STEAMBOAT SWITZERLAND

Dominik Blum - hammond organ, korg ms 20 and piano ( on Zone2)
Marino Pliakas - bass, and guitar ( on Zone 2)
Lucas Niggli - drums, percussion

Steamboat Switzerland comprises the force of a fully cranked-up Hammond organ, an E-bass distorted beyond recognition and drums as hard as nails. Driven by the highly explosive mixture of metal-riffs, contemporary sound material and free improvisation, the steamboat resolves its interfering noises into strangely moving harmonies. Watch out for the engine room which crashes, bangs and chirps quite cunningly.

A Short Extract from the Performance in Los Angeles, Steve Allen Theater on June 19th 2008

The ultimate and world's only Avant-core Hammond trio "Steamboat Switzerland" creates its own way of a playing a chart song, written by the English composer Sam Hayden. It was released as a vinyl single at Moon records and GROB, and, similar to the Melvins single editions, an improvisation was added on theB-side. The members of the band are Dominik Blum, Hammond organ, Marino Pliakas, bass and Lucas Niggli, drums are joined by special guest Simone Vollenweider, a marvellous young indie rock singer. They combine elements of hard core with avantgardist and free improvised experiences:, "Too in awe of the transdecent properties of amplification for the jazz and improvisational circuits, too wired an volatile for the alternative rock communities, annexed by the classical academy from the parallel soundworlds dreamed by Yannis Xenakis and Edgard Varese, it exists in a vibrant but diminishing place, sealed off from all enquiry, ripe for discovery (Tony Herrington at "wire, 1999).

Zone 2 is the fifth CD of the power trio Steamboat Switzerland and the fourth that the Swiss musicians have released on GROB (2001: Budapest, GROB 315; ac/dB [Hayden], GROB 316; 2005: Wertmüller, GROB 655). Steamboat Switzerland – Dominik Blum, organ; Marino Pliakas, e-bass; Lucas Niggli, drums – are a rousing live band who have developed an absolutely individual way of playing and expressing themselves out of their examination of sludge metal, post-serialism and free jazz. Their records, however, differ greatly from their live repertoire, already classic (the band has given many hundred concerts in the ten years it has existed). Their studio albums are recorded live, and sometimes come together from concert recordings, but they follow a strict design that the band has either not tried out, or done so only temporarily. And just as the albums do not even try to mirror the live situation, neither do the live performances contain the program of the current CD. Zone 2 isn’t an exception: it is simply the first recording which is primarily played on acoustic instruments; the amplification is not foregrounded. Marion Pliakas changes to the acoustic guitar, Lucas Niggli plays a reduced drum set and Dominik Blum can be heard on piano. The music – one continuous piece – is improvised.