Kammerflimmer Kollektief - Absencen

This summer I shared a band called Bohren & Der Club Of Gore who are a quite known band for its genre. While I like Bohren and their sound they do tend to get kinda stale after a while. Lucky for us Germany seems to be a really good place for strange jazzy sombre bands and Kammerflimmer Kollektief is an excellent example of that.

Unlike Bohren though these guys tend to experiment with sounds a lot more often. Absencen was their fourth album released back in 2005 and they were ripping shit up. Perhaps the most positive side of this is that these guys are a lot more jazz oriented in playing. There are some really sweet solos and free jazz outbursts on this album but they also provide an ample supply of smooth melodies that we come to expect from bands like this. While the album is overall in darker tones it does not shy away from more playful and happier moments. There are some great "happier" songs here like Shibboleth or Unstet that offer some really nice soprano sax/guitar improvising and upbeat tempos. There also, of course, great sombre tracks like Nach dem Regen that remind me of rainy strolls through the city. There's a bit of everything here so it might feel a bit too random but after a few listens it all sinks in very well.

Generally speaking if you're looking for a modern jazz band that is not shackled in old school worship but also not too much in the free jazz area this might be right up your alley. It's a great mixture of experimental and orthodox with a lot of different instruments and approaches to atmosphere.

Check them out.