WIDMER – STAUSS
Members
Jacques Widmer Drums
Markus Stauss Saxophone, Flute
About the Projects
Widmer – Stauss – Biography
| In 1983 | Jacques Widmer and Markus Stauss begin their collaboration in the Trio Infernal. First highlights are the performance at the Willisau Jazz Festival in the same year and the release of the LP “Zwischenspiel”. |
| In 1984 | the GeZeitenOrchester, a large formation (conducted by M. Stauss) with musicians from the groups Trio Infernal, City/6/tett, Off and Schlagwerk, joined the band. Performances at the Belluofestival in Fribourg. Another large formation (music and visual installations) is formed with members of the GeZeitenOrchester for the “Musikwerstattspektakel” in Basel. |
| 1985 | LP “Neulich im Studio” with the Markus Stauss Quartet feat. Jacques Widmer, JoPo and Pit Kayser. Concert activity until 1988. |
| In 1989 | the musical paths split: Widmer is now active with Schlagwerk, Nachtluft, Drumbone, Voerkel – Micol – Widmer, Swiss Improvisers Orchestra, and Solo. Stauss plays with Überfall, Ulterior Lux, Spaltklang, Zauss, Trank Zappa Grappa in Varese?, Stauss Artgenossen and many more. |
| 2017 | Reactivation of the collaboration between Widmer and Stauss as a duo playing exclusively free improvised music. |
| 2018 | The idea is born to publish a sound carrier and so recordings take place in Alvaneu (GR). As in the 1st joint production “Zwischenspiel”, the sound engineer is Benno Hofer from Tonart Studio Basel. |
| 2019 | And as with the first joint production “Zwischenspiel” Niklaus Troxler designs the cover. The CD “Widmer – Stauss -Duos” is released in September on Unit Records. |
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MARKUS STAUSS ARTGENOSSEN / COMPANIONS
Members
Richard Koch trumpet
John King el. guitar
Damien Campion el. bass, upright bass
Rémy Sträuli drums
Markus Stauss tenor & soprano sax, flute
About the Projects
Unexpectedly the trio VOGEL (bird) STAUSS & his ARTGENOSSEN (companions) appears as the quintet MARKUS STAUSS ARTGENOSSEN / COMPANIONS. New are Damien Campion from TRANK ZAPPA GRAPPA IN VARESE? (TZGIV 2006-2012) and John King, with whom I often played from 1988-1993. Through him I met Jean Chaine, with whom I recorded 3 ULTERIOR LUX CDs/LP and an ÜBERFALL LP. Speaking of ÜBERFALL: Thanks to the LP „Neuschnee“, the contact with John came about. So from ÜBERFALL to ULTERIOR LUX to TZGIV to BIRD STAUSS to STAUSS ARTGENOSSEN / COMPANIONS. And the music we play?
„It’s a fine mixture of powerful jazz patterns, experimental excursions, and some firm guitar lines … an excellent album. It will take you on a fine journey.“ „I feel that this album should really please fans Van Der Graaf Generator … early King Crimson flavours (with Mel Collins in the band) also pop up at times. As usual the music is excellently performed and recorded … Great stuff!! Treasures of Light comes highly recommended indeed.“ … I read in the first reviews for the double CD „Treasures of Light“.
Update by MS November 2017
MP3
Ganz Ton, part 1 (CD “en Route” 2013)
Inmitten, end part (CD “en Route” 2013)
ZAUSS
Members
Francesco Zago el. guitar, loops
Markus Stauss soprano, tenor, bass sax, devices
About the Projects
FREE IMPROVISED MUSIC
Tradate (VA, Italy), Juli 28, 2006: Francesco Zago and Markus Stauss improvised free with el. guitar, loops and soprano sax. They played two tunes from theirs NEOLITHICUM DUO set as well, this time with the soprano saxophone instead of the bass saxophone. The whole session got recorded with a stereo microphone and a 2 track 24 bit flash recorder. Francesco & Markus decided to release a CD with all the improvisations plus 2 of the compositions under the new name ZAUSS. Benno Hofer of Ton-Art Basel made the mastering work. The release of the CD „neulich neben der Grenze“ was on November 14, 2006. Since this CD Stauss playes aside the soprano sax other saxes as well plus devices.
During 2010 Zauss decided to enter a real studio to record for another CD. The November session in 2010 at Ton-Art Basel got released June 1, 2011 as “überall in terra straniera borders beyond”.
Basel, June 2, 2012: Zauss recorded for the 3rd CD at Stauss’ home. November 1, 2012 was the release of “notturno leise im Wind”.
Juli 28, 2013: a sponteaneous session took place in Tradate (VA), Italy, that got recorded in a sponteaneous manner as well. The recordings, with a little fresh-up by Benno Hofer, got released on CD as „Diafonia Leitmotiv Waves“ with insightfull liner notes by Claudio Bonomi, on September 15, 2014.
