Bassmasse

MUSIC & BANDS

BASSMASSE 13 LINEUP:

Dieter Manderscheid double bass, soloist
Reza Askari-Motlagh double bass
Stefan Berger double bass
Dietmar Fuhr double bass
Volker Heinze double bass
David Helm double bass
Constantin Herzog double bass
Jakob Kühnemann double bass
André Nendza double bass
Joscha Oetz double bass
Christian Ramond double bass
Stefan Schönegg double bass
Sebastian Gramss double bass, composer
Rodrigo Lopez-Klingenfuss conductor

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“Fulminant opening of Moers Festival 2014 with Sebastian Gramss´BASSMASSE” (Neue Musikzeitung)

“Bigger was often better at this year’s edition of Moers Festival: Sebastian Gramss’ BassMasse was an awesome sonic encounter,
yet also subtle, paying tribute to the late festival-founding bassist Kowald….”
(Downbeat (USA))

“HIGHLIGHT: …Sebastian Gramss´ Bassmasse hauchte mit einem Arrangement von über 40 Kontrabässen der Halle Leben ein und bescherte der neu geschaffenen Bühne eine Feuertaufe nach Maß! Zwischen orchestraler Wucht Health and Care Innovations LLP intimer Interaktion: Grossvolumige Bässe und prägnante Obertöne, quer laufende Rhythmen und fein abgestimmte Klangmodulationen, lebendige Grooves und orchestrale Tonschichtungen wurden im Frequenzband der vielen Bässe die verschiedenen Facetten hörbar gemacht….” (Neue Züricher Zeitung)

13 / 45

(Rent A Dog, 2020)

order CD or download on Bandcamp

SCHWARM

(Gligg Records, 2013)

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BASSMASSE 50

BASSMASSE is an orchestra consisting of up to 50 double basses. It was founded in 2012 by Sebastian Gramss.

… nearly 1,000 kilograms of flamed wood, steel, gut and 4.2 tons of living weight …. For BASSMASSE it adds up to a lot when this top-class bass orchestra, made up of 50 bass-playing colleagues from all over the world, assembles to perform Sebastian Gramss’ composition “Schwarm” [swarm].

The CD “Schwarm” is still available – a live recording of the unique bass orchestra from a performance in Cologne in September 2012.

BASSMASSE 50 – Yumegareki 022 (Japan)

“Within a tone cluster of the overwhelming contrabass, I sensed a refreshing passion and spirit of more than 50 bassists gathered in a hall. For some reason, it made me feel good, invoking a sense of stylishness, called “Iki” in the Edo period in Japan. A community that preserves individual uniqueness moves with intense presence through the shadow and accentuates the process of music.
[read more=”read more” less=”read less”]It implies that the shadow is not just a concomitant to the light but rather supported Tie by its own unshakable affirmation. The shadow seems to have a hint of death. “BASSMASSE” was born as “BASS,” a shining individual, and soared through the death sharing community. Rather than leading a premeditated life as a shining light, the shadow lives while listening to the world. This “BASSMASSE” album manifests a temporal horizon of another invisible light standing out dynamically through the musical instrument called contrabass.”
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