Pianist Masako Ohta and trumpet player Matthias Lindermayr are back on Squama with 'Nozomi', the follow-up to their 2022 debut 'MMMMH'. The Japanese title, which translates to ‘hope’, felt fitting, as the album was conceived during a time of personal loss for Ohta, during and after which music proved itself as a beacon of hope. The music on Nozomi unfolds gently, with Lindermayr’s airy tone and lyrical playing being wrapped in Ohta’s chordal backing that moves from tender to tense and back over the course of the album. While most tunes were written by Lindermayr, the only exception being an interpretation of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s ‘Hibari’, the arrangements are largely improvised, letting the duo’s intuition guide the course and build the form. Solemn slowness has become a signature trait of the Munich-based duo and it makes listening to their new record a healing retreat from the frantic chatter of the present.

Jonathan Bockelmann is a classical guitarist and composer based in Munich who first made waves in 2023 with his debut album ‘Childish Mind’. His entry into composing were arrangements he had made of pieces by Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. Some of these have been released digitally in three editions and are now available on vinyl for the first time. The record comes in high quality packaging with an embossed art print and features both some of Sakamoto’s lesser-known works like the ‘Suite for Krug’ as well as iconic pieces like ‘Bibo No Aozora’.

Berlin-based duo TRAINING team up with bassist Ruth Goller for their new album ‘threads to knot’. Frenetic free-jazz is sitting next to post-rock riffs and looming microtonal atmospheres. The record was written in a truly collaborative effort, adapting the concept of ‘cadavre exquis’, the popular drawing game: One person would start writing a few notes before passing it on to the next, revealing only the very last note, with which the composition continues. TRAINING is comprised of drummer Max Andrzejewski and sax player Johannes Schleiermacher, whose last album ‘Three Seconds’ saw them collaborate with Deerhoof guitarist John Dieterich. Ruth Goller, who has been hailed by the Guardian for her ’thunderous bass-guitar hooks’ and who made waves this year with the release of her second album ‘Skyllumina‘. She’s also known as a live performer with Kit Downes, Alabaster de Plume, Melt Yourself Down among others.

Munich-based quintet Fazer return to Squama with their fourth studio album, ‘Yamaha’, a record that melds indie jazz and psychedelic rock with humour and depth. The band recorded the album in their own studio for the first time, taking time time to experiment with sound and overdubs, while retaining the vigour of a live performance. Suspenseful two-voiced themes and tickling solo interplay by Matthias Lindermayr on trumpet and Paul Brändle on guitar is still at the core of Fazer’s music, as well as the meticulous work of their two drummers Simon Popp and Sebastian Wolfgruber, whose grooves are more rooted in the rock vernacular compared to previous records. The restrained playing of bassist and producer Martin Brugger remains a grounding force that rounds out the sound of the group.

Squama regulars Enji and Popp join forces on ‘Nant’, the debut LP by their newly minted duo ‘Poeji’, transcending the confines of Post-Dub and Downtempo. 2022’s 3-track EP ‘031921 5.24 5.53’, released as a limited run of dubplates, was the first testament to their open approach to writing, which takes only very basic ideas and relies on non-verbal communication to define form and pace. Enji’s vocals are less centre-stage than on her solo endeavors, piercing through reverb plates and guitar pedals while Simon inked his signature set of wooden and metal percussions with chains of tape echoes and analog delay. Listening to ‘Nant’ as a snapshot of Poeji’s artistry at a certain time and place can instill a sense of gratitude within the listener that something so fleeting can be captured.

After his debut album 'Happy Floating' in 2022, Leipzig-based producer Damian Dalla Torre returns to Squama with 'I Can Feel My Dreams’. Developed during a residency in Santiago, Chile, it incorporates electronic, jazz and ambient influences utilizing Andean quena flutes, synthesizers and field recordings and again centering on collaborations with fellow artists like Ruth Goller, Miriam Adefris and Christian Balvig. A wistful haze runs throughout the album, coming out at the end, there’s both light and darkness and no need to choose.

