Inside the Baxter Building — Seldom Somber

The album Seldom Somber marks the official debut of the band known as Inside the Baxter Building. The trio, which consists of musicians Simon Petermann, Samuel Würgler and sound artist Fabian Gutscher, is out to explore the possibilities of real-time electronic sound processing and manipulation. This is a project that would make John Cage smile, if he was still around to hear it.

The music on this album is a celebration of the vast world of sound, sound in its pure form. The music found here is primarily electronic in nature, but it's beautifully complemented and supported by sections played on a  trombone and trumpet. All of the electronic sounds and textures audible here were acoustically generated and then manipulated in real time using analog and digital effects – with the ultimate intent of exploring the limits and possibilities of what's technically feasible at the moment. The outcome is a warm, rich, layered sound palette, one that defies simple categorization. Inside The Baxter Builder truly sound like no other. 

With the album Seldom Somber Inside the Baxter Building created what could be best described as a sonic artwork designed to challenge stereotypical notions of the preset parameters of the electro-acoustic genre. The band itself calls this form of expression "real-time electronic music". This term refers both to their mode of sound production, as well as their applied performance techniques. All of these pieces were played live using acoustic instruments and MIDI controllers, while the sounds were manipulated in real time, on output. An essential part of the project is improvisation, hence “real time music”. These compositions are characterized by pulsating soundscapes and transformative, shifting sound surfaces made up of  scraps of melodies and rhythmically abstracted beats.

As a formal preparation for recording this record, the band outlined quintessential  tensions and synchronicities to be explored during the session. The musicians even created a notation system which was used to represent a meaningful degree of concretization for the music, in the framework of the greater improvisation. The final compositions on this album are now

largely depictions of these hand drawn images converted into music and provide ample room for personal interpretation for the listeners.

The album was recorded in November 2014 in Madulain, a village located in a well known Swiss valley called Engadin. The trio moved there for an entire week to fully dedicate themselves to their art. The natural, inherent silence of this particular location can be heard throughout. Space and light meet darker tones and precipitate in abysmal moments – sometimes the music appears soothing, yet sharp, or it feels like the warmth of an open fire glowing in the night.