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 bass lines 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.


Written & Produced by Martin Brugger, Carlos Cipa & Simon Popp
Recorded by Jan Krause at Mastermix Studios, Munich
Mixed by Martin Brugger
Mastered by Christoph Stickel at CS Mastering
Designed by Maximilian Schachtner

  • Martin Brugger

  • Popp


    Exploration and play are at the core of Simon Popp’s creative process. Classically trained in jazz drumming and polyrhythm, the Bavarian-born artist draws from a vast array of percussive instruments to build his expansive sound palette. Learning the drums and listening to a wide range of genres from a young age instilled in him a ravenous musical curiosity that resonates throughout his various projects: as a solo artist under his own name, his duo-projects 9ms and Enji&Popp or as the drummer for bands like Roosevelt and Fazer, the group he co-founded with conservatory peers Martin Brugger, Paul Brändle, Matthias Lindermayr, and fellow drummer Sebastian Wolfgruber in 2018.

  • Carlos Cipa


    Carlos Cipa is a Munich-based composer and pianist. He has been classically trained on the piano and studied contemporary classical composition at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Munich. During his teenage years, he started playing drums and gained experience as a member of various bands. Experimenting with different styles of music, he turned back to the piano as his main instrument, facilitating him to find his way throughout composition and improvisation.

    • Runden

      180g vinyl

      € 21