ZAUSS TRIO
Members (from left to right):
Giuseppe Olivini percussion, theremin
Francesco Zago el. guitar, loops
Markus Stauss soprano, tenor, bass sax & flute
Benno Hofer invites Zauss Trio, feat. Giuseppe Olivini on percussion and teremin to record in Alvaneu (GR/CH) on am Februar 8 & 9, 2016. Many improvisations got recorded, from which 16 pieces got selected, mixed at Studio Nadelberg and released as double CD „trittico immer all over“ in March 2017.
Update by MS November 2017
MP3
Senza eleganza, end part (CD “neulich neben derGrenze” 2006), Francesco Zago (e g, loops), MS (ss)
Sulz, cutting (CD “neulich neben derGrenze” 2006), Francesco Zago (e g, loops), MS (ss)
Little quakes (CD “überall in terra straniera borders beyond” 2011), Francesco Zago (e g, loops), MS (bass sax)
Wendepunkt (CD “überall in terra straniera borders beyond” 2011), Francesco Zago (e g, loops), MS (ts)
Make a Zauss Noise here (CD “notturno leise im Wind” 2012), Francesco Zago (e g), MS (ts)
Tribal Music (CD “notturno leise im Wind” 2012), Francesco Zago (e g, loops), MS (bass sax)
Adagio molto, cutting (CD “Diafonia Leitmotiv Waves” 2014), Francesco Zago (e g, loops), MS (ts)
Crescendo con fuoco, end part (CD “Diafonia Leitmotiv Waves” 2014), Francesco Zago (e g, loops), MS (ts)
SPALTKLANG
Members
Ritsche Koch trumpet
Francesco Zago electric guitar, loops
Markus Stauss tenor, soprano sax
Rémy Sträuli drums
Christian Weber double bass
About the Projects
It was born 2001 when I had the idea to create what in medieval times was called a “broken consort” (the in German word for split sound is SPALTKLANG) – a band composed of wind and pluck instruments and strings including a percussion unit with todays instruments: sax instead of recorder, viola instead of fiddle or viola da gamba, electric bass instead of lute and drum set instead of medieval percussioninstruments. This ensemble is to play music, which, although performed by ÜBERFALL, ULTRIOR LUX and „Stauss-Anliker-Kayser-Vogt“ in concerts, got released on CD as a low-budget trio version only, or even never got recorded.
Already the first sessions kicked off my interest to unfold the “SPALTKLANG” at its best: to incorporate new musical material into the compositions, to alter arrangements and improvisation concepts was the beginning. During the following years I wrote increasingly new compositions written just for this SPALTKLANG quartett. The 4 released CD albums „Alpenglühen“ fm 0818, „Surprise“ fm 0821, „Lontano“ fm 0822 und „en Suite“ fm 0826 with the line up Stauss – Vogt – Brunner – Sträuli document this development.
2010: Talking about a new line-up, many discussions and sessions, a lot of thinking into different directions and tons of material for new compositions leads to this idea:
2011 Spaltklang with an enlarged line-up: a 6 piece outfit (viola or violin, sax, trumpet, el. guitar, double bass, drums). Unfortunatly the size of the group, the musicians’ very different availabilities and therefore very individual schedules, made it impossible to continue the rehearsals on a regular basis.
In summer 2012 I had to take a time out and the band was put on hold.
December 2012: I re-arranges the sextet tunes for a quintet. This lineup now is an international (CH, D, I) project group that will elaborate the set for concerts and CD recordings in a few days following.
September 2013: The CD „in between“ got released on the italian label ALTROCK.
Update by MS November 2017
MP3
Another Dance Tune, Part 1 & 2 (CD “Lontano” 2006), Rémy Sträuli (dr), Stephan Brunner (e b), Olivier Vogt (viola), MS (ts, ss)
en Suite, Part 1 (CD “en Suite” 2009), Rémy Sträuli (dr), Stephan Brunner (e b), Olivier Vogt (viola), MS (ss)
Ural Fragment, Sax Solo (CD “in between” 2013), Richard Koch (tp), Francesco Zago (e g), Christian Weber (b), Rémy Sträuli (dr), MS (ts)
In between, End Part, cutting (CD “in between” 2013), Richard Koch (tp), Francesco Zago (e g), Christian Weber (b), Rémy Sträuli (dr), MS (ss)
4 Elements, Part 4, cutting (CD “in between” 2013), Richard Koch (tp), Francesco Zago (e g), Christian Weber (b), Rémy Sträuli (dr), MS (ts)
BASS-SAX-SOLO
Members
About the Projects
Recently still known as the project: BASS-SAX SOLO & DEVICES
Markus Stauss
bass saxophone Julius Keilwerth SX 90
Yamaha WX 11 digital horn
Akai sampler S 612
Korg digital delay SDD 3000
Climb from the depths of the abyss to where birds float, linger and glide back to earth, grooving with full sound.
