Hollie Cook
Hollie Cook

Music From Memory are back with their first 12” of 2019 in the form of a five track EP from prolific German drummer Curt Cress.Since the early 1970s Cress has worked with a number of high profile German bands such as Passport, Atlantis and Snowball as well as on cult Disco records with studio groups such as Tender Aggression and Chime. Working tirelessly as a session musician for countless German and International Jazz, Rock and Pop acts, Cress has also worked extensively as a Producer, most notably for Nina Hagen. Cress would also record a number of records as a solo artist, with his unique sensibility as a drummer given centre stage.MFM 038 features three deep percussive workouts from his 1983 solo album ‘Avanti’, a record which has been a long time favourite the label. With the tracks ’Moonwalk’, ‘Power Vein’ and ‘Sundance’ now finally available on a loud 12” pressing. The EP also features two direct detours into House music by Curt with alternate versions of the forward thinking drum track ‘Dschung Tek’. Released in 1991 under Curt’s ‘C.C’ moniker, ‘Dschung Tek’ has been another big favourite of the last few years at the label after a tip by way of their pal Tornado Wallace.

The duo behind the double album “Duets”, consisting of musicians Bendik Baksaas & Kristoffer Eikrem, is a minimalistic and cinematic ambient experience with emotion, creatively conducted by simple melodies and sounds. Duets’ emotional nerve has some emphasis on the traditional ambient form of music, but at the same time has more of an imaginary and comprehensive take on structure, form and melodies with organic elements spontaneously scattered throughout the music. These organic elements can be heard through the trumpet’s lyrical sounds, field recordings from various parts of the world (recorded by Baksaas) and percussion loops. Baksaas & Eikrem are interested in maintaining the same playfulness and communication often found in jazz bands.Baksaas & Eikrem had already worked together several years prior in 2015, when Baksaas worked with the jazz band Mopti, which Eikrem was already a member of. Their musical collaboration however developed after one concert, where the band Mopti decided that the two of them should perform a duo piece. Both were positively surprised by the result (takes from the concert can be heard on the track “This is nothing personal”) and decided to continue their collaboration together aside from Mopti.Apart from some musical and field recordings, the the album was recorded in Baksaas’ studio, improvised over various ideas. Bendik Baksaas has mixed the album and it is mastered by Christian Obermayer at Strype Audio.