Translation of the German review:  

Mulo Francel, born in Munich (Germany) in 1967, is a saxophonist and composer who has made a name for himself with his versatile work in the fields of jazz, classical and world music. Following his passion for music, he taught himself to play the saxophone and studied saxophone, clarinet and composition in Munich, Linz (Austria) and New York (USA). He performs worldwide with his ensemble Quadro Nuevo, which he founded in 1996, and has released numerous albums. Mulo Francel works in other formations and performs as a soloist with renowned orchestras. Over the course of his career, Mulo Francel and his ensembles have received numerous awards. His playing style is characterized by the fusion of different musical styles. He is regarded as a musical bridge builder. His passionate playing inspires his listeners and fellow players alike.

Tim Collins was born in Plattsburgh (New York, USA) in 1977 and is a vibraphonist, percussionist, composer and music teacher. He began playing the piano at the age of six and soon developed an interest in percussion instruments. He studied at renowned music academies and established himself in the New York jazz scene through his outstanding contributions to jazz music. In 2010, Tim Collins moved to Munich and has since enriched the European jazz scene. The world-class vibraphonist has released several albums since 2007 and has received positive reviews. He is praised for his versatility, creativity and technical skills. His compositions are described as thoughtful and exploratory. Tim Collins is credited for catchy, lively and sophisticated music.

Mulo Francel and Tim Collins are perfectly harmonizing and well-attuned professionals. The sounds between the wind instruments and the vibraphone flow into each other and form a musical sum, they act as if they are one piece. They provide each other with models for solo parts, only to then switch to the accompanying position themselves, as if the light of the spotlight shone on one, then on the other or on both at the same time. The interplay is very sensitive and has a flowing character.

The first track Personal Hero (Mulo Francel) is a song for the soul, enriched with a touch of melancholy. The catchy melody is played with consummate beauty. Orsola's Lullaby (Tim Collins) continues this but is more fast-paced and lives from a high degree of finesse. In the improvisation on the song, I`ve never Been in Love Before (Frank Loesser, from the musical “Guys and Dolls”, 1950), the music moves more in the direction of jazz. Yorke`s Guitar (Chris Gall) continues the common thread of the album. While the saxophone had previously set the tone, Mulo Francel switches to the bass on How Did We Get Here? (Tim Collins) Mulo Francel switches to the bass clarinet. With an interesting tone, clearer accents are now set, perfect for the transition to St. James Infirmary (trad. / arr. Mulo Francel & Tim Collins), in which the buzzing double bass clarinet comes across like an instrument from another planet. All the pieces have a unique signature and are characterized by a wealth of ideas and a love of experimentation. The duo celebrates the art of playing at the highest level. It is one of the most beautiful albums of recent times, which the analog recording undoubtedly accommodates. All the subtleties of the instruments and the interplay between them are presented on audio tape in the greatest detail. This album is great art!

Interview with the sound engineer Dominique Klatte

Claus: How did the idea for this recording come about? How did you meet and organize yourselves?

Dominique: Dietmar Winter organizes the jazz festival in Schwäbisch Hall (Germany) and concerts. He knew the group Quadro Nuevo. Dietmar approached Mulo. Mulo expressed interest. Then everything happened very quickly.

Claus: As there will also be an LP of this recording, it will be the first time that Pure Tape Recording is associated with Jazz On Vinyl. Are such connections or combinations planned for further recordings from the Pure Tape Recording project?

Dominique: It's not planned now, but I'm leaving it open to do it in the future. For example, we did two sessions with Patrick Bebelaar. The first was released on Jazz On Vinyl as an LP and on tape, the second on Pure Tape Recording as tape only. We also recorded other tracks with Mulo Francel and Tim Collins. That's why there are two more tracks on the LP. As always, the vinyl cut is 100% analog from the tape master. The order of the tracks on the tape was determined by the musicians. I then defined the LP's central theme myself, because the two tracks with the bass clarinet should be at the beginning of the record due to the very low frequency components, as no compressors or limiters are used to limit the dynamics during recording. These are important basics that must be considered when exploiting the sound potential of a vinyl record.

Claus: If I'm right, the Pure Tape Recording project with Jazz On Vinyl is the first time that a pure studio recording has been made. Otherwise, you always took your equipment to various recording situations. Will the studio recording take a permanent place in your projects?

Dominique: The Dorian Gray Studio was already booked for the recordings, so I didn't have the opportunity to choose a room with the musicians beforehand. I had to follow Mulo and Tim, but that wasn't a problem. It's part of my concept to get the best out of less-than-ideal situations. This makes my recordings very interesting and always creates a special signature. Six microphones were used for my recording. A lot more microphones were set up for the other recording. These can be seen in the photos but were not used for the Pure Tape Recording. We also had a studio atmosphere for a few recordings for the Jazz On Vinyl project. However, the recording machine, microphones and studio mixer always come from me, and I only sit with my equipment in front of the musicians in the same room.

Claus: What projects are planned for the future?

Dominique: Recently, the musicians from Quadro Nuevo were guests of Dietmar Winter and heard the recording of Mulo Francel and Tim Collins on tape. The enthusiasm was so great that we are considering further projects, and it will always be something special with Quadro Nuevo.

The recording was made together with sound engineer Dominique Klatte on February 23, 2024, at Dorian Gray Studios in Munich. It was made with six microphones: 2 x Neumann KM 100 ORTF (main microphone stereo), 2 x Russia ribbon microphone (vibraphone), 1 x Neumann U77 and 1 x Neumann KM 84s (saxophone & clarinets). The tape edition is very nicely done: A precision reel of studio tape made for this project lies in a taped box with a hinged lid.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)