Thomas Lehn
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LDL
Leimgruber_Demierre_Lehn
Urs Leimgruber • soprano saxophone
Jacques Demierre • piano (or spinet)
Thomas Lehn • analogue synthesizer
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about
The trio LDL emerged from the more than three decades working LDP trio (Leimgruber-Demierre-Phillips), which was extended by Thomas Lehn to form the quartet LDP+L. Formative and stylistic elements, which already had been effective characterizing the music of the quartet with Barre Philips, find further stages in the triangular constellation of the LDL trio. They unfold within (and by) the framework of the trios instrumentation and its setup: the juxtaposition of the two keyboard instruments – the acoustic piano and the analogue synthesizer, whose sound signals are coupled with each other in a technically cross-interacting manner – and the anchoring of Urs Leimgruber's soprano saxophone in the center of the sound image.
photo © Tuer7/Uli
Templin
Historically, the genesis of the trio formation has other, more distant roots: on the one hand, the today's trio partners worked together for more than a decade in the sextet SIX – later 6ix – and, on the other, the concert tours of Urs Leimgruber's duos with each of the keyboard players are formative key involvements.
In their new trio collaboration, Leimgruber, Demierre and Lehn distill all these experiences gathered in the various projects, radiating like 'background noise' into their contemporary musical practice.
The result is a highly developed culture of musical improvisation, the basis of which is the fine, supremely sensitive listening to the sound space. And the sound space here encompasses both the musical events of the individual and collective creative processes, as well as the space itself in which the creative act takes place, including its acoustic nature and the audiences' presence and attention co-influencing the quality of the space.
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biographies
Urs Leimgruber | Jacques Demierre | Thomas Lehn
photo © Tuer7/Uli
Templin
^ ^^ Urs Leimgruber (soprano saxophone) one of the contemporary saxophone radicalizers, belongs to the closest circle of contemporary improvised music in Europe. He has performed with his music all over the world. There are not very many saxophonists who have made a name for themselves in the zones of contemporary music and free improvisation. Urs Leimgruber belongs to them. Through new playing techniques and his extended saxophone sound he has contributed significantly to the development of his instrument.
- Pirmin Bossart
Concerts and recordings as soloist and in the trio Urs Leimgruber-Jacques Demierre-Barre Phillips, 6ix; Jacques Demierre, Okkyung Lee, Roger Turner, Thomas Lehn, Dorothea Schürch, as well as with Joëlle Léandre, Marilyn Crispell, Fritz Hauser, Fred Frith, Steve Lacy, Keith Rowe, Evan Parker, Sunny Murray, John Tchicai, Gerry Hemingway and others in Europe, Canada, USA and Japan.
Co-founder of the electric jazz freemusic group OM in the seventies.
His music is documented on various labels including ECM, HatArt, Intakt, Jazzwerkstatt, Leo, Creative Works, PSI. Art prize winner of the city of Lucerne 2003.
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urs_Leimgruber
photo © Tuer7/Uli
Templin
^ ^^ Jacques Demierre
Jacques Demierre is a pianist, composer and improviser. Whether acoustic or electroacoustic, respectful of the frames of traditional writing or freely improvised, his experimentations can be music just as well as sound poetry and sound interventions in situ. They are nonetheless all moved by the same search for awareness of sound.
Author of numerous pieces for ensemble or voice, the composer Demierre also readily explores the evocative force of the most quotidian noises. While expanding the sound possibilities offered by the piano instrument, Jacques Demierre explores ways in which it approaches the field of language. His critical reflection develops a highly transversal and “interdisciplinary” conception of music, which has brought him to work with a number of musicians from very diverse backgrounds.
Solo or group projects – as composer, pianist or vocal performer -, in Europe, United States, South America, Russia, Japan, Canada, alternate between concerts and sound performances, audio pieces, collaborative performances, site-specific installations.
Intense and continued activity for several years in duo with Vincent Barras in the field of sound poetry and frequent collaborations with Chris Mann, Caroline Bergvall, L’Encyclopédie de la parole, Christian Kesten, Katalin Ladik.
Interdisciplinary projects with choreographers Noemi Lapzeson, Cindy van Acker, Foofwa d’Immobilité.
