*2022 stock. In process of stocking* The world slowed down immeasurably in 2020 as the Corona virus pandemic spread across the globe, and Cologne bassist and composer Stefan Schönegg applied that shift to his own music. “I developed a deep longing for reduction and deceleration—in music and in life,” he says. Indeed, Strukturen, the latest transmission from his ensemble Enso, is marked by a Zen-like serenity. Since launching the project back in 2016 Schönegg has embraced minimal materials for the group, allowing for patient exploration of tone colors and melodic gestures. Yet here he pushed things much further, retreating into an interior space designed for gentle, meditative contemplation in stark contrast to the endless bustle of everyday life before the virus pulled the virtual plug on our old ways. Rather than protest or struggle against a new reality, Schönegg and Enso acquiesced and turned inward, locating the communion we all missed in collective sound. This new recording might be the most stripped-down recording the ensemble has made, but it’s also the most generous offering yet, suggesting a breakthrough. - Peter Margasak