Released January 12, 2024
Music by Simon Grab and Simon Berz
Live at Rote Fabrik Zurich
Invited by strobosphere in June 2020
Audiorecording by Rebecca Vonlaufen
Mixed by Andri Urfer
Mastered by Dominic Clare at Declared Sound
Lightdesign by strobosphere
Video by Kaya Guggenheim
Simon Grab and Simon Berz, both rooted in improvised noisy experimental music, share a common love for maximised madness in sound and energy.
Their music is driven by the ongoing global disaster, expressing the last moments of human failure – a call to action for solidarity, for social and ecological responsibility.
In 2020 Simon Grab was invited by lightdesigner strobosphere to the Rote Fabrik Zurich for a series of carte blanche concerts.
Mhh Peter Kernel
“Drum To Death” is a collection of 11 experiments by Peter Kernel and their favourite drummers. The full length album will be release Friday October 13th 2023 for On The Camper records.
Throughout 2020-2023 Peter Kernel invited eleven of their most esteemed drummers to send them rhythms with which they composed these eleven tracks. Each song was written and dedicated to the inherent drummer as an ode of appreciation to the beat creator. These eleven songs come together as a unique collection of an odd collaboration based on appreciation for different styles and people, a microworld made of different feelings, patterns, colours, intentions and attitudes.
The album features collaborations with Bernard Trontin (The Young Gods), Cosmic Neman (Zombie Zombie), Beatrice Graf, Domi Chansorn, Ema Matis, Tam Bor, Hugo Panzer, Julian Sartorius, Kevin Shea (Storm & Stress, Lydia Lunch), Simon Berz, Simone Aubert (Hyperculte, Massicot)
released October 13, 2023
Recorded by Peter Kernel at Moar, Switzerland
Mixed by Raffaele Stefani at Fonologie Monzesi, Italy
Mastered by Bernie at Eleven Mastering, Italy
Released by: On The Camper Records
Release date: 30 June 2023
℗ 2023 On The Camper Records
© 2023 On The Camper Records / Modulor
TROPF
Released August 25 2023
All music composed and performed by Simon Berz.
Recorded between 2009 and 2019 by Willy Strehler and Simon Berz at Collegiate Church of the Romainmôtier Monastery (CH), Fondazione la Fabbrica del Cioccolato, Torre (CH) and Scharten 2, Wettingen (CH).
Mixed by Simon Berz and Willy Strehler.
Mastered by Willy Strehler at Klangdach Guntershausen, Switzerland.
Produced by Luc Döbereiner and Martin Lorenz.
© & ℗ Simon Berz & DUMPF Records, 2023
This release summarizes the collected recordings of Simone Berz‘ sound installation TROPF. In this work, the sound artist and experimental drummer make five stone slabs resonate through water droplets, thereby creating hypnotic polymetric structures that blend with the sound and resonance of the environment. Between 2009 and 2019, TROPF was realized and performed in various architectural and acoustic environments – sometimes purely mechanically, other times electronically amplified. The stages of this project encompass the Collegiate Church of the Romainmôtier Monastery, the former chocolate factory Cima Norma in the mountain village of Torre, as well as the abandoned water reservoir Scharten 2 in Wettingen. These three phases of ‚TROPF‘ are accompanied by textual contributions from Efa Mühlethaler (sound artist, Zurich), Georg Werner (sound artist, Berlin), and Bernd Schurer (composer, Berlin).
Mitwirkende
BREATH VERSUS BEATS
Released August 18 2023
All tracks written by Simon Berz
Produced by Simon Berz
Drums, D.I.Y.-electronics, everyday objects and synths by Simon Berz
Drums recorded by Justin Armstrong, Marigny Studios New Orleans
Trumpet played & recorded by Kondo Toshinori
Bass played Bill Laswell
and recorded by James Dellatacoma
Mixed by Bill Laswell & Simon Berz
Mastered by Dan Suter
Cover artwork by by Simon Berz at Berlin Art Studio: Breath versus Beats (ink, chopsticks, paper, sand)
Layout by Yota Kondo
Even though it is „only“ a vinyl album, „Breath versus Beats“ has the aura of a small Gesamtkunstwerk. The album release show took place in the Höllgrotten caves in Baar/ZG as a performance with dance, breath, stone, drums and electronics. A few days later, Simon Berz’s solo exhibition „Shifted Eruption“ opened at Kunstraum Aarau at the end of August 2023, in which Breath versus Beats also found its place – as an exhibition of 45 record covers, one of which was used for the album.
