Solo.

photo©Ian Stenhouse

(…)Mit Präparationen und extended techniques evoziert Steyer mit wieder Altsaxophon und Klarinette in kakophonem Queerfeldein bruitistisch durchsetzte Klangfelder mit archaischem Anstrich.(…)Verzerrt angeraute und flatterzüngelnde Spaltklänge verraten ihre stupende Könnerschaft, die auf jeden gekieksten Missklang das Schlaglicht des gewollten wirft.(…) Weiss der Geier, wieso mir Edith Steyer bisher entgangen ist.“ (Rigobert Dittmann, Bad Alchemy)

The solo CD reflects my solo work of the past year. As in the years before, I have explored diverse extended techniques on the clarinet and saxophone and intensified my efforts of reconstructing my instruments. As a former student of social anthropology, I am and always have been interested in ethnomusicology. This is why a part of my music deals with (repetitive) figures that are influenced by tribal music. The add ons are either objects from every day life or parts of other instruments, that I use for preparations on clarinet and saxophone. The preparation deforms the clarinet or saxophone sounds as well as the playing techniques and opens up different possibilities for improvisation.

https://edithsteyer.bandcamp.com/album/hoox-and-add-ons

„Expanding the reed palate with preparations, German alto saxophonist/clarinetist Edith Steyer, who has played with the likes of Jean-Marc Foussat and Michael Griener among many others, still doesn’t overuse the additions throughout the CD’s 14 selections. However certain tracks are dedicated to expressive experimentation. “Swarms” for example, alternates among buzzing Bronx cheers, dog-whistle-like shrills and low-pitched cuckoo-clock-like resonations. “Announcement” is even more strident with ear-splitting reed variations rubbing against further low-pitches; and “Ebony and Raspberry” highlighting spetrofluctuation alongside narrowing timbres and double-tonguing. Yet even as atonal a narrative as “The Cyclist” includes a mellow exposition alongside trills wrenched from the body tube and key percussion. Similarly the key percussion that ends “Diesels Complaint (Before Its Driving Ban”) and the tongue slaps that begin it may aim towards dissonance, but even as Steyer squeals up and down the scale a moderato narrative can be heard as well. Other tracks encompass tonal patterns and melodies as well. For instance the chalumeau echoes emanating from her clarinet on “Under a Skin” may be sharp, but the woody tones finally revealed include a warm, jocular theme as they unroll.“ (Ken Waxman/Jazzword, july 1st 2020)