During the recordings with pianist Masako Ohta and trumpet player Matthias Lindermayr, for what is going to be their follow-up album to 2022's 'MMMMH', we were lucky enough to capture a few solo takes from Masako which will be released in digital format. The Solo EP offers three pieces written by Matthias and a heartfelt rendition of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s Hibari. The songs project melancholic calm paired with joyful improvisation and the music rewards the focussed and the absent-minded listener alike.

Contemporary classical composer Sophia Jani and violinist Teresa Allgaier announce their new collaborative work Six Pieces for Solo Violin on Squama Recordings. Characterized by its calmness and poise, each movement focuses on a particular technical aspect, bending the boundaries of the instrument while maintaining the illusion of simplicity. Sometimes the most complicated thing anyone can do is to try to create something that feels uncomplicated. Arvo Pärt, ballet, a delicious meal we didn’t cook ourselves, Ella Fitzgerald, a safe place to lay our heads at night, a quiet pine forest – […] In all these things, it takes a lot of effort to make us feel as if something is effortless. – David Lang (from the liner notes)

Enji returns with captivating live trio versions of two songs from her last two records. Whether evoking dreams, capturing breathtaking views, or recounting village visits, her storytelling unfolds through rhythmic Mongolian melodies, highlighting her growth as a vocalist and bandleader. With guitarist and co-composer Paul Brändle and River Adomeit on bass, Enji is embarking on her first tour through Europe in May, leaving behind memorable moments of quietude and strength.

Berlin-based singer and electronic artist Zylva channels themes of hope and recovery on her EP "Antiroom." After the feat of strength that was the release of her debut album "Poems from the Dark" in 2023, Zylva longed for musical and personal companionship, something she found again in Ludwig Wandinger, a fellow Berlin resident who co-produced the EP. In keeping with the heterogeneous approach of her debut, with genres ranging from Avant Pop to Indie and Ambient over the course of 6 tracks, "Antiroom" reflects the breadth of Zylva’s musical spectrum. The title’s double meaning ("Antiroom/Anteroom") refers to spaces where one’s presence (e.g., as a female producer) is not intended, as well as the EP being a precursor to future musings and a harbinger of recovery.

Roots run deep on ’Candid’, the first LP by Munich-based producer Polygonia and drummer Simon Popp. The record is a perfect blend of their distinct voices, with Popp’s drumset and his signature percussion sounds buzzing around Polygonia's bold and blooming productions. Comprised of live material recorded at Munich’s ZIRKA in late 2022 and over several studio sessions in-between touring duties, ‘Candid’ is a meadow of herbal Electronic, mystic at times, but joyful nonetheless.

„Paul, Rick and River“ is a programmatic title for the new album from Munich-based Paul Brändle Trio, a Modern Jazz group led by the eponymous 31-year old guitar player and band leader. Playing together for years and across continents, this recording manifests the trio’s current state of matter, focusing on a no-gimmicks approach and a classic, melodic style of musical world-building.

Mongolian singer Enji returns after her much-lauded 2021 album Ursgal. On Ulaan she has found new creative companions with drummer Mariá Portugal and clarinetist Joana Queiroz, both from Brazil, joining the existing trio to create a blend of grounded Folk and brooding Jazz. Shared experiences across cultures and questions of belonging and affinity became essential themes for the album. As Enji continues her journey of self-discovery, she continues to grow and adapt into new roles. With Ulaan, she bares more of her heart than we’ve seen from her yet, but she’s still got more to give—as a vocalist, a bandleader, and most importantly, as a storyteller.

For Zylva, creating is a form of healing. In 2020, the producer, illustrator, and poet found herself struggling with her mental wellbeing: a fresh arrival in locked-down Berlin, and newly heartbroken in a city known for its harsh winters and fleeting connections, Zylva imagined a place for hope, creating her debut album “Poems from the Dark”. Drifting somewhere between avant pop, lo-fi and celestial R&B, “Poems from the Dark” sets out on an emotional journey that unfolds over the course of twelve deeply personal tracks.

On his debut LP ‘Impromptu’, Julian Klaas presents a stunning work of sonic ambivalence inspired by the beauty and potential of the Wurlitzer piano. “I didn’t attempt to pursue grand feelings like ultimate happiness or deep sadness, I’m much more fascinated in the in-between: the moments you might not otherwise write down, and that you might have forgotten if you hadn’t recorded them.” With ‘Impromptu’ Klaas has found a way to honour these moments, revealing the depth and richness that underpins the present.

