Lukas Mantel Sextet - Vardah (2019)

Vardah, the Urdu word for rose and the name of a cyclone that Lukas Mantel experienced in Chennai, is what this band is all about. Although the power of the music is more controlled and not as unrestrained as the tropical whirlwind, it is definitely still wild and unpredictable!

The musicians in this sextet, all proven virtuosos, devote themselves entirely to Lukas Mantel’s compositions, firstly by breathing life and soul into the score, and secondly by consistently keeping an eye on the overall form during all solos and improvisations. In alternating smaller and larger groups of instruments, the sextet creates a harmonious melodic fabric that keeps evolving organically, like a climbing plant. All the while, the music spans a great arc between rhythmic intricacy and seemingly folkloric melodies. As the uniqueness of this music resides in the synthesis of archaic freedom and collective development of a complex structure, it haunts and affects the listener in a lasting manner.