INTRODUCING BLINK 7
Marcus Klossek Blink 7
Blink 7 is the latest and extended project by Marcus Klossek, the Berlin-based composer and guitarist.
For the past 12 years, he has been performing and recording 5 albums with his tried-and-tested Electric Trio. He then expanded the band, adding a blowing section with three of his favorite musicians, creating the unique sextet Blink 6 – his largest project to date at that time. Their debut album received excellent reviews and led to successful appearances at festivals across Europe.
Now Blink 6 has grown into Blink 7 with the addition of Korean vocalist Chamin, whose original lyrics in Korean bring a completely new layer of sound, colour and expression to the music. An upcoming album with this fresh line-up is currently in the works, featuring original tunes that weave composition, improvisation and storytelling into a distinctive voice.
After an extensive writing period, Marcus Klossek is ready to present this new material with Blink 7. The band’s unique chemistry promises a recording full of energy, colour and surprising twists – and they can’t wait to share it with their audience.
This multi-dimensional unity filters Klossek’s compositional explorations of melody, harmony and rhythm through the lens of seven master improvisers, arranged in a way that allows the music to sound differently every time. Music that features many influences and genres from contemporary jazz, experimental rock, new music and beyond, as well as dynamic interplay between all the musicians.
Stay tuned for updates on Blink 7’s upcoming album and performances – and don’t miss the chance to experience a mind-blowing, innovative sound and vibe!
blink 6 out now
Guitarist Marcus Klossek – a master on the Fender Telecaster, which Bill Frisell and Jakob Bro also enjoy playing – has caused a stir over the last ten years, especially with his Electric Trio, which includes Carsten Hein on bass and Derek Scherzer on drums.
For his new band Blink 6, Klossek reinforced this trio with three wind players from the Berlin scene, namely trombonist Anke Lucks (Insomnia Brass Band), trumpeter Nikolaus Neuser (Potsa Lotsa) and tenor saxophonist Ignaz Dinné.
“I started to compose for a sextet line-up without knowing who was going to play in it,” the guitarist said. “After I had composed eight pieces during six months, I needed musicians who could read notes well, who could improvise over changes and who could improvise freely. He quickly found the right tenor saxophonist in Ignaz Dinné. “Ignaz plays a great free solo in ‘Reason 27’,” Klossek stated happily. He noticed trumpeter Nikolaus Neuser in the band Potsa Lotsa. Klossek knew Anke Lucks from the Insomnia Brass Band, but he was mostly attracted by a YouTube video that he had discovered on the Internet. “She can also play well over changes,” the guitarist said.
After a short rehearsal phase and a few concerts with the sextet, they went to the Berlin Zentrifuge Studio where Tito Knapp recorded the music . Klossek then mixed the music together with Knapp; the mastering was done by Johannes Kellig in the renowned Bauer Studios in Ludwigsburg. “Blink 6” was produced by Klossek and Volker Dueck.
“When I was composing, I just let it go without constantly judging what was produced,” Klossek recalled. “That helped a lot to shape the material. Afterward, of course, I went over it again and was then very happy with the result.”
The eight songs live from many influences and move between contemporary jazz, experimental rock and new music. The multidimensional unity, to which Blink 6 developed quite quickly as a band, filters Klossek’s music through the different perspectives of the musicians involved. The songs not only sound different every time at concerts, but Blink 6 has additionally succeeded in making their exploration of melody, harmony and rhythm sound exciting and fresh at all times.
As a guitarist, Marcus Klossek deliberately restrained himself on “Blink 6”, his tenth album as a band leader, because of course he knew that he was no longer the focus of the music on this project. The focus is on the music itself, and the interplay of the three wind instruments with Klossek’s Electric Trio has not only grown beyond the originally composed material, but it also provides the listener with a sound experience between innovative power and an energetic vibe.