Plasma

Zurich based contemporary groove jazz quintet Ikarus return with album number four, adding to their impressive catalogue which started with the auspicious 2015 debut Echo, Chronosome a year later and then the wonderfully captivating Mosaismic in 2019. Key to the success of Ikarus’ progression, I suggest, is the stable line-up led by composer and drummer Ramón Oliveras, along with Mo Meyer on upright bass and Lucca Fries on piano. Also paramount to the Ikarus sound are the vocals, featuring the ever-present Andreas Lareida, the only change is Anna Hirsch who took over from Stefanie Suhner for the Mosaismic album, and here on Plasma. As with all Ikarus’ albums, each and every detail is considered, just like a Swiss watch where precision and flair go hand in hand. So if we look at the album titles, Chronosome plays on Greek mythology, Chronos (“the personification of time”) and Chromosome (DNA). Equally, Mosaismic is derived from the words “mosaic” and “seismic”. Plasma, one of the four fundamental states of matter – an ever evolving soup – is a suitable title for the fourth album from this constantly challenging quintet. Continuing the theme, the album opens with Tritium, being one of only three radioactive isotopes of hydrogen. I think we need some music…