On his debut album, Childish Mind, guitarist and electronic musician Jonathan Bockelmann presents a series of light, serene acoustic guitar vignettes. The Munich-born musician has studied classical guitar for about two decades, perfecting his technique and gaining mastery of the instrument alongside work with his electronic duo GLASKIN. With GLASKIN, which features Jonathan and his brother Ferdi, he has explored his compositional vision, weaving genres like IDM, Ambient, jungle, and techno together. Childish Mind sees him explore a new compositional path by crafting delicately interwoven melodies for the acoustic guitar. From the gentle webs and patterns Jonathan creates, there’s a sense of meditativeness throughout the album—his music radiates out, filling moments with a sense of ease and calmness.

On his third album Blizz Munich-based drummer and producer Simon Popp further blurs the line between electronic and organic sounds. In carefully crafted, slow-growing tracks tuned metal percussions cut through searing synth pads, sucking the listener into a sonic vortex. Informed by personal and spiritual themes, Popp’s debut album Laya, as well as his 2021 follow-up Devi make use of rhythms as storytelling mechanisms. Contrasting light and dark, organic and synthetic sounds, his compositions engage in a dance of subtle complexities, enticing the listener into the practice of close listening.

Pianist Masako Ohta and trumpet player Matthias Lindermayr’s music flows in gentle waves, moving with ease between every theme they imagine. Their music is largely improvised, embracing chance and following sound down winding paths. Their debut collaborative album, MMMMH, highlights this loose process through its relaxed pace, surprising turns, and drifting style. The album presents small vignettes that each encapsulate their free-flowing motion and tranquil melodies, drawing from simple ideas to create a fully bloomed, radiant sound.

Percussive Maintenance is an initiative by drummer Simon Popp and Squama aimed at forming new ties through improvisation. For the monthly events at ZIRKA in Munich, Simon invites fellow artists to engage in an open-format collaboration. The second episode featured Embryo’s Marja Burchard on vibraphone and the recording is now available on tape in a limited edition.

‘II’ is the second album by drum experimentalists Simon Popp and Florian König aka ‘9ms’. Following up on their debut ‘Pleats’, the Munich-based musicians further expanded their toolbox of synthesizers, effects and tonal percussion to create a fusion of Trip Hop, Krautrock and Dub.

‘Tempo Sem Tempo’ is the fifth studio album by São Paulo based clarinet player, singer and composer Joana Queiroz, now available on vinyl for the first time outside of Brazil. It is indeed a timeless record. A cocooning blend of looped reeds and low-key electronics holding melodies and lyrics. When Joana sings, it’s with noble restraint and grace, as can be heard on four songs including Gilberto Gil’s ‘Seu Olhar’ and ‘Dois Litorais’ by her friend and Quartabê band mate Mariá Portugal. Standing out on ‘Tempo Sem Tempo’ is a wistful beauty that makes it easy to immerse oneself in the intimate vastness of this album.

Following his trio debut ‘Triptych’ last year, trumpeter Matthias Lindermayr presents his duo record ‘Sequence’ with long-time companion and ECM Recording Artist Matthieu Bordenave on tenor saxophone. In contrast to its technical title, ‘Sequence’ is a very lyrical record, sacral at times. Like two figure skaters, the voices gracefully glide along and whirl around in perfect synch. A fitting comparison, as the recording session was equally exhausting, due to the level of concentration required to perform this music. The minimalist line-up and the hyper-focused playing gives the album both a breath-like purity and solemn depth.

Happy Floating is the debut LP of Italian composer, producer and reed player Damian Dalla Torre. Over the course of two years, the Leipzig-based artist recorded 19 musicians in all kinds of places to bring to life his unique blend of Avant Folk and Electronic. With reeds, brass, guitars, bass, drums, mallets, synthesizers, organ and electronics, the album feels like a mindful walk through a flowering meadow, tickling and caressing all at once. Born in Northern Italy to a family of non-musicians, his knack for woodwind instruments was uncovered by the sight of a big shiny baritone saxophone in a red velvet case that belonged to his grandma’s neighbor. It was and still is an odd instrument for anyone to play in the Val di Vizze, which may have added to young Damian’s excitement. He opted for the slightly smaller tenor saxophone, took up lessons and eventually studied music in Vienna and Leipzig, where he’s currently living and working within a spirited network of musicians, of which many are featured on this record.

