Anklam Fridolin Blumer

• 1 Anklam I 02:08
• 2 Anklam II 03:07
• 3 Anklam III 04:32
• 4 Anklam IV 03:05
• 5 Anklam V 03:12
• 6 Anklam VI 03:08
• 7 Anklam VII 05:34
• 8 Anklam VIII 04:55
• 9 Anklam IX 03:33
• 10 Anklam X 05:29
• 11 Anklam XI 03:11
• 12 Anklam XII 01:17
• Total Runtime 43:11

Info for Anklam

The first solo album of Swiss double bass player and composer Fridolin Blumer is an exceptional album, even for the rarity-driven catalogue of Carpe Diem Records. Acting as a stylistic counterpoint to the many Early Music solo albums on the label, "Anklam" is a solo album of entirely improvised contemporary double bass music, focusing on instantaneous musical creation in the moment, instead of reviving century-old compositions. Fridolin Blumer is a jazz musician who has dedicated his whole musical career to exploring music beyond the written score, even beyond formal musical concepts. His style is not easily determined by conventional understanding of music. His music is primarily sound that evolves and moves in time, creating structures while moving through and past them, taking the listener on an unforeseeable trip into the feeling and thinking process of the creative mind. His music is non-descriptive, not trying to depict anything outside of itself, not telling a story other than it's own. The album is called Anklam simply because that's where it was recorded. It is split into twelve pieces just to give it a conceivable structure. The parts have numbers, as they together form a sort of larger musical structure. Any intrinsic meaning, inner beauty or musical logic remains at the listener's disposal to be discovered, heard or felt. Fridolin Blumer opens a vast space of possibilities of understanding and insight by staying as grounded and elementary as possible. In this way, he creates a sonic artwork that is at the same time spiritual and deeply human. "The line I trace with my feet walking to the museum is more important and more beautiful than the lines I find there hung up on the walls." (F. Hundertwasser)

Fridolin Blumer, double bass

Fridolin Blumer
I am a bassist, improviser and interpreter and play music in the field of tension between jazz, improvisation, new music and pop.

I work internationally as a solo artist, with the band Ensemble 5 and as a sideman; an extensive discography on labels such as Leo Records, Hat Hut, Unit Records and TCB documents this work.

My music is inspired by everyday life and I look for illiterate or musical answers to the questions: What are we and what depths of passion, feeling, perception and thought can we reach?

My goal is to play clearly, concretely and directly. Without intention and with unconditional sincerity towards reality, in order to get closer to the point where what is hidden behind concepts, ideologies, styles or common listener expectations becomes audible.

In order to develop a personal and new music/musical language, I research musical tradition, current musical trends, groove/time, sound and the way the bass is played in relation to this.

At the age of eight I started playing the cello and discovered chamber music ensembles. At 15 I switched to the double bass and jazz. From 2003 to 2008 I studied at the Basel University of Music, Jazz Department and since 2008 I have been working as a freelance bassist, stylistically independent.

"Fridolin Blumer has a deep sound and the awareness of which note is needed at which moment to make the music clear." - Beat Blaser

Booklet for Anklam