A completely idiosyncratic and timeless sound characterizes SoKo Steidle.
This foursome has fully dedicated itself to free improvisation – a style of playing that emerged out of music-historical necessity and is celebrated today more than ever all over the world.
The band’s namesake and recipient of the German Jazz Prize 2022 in the category “Drummer of the Year,” Oliver Steidle, has long been one of the most in-demand, versatile, and forward-looking musicians of the young European avant-garde.
Through numerous prominent engagements and his own bands Oli Steidle & the Killing Popes, Oliwood, and SoKo Steidle, he has secured his place in the international concert scene and has become an indispensable part of it. He has been a member of PHILM (German Jazz Prize 2021 “Band of the Year”), Der Rote Bereich, Klima Kalima for years; has played with Peter Brötzmann, Andrea Parkins, Alexander von Schlippenbach, Aki Takase, Louis Sclavis, Tristan Honsinger, Trevor Dunn, among many others; he tirelessly travels the world, composes music, is undogmatic, has won numerous prizes, and has performed at all major, notable festivals....
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A completely idiosyncratic and timeless sound characterizes SoKo Steidle.
This foursome has fully dedicated itself to free improvisation – a style of playing that emerged out of music-historical necessity and is celebrated today more than ever all over the world.
The band’s namesake and recipient of the German Jazz Prize 2022 in the category “Drummer of the Year,” Oliver Steidle, has long been one of the most in-demand, versatile, and forward-looking musicians of the young European avant-garde.
Through numerous prominent engagements and his own bands Oli Steidle & the Killing Popes, Oliwood, and SoKo Steidle, he has secured his place in the international concert scene and has become an indispensable part of it. He has been a member of PHILM (German Jazz Prize 2021 “Band of the Year”), Der Rote Bereich, Klima Kalima for years; has played with Peter Brötzmann, Andrea Parkins, Alexander von Schlippenbach, Aki Takase, Louis Sclavis, Tristan Honsinger, Trevor Dunn, among many others; he tirelessly travels the world, composes music, is undogmatic, has won numerous prizes, and has performed at all major, notable festivals.
The same applies to Rudi Mahall, Henrik Walsdorff, and Jan Roder who, like Steidle, belong to the spearhead of the international avant-garde.
Within this collective of outstanding musicians, enormously diverse and atmospheric sound creations emerge, ranging from rivaling competition to harmonious interplay. Spontaneity and freedom in playing, along with the responsibility to shape without predetermined structures, are the essential foundations of this music. In addition, beyond dedication to the art, there is the ability to come together – to form the optimal personal combination within the ensemble.
So it is not surprising that Alexander von Schlippenbach once wrote about SoKo Steidle:
“They play together like devils and swing like motherfuckers.”
For the 20th anniversary, a new album was released in 2022 – featuring the master himself, Alexander von Schlippenbach, who took part as a guest at all the SoKo concerts accompanying the release.
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