GIRAFFE

Juni is the first joint release by Karl-Heinz Schöppner and Sascha Demand. They call themselves giraffe. Both have a rich history in improvisational composition and performance. Schöppner has done soundtrack work, music for performances and modern dance and has collaborated on many records since 1982. Demand has been performing improvised and contemporary music since 1992 and has released solo and collaborative work on Berslton, Creative Sources and En/Of. Their longstanding friendship has now propelled them into making juni.

Juni contains 11 short pieces that effortlessly flow in and out of each other. All pieces play with intuition, intuitive elements and control. A subdued, contemplative, yet at times nervous ritualist feel runs through the whole album. Percussive elements give the tracks direction. Melodic and harmonic impulses are weaved around the rhythms, playing with sense and delicate non-sense. Giraffe references contemporary improvisational music and jazz, but the subtly iconoclastic concentration found within gives the record its wholly own tone. It is a highly satisfactory debut from two seasoned veterans of experimental music. Gentle and even accessible, it is a snapshot of what makes contemporary experimental music tick.