The musical foundation for the album was laid in 2017, when Berz recorded several tracks with the electrified drums in New Orleans. The well-known Japanese trumpeter Toshinori Kondo heard the recordings and immediately began playing various trumpet tracks over the tracks. The two decided to turn it into an album. „We agreed that we still needed a bass line for the substructure,“ says Berz.
But then Toshinori Kondo passed away unexpectedly in 2021. „That hit me hard. It was clear to me that I wanted to complete the unfinished album in a fitting way.“ On the recommendation of Dan Suter from Studio Echochamber, Berz got in touch with Bill Laswell. „My plan was agreed with Kondo’s family. That convinced Laswell and he went along with it, which made me extremely happy.“ Laswell played bass on the tracks and gave the album a dubby edge with a few targeted interventions.
The five tracks flow into a powerful stream of punchy beats, the spherical sound paintings with the electrified trumpet and the dark deep pulse of Laswell.
Despite all the power, which vibrates physically in the track „Earth“ and urges you to dance, the pieces also leave room for more subtle and quieter passages. This experimental ambient jazz develops its own trance skin, which breathes very organically in the interplay of noisy beats and meditative soundscapes.
by Pirmin Bossart
CUT OUT Solo Simon Berz
(2 x 7“ inch vinyl, 2014, Hula Honeys)
Cut Out was recorded on the Rocking Desk, Simon Berz’ extended drum set that includes piezo microphones, loudspeakers and effects. Berz plays his instrument with an array of modified drum sticks to evoke electroacoustic sounds, effect patterns and a broad variety of feedbacks.
The amplification allows close-up views of the sounding surfaces and structures, while the microphones do not only pick up the sounds played, but also the environment.The Rocking Desk embraces several sound spheres: traditional drum sounds, microscopic details and tonal feedbacks.The 50 loops included reveal a small fragment of the Rocking Desk’s sonic dimensions. The cover images were created by Simon Berz by drumming paint on to the paper while his loops were performed on three turntables.
FELL Kidsorchestra
(cd, 2014, Hula Honeys)
The Kidsorchestra was a temporary band. This EP documents a creative journey FELL undertook at Incubate Festival in late 2013 together with the Kidsorchestra. FELL collaborated with the kids in several workshops.
Starting out from scratch, they used any sounding material they could find, such as personal belongings, found objects and trash to build simple instruments. Using these, the Kidsorchestra produced rhythmic patterns and sounds, developed a tonal dramaturgy and a performance, found a rhythm, listened (to each other), danced, spoke rhythmically and used technology to discover their unique worlds of sound. The elements found on this EP were designed, tried out and modified collaboratively.
FELL recorded the sound figures and created four pieces of music out of the material by adding beats and melodies to the recordings of the Kidsorchestra and winding the recorded patterns, frazzled voices and athmospheric glimpses through a digital microcosm and the guts of selfmade electronics.
A co-production by Incubate, Badabum and Hula Honeys
FELL EP
(vinyl, 2012, Hula Honeys)
toktek (Holland) and Simon Berz (Switzerland) battle it out in supercharged music sessions. Playing their self-made electronic instruments/interfaces, they turn pure human emotion and body language into sound that results in a spasmic, sweaty conversation between toktek, Simon and their machines. Their Debut, FELL, is the result of excessive studio sessions in New Orleans.
The self titled debut EP FELL opens up a universe of living sounds. Both Simon Berz and toktek are masters of their instruments. The permutating songs are full of dynamic changes, fragile sound constructions mutate into a groove or a wide spread layer from one moment to another. FELL brings back organic textures to electronic music. The four tracks are full of dodgy, grooving beats, bulky micro sounds and wide spread sound layers.
LIQUID LAND
released October 20, 2012
(dvd/cd, 2012, badabum)
produced by Simon Berz
recorded by Thomas Wunder at Wunder Studios New Orleans,
October 2011
mixed by Willy Strehler
all rights reserved
In the fall of 2010, filmmaker Michelle Ettlin joined Swiss musician Simon Berz and Dutch artist Kaspar Koenig came to New Orleans for an art project: building instruments from trash and inviting local musicians to improvise with them. The film Liquid Land uses these concerts, interviews with the musicians and scenes of New Orleans street life, rituals and celebrations to explore the confluence of creative music, the creative process and the creative energy that draws these musicians and keeps them in New Orleans in the wake of disaster.
