Fosterchild

FOSTERCHILD is the name of the quintet initially formed in 2018 David Helm and Fabian Arends. The cologne based improvisers and instrumentalists led a concert series at the renowned LOFT in Cologne and invited danish pianist and composer Jacob Anderskov for a concert in 2015.

This first meeting served as the initial ignite for their everlasting collaboration. Soon after their first gathering in cologne the group was joined by the danish trumpeter extraordinaire Kasper Tranberg - a long time associate of Anderskov´s and saxophonist Sebastian Gille from Cologne. Since their formation the quintet played many more concerts all over Germany and Denmark including the Copenhagen Jazz Festival in 2019.

After the 2019 release of FOSTERCHILD (Tangible music), which included several guests and larger ensemble works, their most recent recording DEAR EARTHLING (ILK music) presents the quintet´s sound in it´s purest and most transparent form.

On ten pieces (recorded in collaboration with Deutschlandfunk) composed by Arends, Anderkov, Helm and Gille the ensemble explores a huge variety of sonic landscapes and dynamic interplay. All members on their own stand out as innovative and highly virtuosic instrumentalists and at the same time fold into deeply connected ensemble movements.

FOSTERCHILD´s music is informed by an eager willingness to explore new timbres and sound structures as a group.

The combination of the varying compositional approaches of the band members and their attitude of collective individualism creates a rich palette to draw from improvisationally. Thanks to their compatible improvisational dialects and their innate ability to sense suspence, dynamics and the musical possibilites that arise from each moment FOSTERCHILD creates unique music with character and space.

“The eternal grapple of composition & improvisation dissolves here in astounding lightness, timbral nuances are virtually celebrated, dynamic shades reach down to the edge of audibility. Rarely before has a rhythm section of jazz so circumvented the expectations of their activity and merged into a sound painting as here... A great hour for European post free jazz”

- Michael Rüsenberg, 18.05.19