Nik Bartsch's Ronin - Llyria

'Llyria' is the third album from Nik B�rtsch's Ronin and follows on from 'Stoa' and 'Holon', the ECM recordings that established the exciting young Swiss band on the international scene. Leader and pianist Nik B�rtsch's modular pieces still define the context of the group's music but the committed input of the individual Ronin members has lifted the work to the next level, blurring the distinctions between composition, improvisation and interpretation.

The music has become more open, moving on from its early Zen funk and ritual groove music formulas. Reed player Sha shines brightly here, and lyrical melodic themes make themselves felt. But this is, Nik B�rtsch suggests, more than its predecessors a drummer's record. Its beats are lovingly crafted by Kaspar Rast and percussionist Andi Pupato.

The new album is named for Llyr�a, the luminous, mysterious creatures that live in the ocean's depths, for B�rtsch a metaphor for the music: We keep casting our nets in the same waters - and sometimes we find forms that are completely surprising, even to us.

The album is also available as a double 180-gram audiophile LP.

Personnel: Nik B�rtsch (piano), Sha (bass clarinet, alto saxophone), Bj�rn Meyer (bass), Kaspar Rast (drums), Andi Pupato (percussion)