"It seems the kind of music is most interesting where one senses the artists are really trying to drive music itself forward. Sometimes that involves bringing themselves as people forward, by moving into new territories via improvisation, experimentation, collaboration. By exploring different genres and mediums of art. By simply trying to make art at all." Joshua Minsoo Kim on Twitter Jan 10, 2022 10:56
This music was conceived and recorded in one afternoon session at Simon’s studio on March 19, 2021. In order to maintain the immediacy of this event, the three tracks were cut directly to vinyl for a limited run of 50 dubplates.

Known for his soothing trumpet work in German jazz group Fazer, Matthias Lindermayr is back on Squama with an all-new trio and his third album ‘Triptych’. With Philipp Schiepek on acoustic guitar and Simon Popp on percussion, the Munich-based musician created a forward-thinking record between jazz and contemporary classical, conceptually bold and utterly beautiful. ‘Triptych’ is a thrillingly quiet record. While the album’s predecessor ‘Newborn’ (2018) featured a quintet, the rather unusual trio line-up on ‘Triptych’ gave Matthias more room to share the nuances of his playing. His compositions, most written especially for this group, are of a noble simplicity allowing the musicians to focus more on interaction and sound.

After several collaborative releases, German drummer Simon Popp is back on Squama with his second solo album ‘Devi’. While his phenomenal debut ‘Laya’ was a percussive take on ambient and third stream minimalism, ‘Devi’ features eight tracks of bold organic grooves, uplifting and hopeful in one moment, sinister and dark in the next. This dualism is reflective of the ups and downs in Simon’s own life, making the album a brutally honest and deeply personal record. Over the past two years Popp has steadily refined his skills both as a player and an engineer: There are virtuoso drumming parts, revealing his passion for polyrhythm and complex structures and recording techniques such as heavy limiting, using gated reverb and pitch-shifting give the record a modern 90s vibe. ‘Devi’ is a forceful statement of what contemporary drum music can sound like today.

On her second album Ursgal Mongolian singer Enji creates a unique blend of Jazz and Folk with the traditions of Mongolian song. Currently based in Munich, her lyrics tell personal stories about unbearable distances, the oddness of being on earth and the simple truths in life. She’s accompanied by Paul Brändle on guitar and Munguntovch Tsolmonbayar on double bass. Born in Ulaanbaatar, Enji grew up in a yurt to a working-class family. Having always been drawn to music, dance and literature, she initially wanted to become a music teacher with little ambitions to compose or be on stage. A program by the local Goethe Institute sparked her passion for Jazz and eventually led her to become a performing artist. Inspired by the music of Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald and Nancy Wilson, Enji started writing songs of her own, cherishing this newfound means of expression. Ursgal is the first record featuring her original compositions.

9ms is the duo of Simon Popp and Florian König. On their wide ranging debut album ‚Pleats‘ the tech-savvy drummers offer grooves from the dubbier realms of World Music and Krautrock - some meditative and light, some thick as wall and steady as a clock. The album was recorded live in a large wooden hall in the Bavarian Alps with only three microphones. Using various infrared and magnetic field sensors, Popp and König were able to translate their movements into control voltage, which they then used to trigger and tweak synthesizers and a myriad of effects. A way for two humans to become one with their mystic machinery.

Simon Popp and Sebastian Wolfgruber aka Fazer Drums team up with Tunisian producer Azu Tiwaline for the second part of their hybrid Sound Measures series.
On the A side, the Munich-based duo’s pure and raw drumming gets more melodic than on the first edition. With interwoven, polyrhythmic grooves they explore the concept of counterpoint, drawing inspiration from Gamelan, Afro-Cuban and Swing. That’s material made in heaven for Azu Tiwaline, who made sizeable waves this year with her Magnetic Service EP on Bristol’s Livity Sound. In her rework, she kept the focus on the drums, boiling down and rearranging the different parts into a 7-minute beast of a tune. Layers of her signature dubbed-out electronics add to the mystic aura, while maintaining the dynamics and musicality of the recordings.

