Brass Riot

In the organizer's words:

When the Belgian Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone in the mid-19th century, he could not have imagined what he had set in motion with his invention. His new metal woodwind instrument was not particularly popular in either classical music or military music. It was not until long after his death that it became the most important instrument in jazz music via swinging big bands.

Mr. Sax would probably have been amazed if he had been able to witness a young trio from Germany playing two noisy saxophones and a drum kit on a stage in front of the Reichstag in Berlin in September 2021 in front of over 50,000 people jumping up and down during the climate strike to protest loudly against climate change and the lack of political consequences: BRASS RIOT.

The trio of Constantin von Estorff (sax), Simon Sasse (drums) and Carl Weiß (sax) came together back in their school days in Lüneburg. What began there as street music became a permanent and sought-after formation thanks to their proximity to political initiatives, above all the Fridays For Future movement and appearances at countless demonstrations.

The band's name is slightly misleading, as "brass" in music refers to brass instruments such as the trumpet or tuba, even though there is always a saxophone in most brass bands. In addition, the word "brass" means something in German, which in turn fits perfectly with this young, energetic trio: Fury.

Following their debut album "Matschsafari" from 2018, they are now releasing their second studio album "The Never Acting Story" on the Staatsakt sub-label Fun In The Church . In a critical allusion to the world-famous fantasy book by Michael Ende, the album title sums up well what BRASS RIOT 's music is essentially about: the opportunity to create a noisy outlet for all the brass on the failed politics of recent decades and the associated frustrations and fears and to free oneself from them for a moment. It is an irony of history that the wildest live music on this crisis-ridden planet was created in this way - and certainly not the first time it has happened. In other words, that a disagreement with society develops such enormous power in music. It's no different in the jazz of Charlie Parker than in the songs of Patti Smith, the raps of Little Simz or the Afro-beat of Fela Kuti.

Musically, BRASS RIOT move between the melodic ska-pop of Madness, the fake jazz of the Lounge Lizards and contemporary rave brass ensembles such as MEUTE, between house music and electro beats.

The fact that they have managed to politicize their sound so strongly over the years despite all their party suitability, and without any song lyrics, is truly phenomenal.

The new album, produced by Tilman Hopf in the legendary Chez-Cherie studios on Sonnenallee in Berlin-Neukölln, has almost become a live album, as we actually hear the band play their entire repertoire live, with the exception of a few studio overdubs. They could actually perform it just as well - without electricity or amplification - on any street corner. Except for the popular EWI saxophone, a so-called electronic wind transducer that makes it possible to trigger synthesizer sounds.

This instrument was invented by a certain Nyle Steiner in the 70s, but has never caught on in pop or jazz. But BRASS RIOT love their electronic wind instrument!

The futuristic aesthetics of the EWI are ultimately matched by the artwork by artist Sandro Rybak, who has placed "The Never Acting Story" somewhere between the worlds of fantasy and gaming.

The saxophone on the cover is staged like a holy grail, like a magic weapon or a gadget that gods or aliens must have bequeathed to us. Considering what this instrument has already achieved over the last 100 years, we can only hope that BRASS RIOT have also made the right choice with their "Weapon Of Choice"!