NIK BÄRTSCH'S RONIN - Llyrìa (2010) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The third album from one of the most exciting young European bands, “Llyrìa” follows on from “Stoa” and “Holon”, the recordings that established Swiss band Ronin on the international scene. Leader Nik Bärtsch’s “modular” pieces still define the context of the group’s music but the committed input of the individual Ronin members has lifted the work to the next level, blurring the distinctions between composition, improvisation and interpretation. The music has become more open, so much so that Bärtsch’s old buzzwords like “Zen funk” and “ritual groove music” now scarcely apply and even “minimalism” is only a distant reference. Reed player Sha shines brightly here, and lyrical melodic themes make themselves felt, but perhaps this is, more than its predecessors, a drummer’s record, its beats lovingly crafted by Kasper Rast and percussionist Andi Pupato. ecm
Tracklist :
1    Modul 48 7:00
2    Modul 52 8:18
3    Modul 55 8:40
4    Modul 47 8:02
5    Modul 53 6:55
6    Modul 51 9:53
7    Modul 49_44 7:22
Nik Bärtsch's Ronin   
Nik Bärtsch   Piano, Fender Rhodes
Sha   Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone
Björn Meyer   Bass
Kaspar Rast   Drums
Andi Pupato   Percussion