After the experience of the 10×10=>11-project in New Orleans, documented in the film Liquid Land, Simon Berz wanted to continue the collaboration with the musicians that had been involved, wanting to capture some of the energy, joy, passion, integrity and madness, but also the social role of the music in New Orleans. Berz invited the musicians to the local Wunder studios to improvise and explore different sounds. He then went to on to combine these improvisations with field recordings and spoken words to create a cinematic audio experience which will be released on CD along with the DVD of the documentary.
ige*timer
(vinyl, 2010, everest records)
The moment – hard to be in it, even harder to catch it. The Duo Ige*timer has dedicated itself absolutely to that search of the moment. Klaus Janek and Simon Berz let their music grow out of the situation surrounding them. They’ve been on a tour through the States and at the concerts in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New Orleans they switched their recorder on. The three pieces on Ice Cold Pop are a documentation of their perception of these cities. Nothing is preset and nothing ist reused. Klaus Janek plays double bass and laptop and Simon Berz his handmade analog sound generators, electroacoustic drumsticks and whatever material he found on the journey and decided to use as an instrument. The pictures of the filmmaker Michelle Ettlin are inspired by these cities, the people and the music and make this journey not only audible but also visible to us. The project Ice Cold Pop is probably the most artful way to set up a travel documentation.
Reanimation
(cd, 2012 unit records)
Der US-amerikanische Künstler James Turrell hat die computergesteuerte Lichtchoreografie für die Performance im Bahnhof Zug geschaffen. Simon Berz initiierte in den Räumlichkeiten des neuen Bahnhofs Zug eine Interaktion zwischen den VJs Pfadfinderei, Sounddesigner Andrew Phillips und den Musikern Bruno Amstad (voc/electronics), Hanspeter Pfammatter (keys/electronics), Real Jesus (bass/electronics), Tsukiko Amakawa (keys), Markus Breuss (trumpet/electronics), Simon Berz (drums/electronics/concept). Bevor der Bahnhof seiner eigentlichen Aufgabe übergeben wurde, sollten die Einrichtungen künstlerisch bespielt werden. Die VJs bedienten sich dem bekannten Bildmaterial der SBB. Die Musiker spielten nach einem musikalischen Taktfahrplan, der immer neue Zusammensetzungen generierte. Bahnhofsansagen dirigierten deren Auftritte. Alle 12 Minuten kündigen Zugansagen den Auftritt oder das Ende eines Auftritts der Musiker an. Nach jeder Stunde benutzten die Musiker einen anderen „Zug“. So entstehen immer neue Musikformationen. In dieser Nacht fuhren im Bahnhof Zug ausnahmsweise Züge aus der ganz Welt ein, bis um 6.00 Uhr der Bahnhof seiner eigentlichen Aufgabe übergeben wurde.
In 2003 the old train station of Zug, Simon Berz’s former adopted home, replaced by a modern „Kirschtortenbau“ with a light art installation by James Turrell.
He envisioned a musical revival before, a kind of ritual to pay homage not only the architecture, but also the people who were moving every day in it.
Simon Berz initiated in the hall of the new station train an interaction between the Berliner VJs Pfadfinderei, sound designer Andrew Phillips and the musicians Bruno Amstad (voc / electronics),
Hanspeter Pfammatter (keys / electronics), Jesús Turino (bass / electronics), Tsukiko Amakawa (keys),
Markus Breuss (trumpet / electronics) and himself on drums and electronics.
Simon Berz ‚composition represented a musical interval timetable, the always generated new compositions. Station announcements certain entrances and exits of musicians. That night drove the train station exceptionally trains from the whole world, until at 6:00 clock and was handed over to the station its specific task.
When UNIT RECORDS Bern a snippet of live recordings of the evening appears. Seven tracks (tracks) are available on the CD for seven different formations. Merged they are of the familiar and precisely why irritating voices of station announcements, the musicians meet, communicate, until the encounter ends abruptly because the next train to be caught. The musicians blend dub and hip-hop beats with elements of jazz and rock.
„Reanimation“ can not be put in drawers, is full of contrasts and strength, playfulness and joy in improvisation.
UNIT RECORDS
Walls by APPARAT
(Vinyl, CD 2007, shitkatapult records)
Walls is the third studio album by electronic musician Apparat, released in 2007. The album received positive reviews from critics, with Allmusic calling the album „remarkable“ and saying that it „ranks as his best yet.“. Pitchfork compared the album to the work of M83 and Slowdive, calling it „one of the best electronic dream-pop records in a while“. Most reviews highlighted „Arcadia“ as one of the finest tracks on the album. Simon Berz played drums on this tune.