performing he seeks to connect with his audience in every moment. After diverse studies, teaching engagements at universities, prizes and worldwide tours, he is still constantly on the search for his own voice. A gifted improviser guided by his distinct conceptual thinking, he is always striving play freely and with spontaneity. "I don't want to communicate that I have listened quite a bit to Joe Lovano. I want to communicate feelings," he says. "I’m interested in musicians who are able to create a strong sound.”

Berlin provides the base for this encounter. Born in Seoul, the percussionists and performers Kim Bo-Sung and Shin Hyo Jin grew up here. Educated in both European classical music and Korean traditional music, as Ensemble ~su they seek to disrupt and expand their grasp of music and create performative forms and sounds of their own. They met Peter Ehwald in December 2010 during a two months interdisciplinary residency which was the starting point for their collaboration. Ensemble ~su and the always playful composer started a quest into the unknown, venturing on a journey of sound that transgresses all borders. Together they explore the melodic parts of rhythmic patterns with diverse origins. In the traditional Korean understanding of music, the length of changing metre and musical form is defined by the performers’ co-ordinated breathing andempathy. The resulting sound of a single melody instrument and a broad range of Korean percussion instruments is fascinating, because Peter Ehwald has found a way to play with listeners' expectations, the ensemble fluent in their references to various styles and idioms.

Volker Braun’s poem Jazz sets out what could be the motto of this music: “You have the right to be you, and I am me:/ And we won’t embrace anyone who is not their true self.” Sure enough, these musicians’ alliance is based on finding a third stream. Drawing parallels to Jazz-type saxophone-drum duos or Charlie Mariano´s collaboration with the Karnataka College Of Percussion seems futile. Rather, an open mind and open ears will reap their own rewards as this music unfolds delightfully on its own terms. The authenticity of this thrilling transcultural encounter is astounding.

These musicians do not patronise nor indoctrinate; there is no overly intellectual
message in what they do. You can hear three artists of different backgrounds and social contexts interacting in a relaxed, uncontrived space. When the world gets smaller, nothing can exist side by side in separation. Peter Ehwald & Ensemble ~su illustrate this process beautifully, as if they are making it up as they go along.

Various jazz styles and related musical forms are inherently intuitive, characterized by continuous experimentation and merging into new musical formats. But this project is outstanding, because it opens horizons and goes beyond both the seriousness and the conventional irony, because it casually makes you forget your prejudices about music and, above all, because it is fun to listen to.

Ulrich Steinmetzger