araxi karnusian	saxophones · clarinets · composition

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araxi karnusian, tenor saxophone & doudouk, composition dominic egli, drums & percussion, composition michael bucher, guitar & kalimba, composition songs and improvisations - improvised songs the minimal combo the maximal freedom oscillating between melodies grooves and sounds B pulled out the milk frother to manipulate his guitar, drummer E was thrilled, got himself the largest bass drum available and invited K to join in with her powerful and warm tenor saxophone – K:E:B was born and without hesitation set off to undertake the kind of the adventure a bass-less combo offers. Compositions by the band members, traditional folks songs, free improvisation have since become the field they sow with spirited playing, open ears and boundless creativity: tone colours contrasted with dynamic phrasing, melodic and rhythmic lines intertwine or set counterpoints, the instruments’ functions blur as seamlessly as arrangements and atmospheres merge, while the music zigzags towards serenity … “Hey, when are we going to play again?!” was B’s spontaneous reaction after the first jam session gig in the fall of 2003, which just goes to show how much this minimal combo likes to improvise. This is K:E:B’s brief band history. After several years of intense collaboration and many concerts what started as relaxed meetings dedicated to radical interaction within and beyond song structures has developed into a committed miniature orchestra with an independent concept of sound and groove. At the invitation of the Thyll-Dürr foundation K:E:B went off to the idyllic villa “Casa Zia Lina” on the Mediterranean island of Elba in March 2008 where together with sound engineer Daniel Dettwiler the band recorded “Gunzgen Süd” within eight days. The result is a serene album; bright and gloomy at the same time, it celebrates melodic, at times very short themes and a minimally structured improvisational approach that focuses on the unique and fragile interplay of instruments. Sparse, uneven beats, tongue-in-cheek crossover, deconstructivist sounds, and spherical snapshots create a living, laid-back world of music.