【Disc Review】『MALSTROM / Klaus-Dieter』～Power Jazz Trio from Germany

MALSTROM / Klaus-Dieter
text by 剛田武　Takeshi Goda
Berthold Records

MALSTROM:
Florian Walter – Saxophone
Axel Zajac – Guitar
Jo Beyer – Drums

1. Flerminger
2. Tinder: Zu Vino sag ich nie no. Achso und übrigens: Ich reise gerne.
3. Klaus Dieter ist verwirrt
4. Schnee im Sommer. Oder: Musik ist auch immer Ausdruck meines Konsumverhaltens.
5. Die Maskenpflicht-Verweigerer-Inzidenz-Befürworter-Lockdown-AHA-Glauben-Zweifel-Strategie
6. Matthiasbrücke
7. Somnambulismus ist die neue Work-Life-Balance
8. Pumpen mit Klumpen
9. Klaus Dieter geht baden
10. Smurfbrett

recorded at Fattoria Musica Osnabrück
by Steffen Lütke in May & June 2021

mixed and mastered at Fattoria Musica Osnabrück
by Steffen Lütke in August 2021

produced by Malstrom

Malstrom Official Site

"No Destruction, No Creation". The Shape of Power Jazz Trio to Come.

The latest album by Malstrom, a saxophone, guitar and drums trio formed in Germany in the early 2010s. The original members were Axel Zajac (g), Jo Bayer (ds), and Salim Javaid (sax). They have been active in the avant-garde music/ improvisational jazz scene in the Cologne - Essen - Bremen areas, and have released four albums so far, winning the German jazz competitions in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

I first heard about them in August 2019 from German avant-garde saxophonist Florian Walter, who was visiting Japan for the third time. Saying "I will join this band soon", he handed me a CD of Malstrom's second album "Phantom Architect" (2016). I listened to it and was aware that although there are many improvised parts, the style of the band was basically based on meticulously composed and structured music. For me it was a different impression from Walter as an free-improviser. I was also intrigued by the fact that Walter, who has been active in a variety of fluid projects including the experimental big band The Dorf, would be joining a "band" as a fixed member. After Japan tour, he returned home and joined Malstrom at the end of 2019 as a new saxophonist, replacing Salim Javaid. The following year, in 2020, the COVID-19 disaster occurred and the live performance activities were restricted. But the band meticulously rehearsed in the studio to develop the new Malstrom sound, and in the early summer of 2021, they went into the recording studio and this album was finally produced.


MALSTROM(L to R): Florian Walter(as), Jo Beyer(ds), Axel Zajac(g)　　Photo by Nico Herzog

The title "Klaus-Dieter" was a popular male name in Germany in the past. As far as Walter knows, very few newborns have been named Klaus-Dieter in the past 20 years. In Japan, it would be something like Taro or Hanako. It's also the name of the humorous monster on the CD cover. When you think about the above fact, the goggle-eyed, big-headed figure seems to symbolize a pathetic old authority figure who missed out on the times and clings to the glory of the past. The album itself doesn't have a story, but you can feel the ridiculousness and sadness of the Klaus-Dieter monster in the background of the performance, not to mention the crazy song titles that are neither joking nor serious (see translation below).

M1. Fleminger (Flamingo as drunks call it)": A flowing guitar with irregular rhythm leads a wave attack of hard beat of drums and bass tone of 8-string guitar exploding, and bright saxophone surfing while cutting between the waves. It's like having a drill hole into your head and injecting an energy drink directly into your cerebral cortex.

M2. Tinder (a German dating app): I never turn down an invitation to drink. Oh, and by the way, I also like to travel": Enjoy the saxophone rampaging in all directions in a symphonic development that spins an avant-garde yet lyrical tale.

M3. Klaus-Dieter is Confused: The beauty of the turbulence of the three musicians jumbling around an abstract rhythm.

M4. Snow in Summer. Also, music is always an expression of my consumer behavior: I feel the "Ma (pause)" in this piece, which is similar to Japanese Noh. The tension of walking on a tight rope is quickly released into a relaxed and beautiful melody, and finally, the song returns to the tightrope walking again.

M5. Masked Duty - Denier - Incidence - Proponent - Lockdown - Alpha Hydroxyl Acid - Trust and Doubt Strategy: A circulation foxtrot with call & response of guitar and saxophone over an irregular beat. The superb guitar playing that can be heard throughout the song is very cool.

M6. Mathias Bridge: An extreme metallic tune that will drive you crazy.

M7. Sleepwalking is the New Work-Life Balance: Heavy rhythm but lyrical chord progression. The crazy saxophone gradually gets in tune with it.

M8. Sluggish Pump: A superb improvisation like a "tanka" or "haiku".

M9. Klaus-Dieter Goes for a Swim: A slow-motion number that lets you enjoy the sentimental side of the band. A floating dreamboat in a sea of nostalgia.

M10. Smurfboard: An emotional tune with a pleasant repetition of minimalist guitar phrases. The convulsive saxophone in the middle section is the essence of Florian Walter. The guitar explosion in the latter half of the song leads me direct into ecstasy. However, at the end of the continuous stimulation, the song returns to a minimalist pattern and ends suddenly. It's a graceful ending that leaves no regret.

Malstrom - "Maskenpflicht"


A 40-minute listening journey that activates the synapses in your brain with its dizzying development. The words "free jazz," "heavy metal," "progressive rock," "post-rock," and "minimal music" come to mind. But in this day and age, when all kinds of information is intermingled in the digital environment, it would be outdated and mind-boggling to use words like crossover and mixture. As the band's name meaning "whirling waves" implies, their methodology of creating new music after swallowing and destroying all kinds of elements is the proof of "No Destruction, No Creation". Here comes the new shape of power jazz trio. (December 2, 2021)

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