Ydivide at The Cooler At The Complex

Following their critically acclaimed debut album Lubumba in 2022, British-Irish-Swiss collaborative ensemble YDIVIDE released The Default this year, delving into themes of racial and gender bias with vibrant counterpoints, powerful unisons, and intelligent solos. The quintet brings together the best of this generation of European musicians, with pianist Elliot Galvin, saxophonist Dee Byrne, guitarist Chris Guilfoyle, bassist Lukas Traxel and drummer Clemens Kuratle.

Composer of their works and the impetus behind the initial collaboration, Clemens says that Ydivide's music is fueled by the urgent questions and conflicts facing our generation and the next ones. Through his research, reading & obsession with the history of the global south and its political conflicts, the emotive intentions of the compositions take shape, infusing the music with urgency and empathy that embraces the complexity of the modern world....

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Following their critically acclaimed debut album Lubumba in 2022, British-Irish-Swiss collaborative ensemble YDIVIDE released The Default this year, delving into themes of racial and gender bias with vibrant counterpoints, powerful unisons, and intelligent solos. The quintet brings together the best of this generation of European musicians, with pianist Elliot Galvin, saxophonist Dee Byrne, guitarist Chris Guilfoyle, bassist Lukas Traxel and drummer Clemens Kuratle.

Composer of their works and the impetus behind the initial collaboration, Clemens says that Ydivide's music is fueled by the urgent questions and conflicts facing our generation and the next ones. Through his research, reading & obsession with the history of the global south and its political conflicts, the emotive intentions of the compositions take shape, infusing the music with urgency and empathy that embraces the complexity of the modern world.

Critic Kevin LeGendre wrote of their first release, “International bands have existed for many years in the world of improvised music. Exciting things can happen when borders are crossed and curious individuals come together to create their own language in sound, even though they may not have the same mother tongue or cultural references. Ydivide, a fine European ensemble, is a case in point. The discipline of composition and freedom of improvisation steer the music, and the presence or rhythms that crackle with dance-like energy as well as bursts of harmonic turbulence and meditative choruses point to Kuratle‘s embrace of both ‚in‘ and ‚out‘ sounds. Most importantly, his wordless songs are saying something.”

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