MON­DAYS 1022 NIK BÄRTSCH’S MO­BI­LE

MOBILE's purely acoustic music is full of surprising twists and turns and bold combinations: ingredients from funk, new classical music and elements of ritual Japanese music combine to create a tension-charged sound brew that is sometimes funky, sometimes ambiently relaxed, then again formally pointed, constantly forming new connections. A sound world of raw poetry driven by obsessive torques. The compositions leave room for different ways of phrasing, which is also evident from the band's "polyphonic" line-up. It brings together musical personalities of the most diverse backgrounds: alto saxophonist and bass clarinetist Sha impresses with rhythmic sophistication and serene calm and is also a member of the band RONIN. Percussionist Nicolas Stocker belongs to the new generation of musicians who naturally combine classical interpretative awareness with the ability to groove and improvisational competence. Nik Bärtsch, the spiritus rector of MOBILE, moves as a border crosser between all these codes and lays down connecting lines that mutate into fuses in his group's work. (Michel Mettler)"Bärtsch's mysterious music will be around for a lot longer than the quick fix that majority taste seems to clamour for." The Observer (UK)"Sounds like Japanese knives, Bärtsch's precision and clarity awakens you ... Recommended for everyone: from theorists and tea ceremony lovers to dance maniacs." Süddeutsche Zeitung (D)1 long set!Joel Gilardini: Live Ambient Guitar (before and between the sets)By EXIL and RONIN RHYTHMImage by Claude Hofer, supported by Canton of Zurich, Department of CultureAdmission: 8 p.m.Start: 9 p.m.