Music for Septet is my second album, and the first time I've written for a larger group.

I started the septet in Basel in 2022. The idea was to bring all of my favourite instruments together in one ensemble. It began with the harp, an instrument I love, which was there for some important moments in my life as a teenager. Around it came flute, bassoon, clarinet, cello, drums and double bass.

Joe Melnicove on flute and I have known each other since we were kids, and we started playing music together back then. His sound and his way of improvising are at the heart of this group. The other musicians come from jazz and improvisation or from classical chamber music, and I was curious what would happen if neither side had to give up its own way of thinking.

The pieces move between written counterpoint and open improvisation. The harp holds much of the harmony, the bassoon gets more room than it usually does, and a groove comes and goes. Underneath, there are melodies that come from somewhere further east, which I think I carry with me without always noticing.

It's still hard for me to put this music into a genre. Maybe jazz and free improvisation, with my love for 20th century classical music, played by six musicians I admire very much.

We recorded it in 2023 at Hard Studios, with the support of SRF.

Thank you for listening, and I hope it reaches you somewhere.

Nadav Erlich