“Taschenhymnen” are Tsching’s most personal album so far. In their current program and 3rd CD, Tsching thinking out of every stylistic box and are devoting themselves entirely to their own creative roots and influences. At the same time, the three musicians are going all out with a new instrumentation of the pieces.
Instead of looking for the most beautiful sounds and inspirations around the world, Tsching recalls their individual artistic background with “Taschenhymnen”. The ensemble, with exclusively own compositions, is tracking down the microcosm and musical dreams and experiences that have contributed to the development of the band since the beginning. All pieces are very personal, with sometimes quite intimate moods, which make the path of the three musicians resonate together.
Franziska Kraft plays on a five-string bassoon specially designed for her. Multi-instrumentalist Helmut Mittermaier gives the brass section a rich palette of timbres. Guitarist Ben Aschenbach is contributing the foundation of harmony and groove with his virtuoso, accentuated and sensitive style. Tsching always wants to leave it to the audience If they would like to favor the term “jazz”, “world music” or “neo-classical music”.
With vibrancy and severity, in an intense, moody atmosphere and with subtle tones, this for the first time in the band’s history live recorded album, tells stories about dusk and dawn, about the magic of the daily grind between yesterday and tomorrow and about the antitheses of life between exuberant, turbulent dance and melancholic or meditative chants.
Franziska Kraft – bass cello
Originates from a musicians’ family from Berlin and visited the Bachgymnasium in Berlin-Mitte. The prizewinner and scholarship holder of various competitions studied classical violoncello at the Hochschule für Musik “Hanns Eisler” Berlin and completed her education by attending several master classes. During this time she discovered her love for improvisation and world music. The contact to musicians of different genres inspired her soon to stylistically comprehensive concert projects as a solo, chamber and band cellist.
Ben Aschenbach – Guitar, Loops, Percussion
Born and raised in Berlin, began with a classical education and studied jazz and popular music at the University of Music “Hanns Eisler” Berlin. His broad musical spectrum ranges from classical to jazz and blues to pop, rock to electronic music. He is intensively involved in music from other cultures (Latin America, Spain and South-East Europe) and is active as a band and theater musician both at home and abroad.
Helmut Mittermaier – soprano and tenor saxophone
Studied theater and music at the Musikhochschule Stuttgart as well as sound studies at the Berlin University of the Arts. On different trips, he was engaged with different musical traditions. In India he took lessons in Shanai and flute playing. In addition to his concert activity he composed music for film, radio plays and theater music, wrote a radio play and created sound installations.