On his debut album Music For Video Stores producer and Squama co-founder Martin Brugger hovers through Ambient, (upbeat) Downbeat and unfulfilled build-ups. Conceptualized as a blank soundtrack, the music was sent to fellow artists who shared their visual and verbal associations which became the source for the artwork and tracktitles, effectively making the album a collective effort. Evident in all of his recent projects is Brugger’s passion for working and thriving within closely set limits. The only audio sources in the process of making the album were his record player and a Dave Smith Prophet 08 synthesizer. In an antithesis to most sample-based music, Brugger takes the more ephemeral moments of recorded music and uses pitching tools like a magnifying glass to dive deeper into the sound and bare layers that normally remain unheard.

Runden is a collaboration by Martin Brugger (bass) and Simon Popp (drums), both of contemporary Jazz quintet Fazer, and neo-classical pianist Carlos Cipa. Their debut LP is a conceptual record reflecting on Minimal Music, Afrobeat, and Dub Techno of the late 90s/early 2000s. While Cipa’s solo works build on clear harmonies, for the recordings of Runden he prepared the piano to make it sound like a faintly tonal percussion instrument and his mechanical patterns contrast the syncopated drum grooves of Popp and the deep and sparse basslines of Brugger. The musicians explore, over the course of seven tracks, the concept of circular music. Each piece is based on a four-bar-motif played in a loop and varied subtly but steadily over time, creating a sense of eternal recurrence and timelessness. This makes Runden a meditative but demanding record, that only grows with every listen.

In addition to their congenial drumming in Munich’s Jazz quintet Fazer, Simon Popp and Sebastian Wolfgruber channel World Music, Afrobeat and Jazz drumming in their Duo project Fazer Drums. Their first release on Squama Recordings called „Sound Measures“ is a juxtaposition of different approaches to rhythm. On the A-Side, the duo takes you on a drumming trip though feathery spheres and bold grooves, while on the B-side, Techno stalwarts Zenker Brothers crafted the material into a funky and mystic IDM jam.

This release is 2019 coming full circle. Two B-sides from Fazer and Popp, whose albums we released last year, share a 10" dubplate with a letter-pressed sleeve. Gahu Dub by Fazer is a laid-back psychedelic jam based on the recreational Gahu dance of the Ewe people from Togo and Ghana.

After releasing two records with the quintet Fazer, German guitarist Paul Brändle presents his solo debut on Squama Recordings. Paul's minimalist compositions move in slow-motion between Straight Ahead Jazz, Folk, and Blues, only subtly disclosing their musical origins. The album was recorded in Vienna during the annual „Hundstage", a period in the summer during which the whole city succumbs to the humid heat. Short on oxygen, but not on ideas, Paul created 9 tracks of soothing excellence that are worth calming down for.

With seemingly effortless precision and a sense for the imperfect, Popp merges Ambient, Third Stream and Minimal Music on his debut album „Laya“. The title derives from the Sanskrit language and signifies a place of rest and mental inactivity. In the spring of 2019 Popp created these 8 tracks from hours of improvisation in his own studio. The moments thus captured were then enriched with more sounds and effects to add layers and shed the manually played percussion of all its earthliness. The result is an album of concealed complexity and unadorned beauty.

‘Nadi’ follows the underground success of their self-released debut ‘Mara’, which quickly sold out on vinyl and became one of the most streamed jazz records of the year. Moving freely between composition and improvisation, the band’s spacious, organic sound pitches lyrical melodies from guitar and trumpet over double-drummer polyrhythmic grooves and dub-like basslines.

MARA is the debutalbum of Munich-based jazz group FAZER. The young musicians combine African and Latin rhythms with dubby basslines and melancholic melodies. The unusual lineup with two drummers, bass , guitar and trumpet leaves an open space for unfettered improvisation. Through the concept of repetition and finely measured dynamics, Fazer create a drawing energy that can be felt directly at their live shows and has been captured perfecty on this record.