Geduldig by Steffen Roth, Konni Behrendt

This record shows two special musicians - drummer Steffen Roth and guitarist Konni Behrendt - in battle as well as in close embrace with their instruments. Exploring, struggling, enjoying, finding their way off the beaten path. Steffen Roth and Konni Behrendt, both living in Germany, studied music together and have maintained their friendship ever since. This joint solo project follows their bands PALAWA and Groundfields.

The A-side belongs to Steffen Roth. His style of playing music is characterized by slow developments that allow deep structures to break through. This was already the theme and direction on his solo debut, Kalbe Milde (2017, Ana Ott). With Geduldig (German for patiently), he explores the endless sonic richness of a 22" bass drum - his first bass drum. That old thing: Loved, hated and despaired of making it sound. It waited a long time to be rediscovered and to experience its reincarnation into a new world of sound. Specially developed preparations of the drumheads with chemistry, resins, cloths and chopsticks, as well as lifting it from the ground to a horizontal position reveals a smacking, rattling, panting, bubbling and howling creature that squirms along. Geduldig takes place in a reductionist-seeming space in which this ellipsoidal entity moves slowly, sometimes reluctantly, steady. The recordings were made during a research phase in 2020s Covid lockdown. Alone in the living room. No edits.

The B-side includes the solo debut of guitarist Konni Behrendt. This is where decisions are made: How long or short can or should a tension be sustained? Does there have to be a resolution? May the guitar still be recognizable as such? These topics are worked on musically - and with all means: Preparation of the electric guitar, effects, loops and new tunings. In addition to the complete sonic alienation, a tendency towards melancholy cannot be denied. The result is three conceptually freely improvised works: kurzlang, lang and kurz.

The artists that coincide here, share a rapture for an experimental approach to sound.

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