Carl Ludwig Hübsch

Composer and musician Carl Ludwig Hübsch takes his tuba, and us, on a series of musical tours with his ensemble on Primordial Soup, fusing new music sensibilities with a healthy dose of noise and Euro free improv. The band features Axel Dörner (trumpet), Frank Gratkowski (reeds) and Michael Griener on percussion. What strikes one about this music is the varying moods and feels that play out with skill and integrity, from the cheerful neo-jazz of "Ngc 2273 Vier Four” to the remarkable "Pressio #1,” which manages to convey the sense of electronic musique concrete performed with acoustic instruments. The use of space and subtle dynamics on "NGC 2276 Inspektion” skilfully moves the silences and ambience along in a way that never leaves the listener hanging. While the temptation is always to spend time in exploration, the compositions are succinct whether they are 12 or two minutes in entirety. The musicians and composer have an assured sense of the narrative and propel each piece with conviction, making this a CD of interesting, varied and disciplined music. (Red Toucan)