From the very first notes, "Schemes" marks a turning point. Where other Kreidler recordings often unfold with relentless insistence, here the movement feels lighter. The rhythms bounce rather than lock in. The synthesizer lines snake, overlap, or gently collide. The music seems less determined to reach a specific goal; more curious to discover new horizons along the way. The title evokes the notion of design, but the album delights in deconstructing all rigidity. If a scheme is a plan, here it is a starting point rather than a set of orders. The structures are sketched with lightness, leaving ample room for chance. The effect is playful without being restless. A subtle humor runs through "Schemes." Less through ostentatious gestures than through the mischief of its arrangements.The trio composed of Thomas Klein (percussion, drums, found sounds), Alexander Paulick (fretless bass), and Andreas Reihse (synthesizers, electronics, field recordings) settled in Berlin for the recording sessions - initially at Morphine Raum. But the bulk of the recording took place in a more intimate setting, at AndereBaustelle. There, the group made judicious use of various instruments and objects found on site - notably a gigantic cubic steel oil tank. "Schemes" reflects this spontaneity, with musical impulses primarily born in situ. The album's quality owes much to the group's use of space. The result is music that is expansive rather than dense. Yet, the ambient character of "Schemes" does not imply stillness. Movement is omnipresent, but subtle and multidirectional. Even in its most stoic moments, the whole is never solemn. "Schemes" testifies to an intentionality that hides behind the music's fluidity. This is heard in the balance of timbres and in the way disparate elements coexist. Precision remains, but with a certain lightness. The plurality of the title suggests a plurality of approaches and possibilities.Luzie Meyer's cover illustration reflects this spirit: a kind of dialogue, as if suspended by a thread, a psychoanalytic dance. Ideas clash, but disagreements are resolved amicably.
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