Andrea Taeggi is a classically trained musician. After studying piano he had to un-learn certain practices, in order to be able to position himself as an individual artist. In an interview for issue 13 of zweikommasieben with Lumisokea (a project, he fosters with Koenraad Ecker) Taeggi mentioned that it was hard to get away from certain jazz chord progressions. He had to buy a machine without a keyboard—to distance himself as far as possible from the mechanisms he memorized because of the piano practice, the artist said, explaining: “When I was not seeing a keyboard I was able to come up with new ideas. Otherwise you go back again and again.” It seems that the Berlin-based Italien succeeded, as multiple releases on labels like Opal Tapes, Type or Alter under his given name as well as under his pseudonym Gondwana and as part of Lumisokea show.

However: During different recidencies in 2017 Taeggi started to follow his fascination for the wealth of timbres that one could yield from the piano once again—back to the roots. But it was no longer the keyboard that allowed him access to the instrument, but the inside part: During a recidency at EMS in Stockholm the musician was extensively working with a re-tuned piano soundboard. Those studies and in particular the ones with the manipulated, metallic-sounding strings of the instrument are a central motif of Noméri—Tere, a record, that came into existence past year and is released on April 19 on Präsens Editionen.¹ The album is informed by Western contemporary classical music, southern Indian Karnatic music, free improvised music, musique concrète, foley and some more traditions.

The amalgamation of those musical practices coming from different corners of the world resulted in a seemingly holistic sound ecology. It’s home to moments that get close to being a motive, but also dives into unfamiliar and strange depths; rumbling, droning abysses and echoes, filled with wooden rattles, whimpers and crunches. Embedded in this naturalistic environment and seamlessly tied to it there are electronic manipulations and effects. That’s how the immediacy of a chamber play vanishes, an overwhelming vastness opens up, familiar elements are suddenly transformed into unknown structures. In the middle of meditative moments rhythm and funk pop up, just to be rushed away a few instants later. Hazy structures are built over the course of the album, just to disappear again; outlines of communication are to surmise—sounds, signals, signs…

Andrea Taeggi’s Noméri—Tere will be released on April 19, 2018 as limited editions of a) dubplates, and b) booklets, as well as digitally. The day of the release a concert night organized by zweikommasieben takes place at DeSpace Lucerne, during which Taeggi will present Noméri—Tere next to a performance by Cam Deas.