George Lewis, Splitter Orchester

The Splitter Orchester is a Berlin-based collection of internationally respected Composer-Performers which draws inspiration from many genres and is most comfortable in the creative borderland between composed and improvised music. It is a defiant musical organism that has developed an extraordinary artistic profile - uniting across continents, generations and aesthetics. Utilising a broad variety of extended techniques on traditional, electronic, and especially constructed and tailored instruments, the ensemble's main focus in their artistic practice is the production of sound and how to diffuse it in space - creating an ocean of sound rich in texture, dynamics and unexpected power. What brings this ensemble of incredible musicians together is a dedication to discovering together the untarnished face of a new, sonic experience: something bold, radical, political and beautiful all at once.

AACM member George Lewis is a seminal figure - a musician, artist and thinker whose humanistic visions and work on artistic process has significantly influenced a broad swathe of artists internationally. The collaborative nature of musical creation within a Composer-Performer context is integral to both Lewis and Splitter. Especially conceived for the Splitter Orchester, Lewis' Creative Construction Set™ is more a facilitation than a composition, bringing these two global forces together in synergistic partnership that resulted in a lucid improvisational experience. This album is a partial document of this mutual exploration, mesmerizing the listeners with the stunning transparency of its sound.

The very first concert of the Splitter Orchester (in Berlin’s main train station in 2010), was documented on a Echtzeitmusik compilation published by Mikroton Recordings in 2012. This compilation was a milestone in the long-term relationship between Mikroton Recordings and the diverse Echtzeitmusik-Scene in Berlin. Since then, many members of the Splitter Orchester have released their music on Mikroton Recordings (amongst them Burkhard Beins, Werner Dafeldecker, Michael Thieke, Simon J. Phillips, and many more).