Underwater Princess Waltz is a bold and imaginative project by the Belgian/Dutch electric guitar quartet Zwerm, featuring a vibrant collection of “one-page pieces” by leading figures in American experimental music: Karl Berger, Earle Brown, Alvin Curran, Nick Didkovsky, Joel Ford, Daniel Goode, Clinton McCallum, Larry Polansky, and Christian Wolff. The “one-page piece” is a unique compositional format-each work fits entirely on a single sheet of paper, whether in traditional notation, prose, graphics, or a hybrid. This format, rooted in the American experimental tradition with influences from Terry Riley’s In C, encourages open interpretation, collective decision-making, and creative risk-taking by performers. The result is music that blurs boundaries between composition and improvisation, process and performance.
On this album, Zwerm-joined by collaborators Eric Thielemans (drums, percussion), Bertel Schollaert (saxophone), Matthias Koole (guitar), and Thomas Moore (voice-over)-explores a wide sonic spectrum, from blues and free improvisation to experimental rock, noise, and minimalism. The ensemble’s adventurous spirit is evident as they craft their own realizations of each score, forging connections between disparate musical ideas and traditions. Highlights include Earle Brown’s iconic graphic score December 1952, Alvin Curran’s whimsical Underwater Princess Waltz and Her Waltzing with Her, Nick Didkovsky’s energetic Mayhem series, and Christian Wolff’s process-driven Burdocks, Part VII. Each piece becomes a springboard for collaborative exploration, where the boundaries of genre and technique are joyfully tested.
Underwater Princess Waltz is both a celebration of experimental music’s legacy and a showcase for the creative potential of the one-page format-an invitation to listen beyond the notes and discover new worlds of sound.