In this paradise, the electronic extras blend and accompany from anywhere to somewhere, pulsing, roaring, creeping.
Contrasts and surprises, pervading, ecstatic, meditative, insisting.
BUT NOW these „Neolithic“ extras found their way into disposal and they only live on in the memory BUT ALSO on the CD MARKUS STAUSS „Neolithicum“ available in the Online Shop.
And the BASS-SAX will really rise SOLO from the depths of the abyss to where birds float, linger and glide back to earth, grooving with full sound. An also contrasts and surprises will not be missing.
Update by MS November 2017
MP3
Erntedank (CD Neolithicum) Bass Sax Solo
Happiness IV (CD Neolithicum) Improvisation w/ Bass Sax Samples
MARKUS STAUSS’ PROJECTS (MSP)
Members
Joseph Poffet (JOPO): saxes, Hans Anliker: trombone, Jacques Widmer: drums, Pit Kayser: keyboards, Godfather of Noise – David Moss: drums, vocals, Jean Chaine: electric bass, Thomi Hirt: bass, Ellen Christi: vocals, H.Lukas Lindenmaier: percussion, John King: guitar, Günter Müller: drums, electronics, Mani “Guru” Neumeier: drums, Vietn Vito: electric bass, Wener “Sunnymoon” Lüdi: altosax, Daniel Bourquin: saxes, Leon Francioli: bass, Olivier Clerc: drums, Daniel Stalder: drums, Uli Scherrer: piano, Michel Massot: tuba, trombone, Hahn Rowe: guitar, violin, Han Bennink: drums, Anthony Coleman: keyboards, Ingeborg Poffet: akko, vocals, Michel Delville: guitar, Laurent Delchambre: drums, Samuel Gerstmans: bass, Damien Campon: bass … and many more
About the projects
Again and again I have touched on wild, massive open, risky, curious or simply crazy projects or created these on requests from festivals. Some of these projects have become permanent groups and have presented their music at concerts and/or on LPs/CDs. Other projects have performed live a few times only and occasionally been recorded.
All projects have the peculiarity that the participating musicians represent a wide variety of musical orientations and musical attitudes.
A selection:
1985 – 1988: GeZeitenOrchester, 4 existing bands meet in the grid of a suite, which is controlled by dynamics, density, tempo and some melodic themes.
1985 – 1988: MARKUS STAUSS QUARTETT, free improvised music and minimalistic compositions. LP “Neulich im Studio” (The other Day in the Studio), KNSE 08581 (1985).
1992: NEW DUOS ‘N’ TRIOS, freely improvised music with few composed elements, with the Trio Basel – NY, the Trio NY – Zürich. CD “New Duos ‘n’ Trios” Xopf CD No. 14 (1992).
1993: Compositions for GLASBA, commissioned by the Belluard Festival Fribourg 1993, with Han Bennink, Bratko Bibic, Anthony Coleman, John King, Michel Massot, Hahn Rowe, Uli Scherrer & MS.
1993 / 1997: Compositions and improvisation concepts for XOPF POOL INTERNATIONAL: 5 bands and soloists are merged to form a large orchestra, within each formation / soloist takes on familiar guiding practices and musically deals with each other’s playing attitudes / inputs. Cassette XOPH Records Nr 20.
2005: I meet Michel Delville (guitar) & Laurent Delchambre (drums) from the group „WRONG OBJECT“ in Liège (Belgium). Samuel Gerstmans is bassist at the first rehearsels.
Since 2006 Damien Campion plays bass. We play music from STAUSS-CHAINE-LINDENMAIER, ULTERIOR LUX, ECHOES and new compositions. A demo CD with live recordings (Cryptic Echoes Live in Belgium) will be released at the end of 2006.
From 2007 – 2011 this MSP plays as “TRANK ZAPPA GRAPPA IN VARESE? (TZGIV)” and releases the CDs „More Light“ and „Play Zappa Live in Waremme 08“ (Fazzul Music fm 0824 & 0825).
Update by MS November 2017
MP3
OG, intro (CD “New Duos ‘n’ Trios” 1992), feat. David Moss (vc, perc), Jean Chaine (eb), Ellen Christi (vc), Thomi Hirt (b), Dieter Ulrich (bugle), MS (digital horn)
Down Town, End (CD “New Duos ‘n’ Trios” 1992), feat. David Moss (vc, perc), Jean Chaine (eb), MS (ts)
Perpetuum, End (CD TZGIV “More Light” 2007/8), Michel Deville (e g), Damien Campion (b), Laurent Delchambre (dr), MS (ts)
Another Sad Song, cutting (CD S-A-K-V “Echoes” 1999), Hans Anliker (tb), Pit Kayser (key), Olivier Vogt (vln), MS (bass sax, ss)