Zwirn |cs239

Recorded live, Zwim is the follow up to Zweierlei (2006) and Zwei (2010). In all cases, Studer-Fry is a duo of doublebassists exploring a form of free improvisation strongly focused on raw sounds and the use of the instrument as a sound box. Lots of percussive effects, string scratching, a well of ideas and techniques. I don’t feel Daniel Studer and Peter Fry are listening to each other as closely as they do on Zwei, but it’s a fine performance. François Couture (Monsieur Delire)

Recorded on 13th May 2011 at MUG/Munich Undergorund as a part of the subsonicspace 2011 on the occasion of Offene Ohren, this improvised concert by talented Swiss double-bass players Peter K.Frey and Daniel Studer, whose collaboration came after they played together at Domino orchestra by Markus Eichenberger, belongs to one of those performance that more voracious listeners keep on looking for. They wisely overworked their beloved instruments by a remarkable set of performative unconventional strategies, which include rubbing, dampers, sliding, wringing, hitting and plucking of strings with no use of amplifiers, computers or digital filters in order to stretch the expressive powers of double-bass out. The seven tracks of this recording show a whirlwind of amazing transfigurations of this instrument: I particularly enjoyed the three parts of "Zwei Punkt", where some echoes of the sinewy performances by Stefano Scodanibbio could come to mind in between pleated tailspins and tonal declivities. Vito Camarretta (Chain DLK)

Rather than halving the number and breadth of sounds they produce with only
two bull fiddles, Swiss duo Peter K. Frey and Daniel Studer range through expanded narratives on Zwirn: Live in München (Creative Sources CS 239 CD creativesourcesrec.com).
Less bellicose than Sequoia’s frequently all-out attack, the two employ scordatura, retuning and detuning to create timbres that often sound less string sourced than horn resembling. This is particularly apparent during the first measures of Eins Punkt Zwei. Until a clear string pluck resonates, it sounds as if a reed duet is in progress.
Although not shying away from decorating their interface with mellow tones and sparkling peeps, toughness isn’t neglected either.
The concluding Drei subsides after mandolinpitched strums; upwards-moving string tweaks and almost visual sparks fly between the two on Zwei Punkt Zwei; and there are sections of the introductory Eins Punkt Eins where it appears as if the two are not only creating novel rhythms by twisting strings near their instruments’ scrolls, but sounding as if they’re ripping apart the bass wood as they play. Zwei Punkt Eins is the track most illustrative of the relationship. Climaxing with a series of spiccato runs that eventually relax into a peaceful conclusion, intense excitement is first built up by combining scrubbed lowing, aviary-like chirps and string
recoils. Ken Waxman (TheWholeNote)

Os duos com o mesmo instrumento continuam a ser duos. Ainda que, às tantas, não se perceba quem produz que som. São os timbristas, não os timbres, que mais importam. Assim acontece com “Zwirn”, do Kontrabassduo. Daniel Studer e Peter K. Frey, suíços respectivamente de Zurique e de Baden, têm um trajecto muito semelhante – especializaram-se na improvisação livre e vão pesquisando novas formas de combinação do improvisado com o composto, além de trabalharem com outras disciplinas artísticas, designadamente a dança, a performance, o instalacionismo e a vídeo-arte. São como que almas gémeas, mas souberam individualizar as suas personalidades musicais. Studer é mais mercuriano (o que talvez explique as suas associações com Lester Bowie, Gerry Hemingway, Joelle Léandre e Evan Parker) e Frey mais metódico (não estranhando que coordene um curso de pós-graduação em música de câmara).
Para eles o contrabaixo não é apenas as quatro cordas que o percorrem de alto a baixo. Usam a totalidade do cordofone, numa manipulação que não raro o transforma numa ferramenta percussiva. Utilizam todo um léxico de técnicas extensivas, umas universais na área da música experimental, improvisada ou não, e outras desenvolvidas por cada um deles. Por vezes, não parece estarmos a ouvir dois contrabaixos, mas algo que numas ocasiões se desdobra e noutras se mescla como plasticina, preferindo sempre um mundo de pormenores sónicos e pequeníssimos elementos que contraria as dimensões do instrumento mais grave da família do violino. Rui Eduardo Paes (Jazz.pt)