Describing the music of Polwechsel, primarily composed by Werner Dafeldecker (of the four works here, three are his and one by Michael Moser), one gets the impression here that nothing, absolutely nothing, is left to chance. There is a precision and fineness of the slash into the world of consonance in tonality that is as deep as it is wide. There is no feeling of improvisation here, though the musicians playing this work have considerable freedom in what they play, just not when or how. On Nord, Moser's cello is rung in timbral garlands through the sheets of clanging feedback provided by Burkhard Stangl. These are offered small respite from the inside-out explosions of Radu Malfatti's trombone, checking its valves before Dafeldecker's bass finally enters with a percussive thrum to alter perception once again. On Ost, Stangl's guitar emulates a flute in the opening phrases, parsed, direct, and ghostly. The sound of a harbor at night, Dafeldecker's bass and Moser's cello bow a slow, elegiac allegiance to one another in the mist of the fog provided by Malfatti. And that's how the music of Polwechsel is, visual and tonally experimental, referencing no other texts but natural or industrial settings and creating their soundtracks. This isn't music for everybody, but it doesn't mean to be. Polwechsel makes music that explores not even they know what -- hence the precision of attack to keep the proceedings from getting too far in front of the band. This is a difficult listen, but a rewarding one. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi

1		Nord, for 4 instruments
2		Ost, for 4 instruments
3		NNO-Fernaumoos
4		Südwest, for 4 instruments

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