Captivating journey into the blue
Six years after their last album, the ten-piece Luzia-von-Wyl ensemble is releasing its latest musical coup "Frakmont". A listening experience driven by unquenchable curiosity.
Luzia von Wyl, born in 1985, studied piano and composition in Zurich, Bern and her home town of Lucerne and prefers to stage her projects herself. The artist is particularly associated with the so-called Third Way, a style that combines jazz with new music.
Already her debut Frost (2014) was released together with her formation, the Luzia-von-Wyl-Ensemble. Further albums have since been added, most recently 2024 Frakmont. Its title alludes to the popular name of Pilatus. They recorded seven tracks in 2021, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The work has been released on von Wyl's newly founded label LU-Records, which promises the musician, who lives in Lucerne and New York, artistic control and also allows her to publish both recordings and scores.
Challenging and impressive
Right from the first track, Thunder, her flair for rhythm, odd time signatures and emotionality shines through: What begins with a few jingle bars that seem like clips from a news program quickly picks up speed and follows multi-layered paths - from the thundering orchestra to dreamy piano passages to the furious finale with Lionel Friedli's drums.
Further compositions such as Mulinoin which strings, accordion and a marimba carefully feel each other out, or the capricious Ronkwhich combines driving rock rhythms with free-form piano intermezzi, takes the listener on a journey into the blue, circling through changing soundscapes. This is challenging and impressive at the same time.
The unifying element is the rhythms, which are always captivating, innovative and could also be used for a movie script set in the mountains. Frakmont is an extremely dynamic listening experience that testifies to Luzia von Wyl's unquenchable curiosity and shows her unbroken passion.
Luzia von Wyl Ensemble: Frakmont. Luzia von Wyl, compositions and piano; Gary Versace, accordion; Amin Mokdad, flute; Nocola Katz, clarinet; Marcel Lüscher, bass clarinet; Maurus Conte, trombone; Vincent Millioud, violin; Karolina Öhman, cello; Christoph Utzinger, double bass; Fabian Ziegler, marimba and thunderbolt; Lionel Friedli, percussion. LU Label LU01