As a pianist, collaborations with Barre Philips, Urs Leimgruber, Thomas Lehn, Axel Dörner, Jonas Kocher, Christian Marclay, Martial Solal, Radu Malfatti, Joëlle Léandre, Fritz Hauser, Andrea Parkins, Sainkho Namtchylak, Lou Mallozzi, Urs Blöchlinger, Irene Schweizer, Hans Koch, Isabelle Duthoit, John Butcher, Brandon Labelle, Jason Kahn, Charlotte Hug, Butch Morris, Roger Turner, Okkyung Lee, Peter Evans, Carlos Zingaro, Gunter Müller, Jaap Blonk, Barry Guy, Lucas Niggli, Sylvie Courvoisier, Hann Bennink, Rhodri Davis, Martin Schütz, Paul Lovens, Doro Schürch, Phil Minton, Elliott Sharp,…-
Co-founder with Philippe Albera and Vincent Barras of the Contrechamps Review and Editions, dedicated to the music of the XXth and XXIrst centuries, Jacques Demierre is the 2007 laureate of the Ville de Genève Music Award and laureate of the Swiss Music Prize 2018.
His work is published by Tzadik, Héros-Limite, Psi, Victo, jazzwerkstatt, Leo, Plainisphare, Creative Sources, INSUB., Intakt, Bocian Records, bardem, Unit Record, stv/ams, and his scores are available from SME/EMS.
www.jacquesdemierre.com
photo © Tuer7/Uli
Templin
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^^ Thomas Lehn
has been one of the most innovative and successful musical personalities in the field of electroacoustic music in the practices of improvisation and composition for years. He was trained as a sound engineer and pianist at the music academies in Detmold and Cologne from 1979 to 1987. As a pianist, he was active in both classical chamber music and jazz ensembles throughout the 1980s. Gradually a shift took place in both of the musical practices he has always pursued, interpretation and improvisation: expanding from traditional to contemporary musics. The analogue synthesizer re-entered his musical life during the early 1990ies and soon the EMS Synthi AKS became his second main instrument.
As a synthesizer interpreter – live and in studio – he has realized works by Éliane Radigue, Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, Bogusław Schaeffer and Zbigniew Karkowski, among others. He was soloist in the world premiere of Peter Jakober's dort with Klangforum Wien at musikprotokoll festival and in the CD recording of Christopher Fox's Topophony with the WDR Symphony Orchestra.
He is founding member of the ensemble]h[iatus, which dedicates itself since 2006 to contemporary improvisation and interpretation, and had premierred commissioned works by Vinko Globokar, Anthony Pateras, Jennifer Walshe, Jürg Frey a.m.o. .
He demonstrates continuity in longstanding activities in ensembles such as Konk Pack, Toot, Thermal, MIMEO, speak easy or duos with Marcus Schmickler, Tiziana Bertoncini and Gerry Hemingway. More recent are trios with John Butcher the pianists John Tilbury and Matthew Shipp, Soundbridges with Ken Vandermark, Matthias Muche and Martin Blume, and electrovoX with Ute Wassermann and Richard Scott. Brand new collaborations are the Companion Species with Jennifer Walshe and the duo with dieb13.
Concert tours have taken him throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Canada and the USA. His artistic work is documented on about 100 recordings.
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audio / video
LDL – Leimgruber/Demierre/Lehn
June 10th, 2022 at exploratorium Berlin
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downloads
press photos
© Uli Templin 300dpi / 9079 x 3856px / 8.9MB / narrow 
© Uli Templin 300dpi / 17759 x 3928px / 13.4.9MB / wide-blur technical rider
with piano: LDL_techrider_stageplan_with-piano.pdf
with spinet: LDL_techrider_stageplan_with-spinet.pdf
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upcoming dates
Fri. 20 - Sun. 22 Oct. 2023, Masterclass Improvisation @ Musik Akademie Rheinsberg
Tue. 24 October 2023, Schwerin
Thu. 26 October 2023, Cologne @ Loft
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photo © Tuer7/Uli Templin
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past dates
Sun. September 11, 14h, Peitz/DE @ Peitz 59 / Lausitz Festival
Fri. 10 & Sun 12 June 2022, Berlin @ exploratorium berlin
Fri. 4 - Sun. 6 June 2021, Palermo @ Curva Minore
Thu. 29 November 2018, Zuerich @ Walcheturm / IOIC Stummfilm-Festival
Sun. 4 September 2016, Budapest @ MU Theatre / Újbuda Jazz Festival
LPD+L 2017 @
Jazzfestival Willisau
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updated on August 7, 2023