Nik Bärtsch's RONIN

Always dressed in dark fabrics, Nik Bärtsch is one of the most fascinating pianists of our time. For him, black is the color of life. "It is the color of committed neutrality - and of total presence." And that is precisely what makes his work so fascinating and at the same time as indescribable as it is indescribable. It is as much a musical phenomenon as one with philosophical and scientific connotations, constantly questioning the human system and developing it further by turning data into rhythms and transforming extreme complexity into lightness, depth and divisibility. What seems like magic is actually a process of cognition. Bärtsch's RONIN project is an outstanding example of this. The quartet released its ninth album, Spin, at the end of 2024. Subtle chamber music meets sophisticated drum beats and perfectly timed grooves.