Scopes

The contemporary sound is strong in this sparkling, eponymous debut from new European quartet Scopes, led by Austrian drummer Mathias Ruppnig and German bassist Tom Berkmann.Available on CD and High quality, 180 gram, 12" LP - comes with downloadcode containing the digital album in multiple formats.Originally meeting up when based in New York for several years, performing there in various projects with French pianist/keyboardist Tony Tixier, they created the basis of a striking collaboration completed by acclaimed Dutch alto saxophonist Ben van Gelder. Their roots in jazz tradition are evident, yet Scopes' quest for a "sense for the pulse time" has shaped a young, sleek sound world incorporating wider influences - a melting pot of original, melodic composition and improvisation infused with textural synthscapes and liquescent sax. It's a confidently joyous partnership, Tom Berkmann describing their band name as "a frame inside which we can be endlessly creative- a 'musical plEcho Of Their Own Prejudices / Mode / Lakeview / Nostalgia / Chamberlain / Balance / Aquaponies / Whistle