“Percussionproject” is an album by Touch Of Noise, an experimental percussion and jazz group from Bielefeld, Germany, which has started performing nearly three decades ago!

This album reminds of early Midori Takada’s melodic percussion work and other ambient-esoteric percussion recordings of that era, yet still adds a fresh breeze of contemporary 90s fusion and pristine-quality recording on top. Founding band member Jochen Mariss told me, that this kind of music and musical approach was very untypical and even a little weird during the time period it was produced, especially in western Germany.

The Percussionproject „Touch Of Noise“ originated in the year 1988. It emerged from our fascination with the power of rhythm, which often serves as mere accompaniment in contemporary music and typically adheres to a 4/4 time signature. We aim to extract rhythm from its supporting role and place it at the center of attention, without neglecting melodies. In addition to drums of all kinds and origins (from Pakistan to Guinea, from Brazil to Ghana), we primarily employ percussive melodic instruments such as the marimba, tuned Thai gongs, steel drums, glockenspiel, kalimba, as well as saxophone and vocals. Many of the inspirations for our compositions (and many of our instruments) come from travels to countries with rich rhythm-based musical traditions, such as Guinea, Brazil, Morocco, Cuba, among others. Our objective is not so much to authentically reproduce other music styles, but rather to combine African, Latin American, Oriental influences with our own musical ideas to create a diverse whole. The compositions are rarely predetermined. Typically, there is a basic idea that is collectively developed within the group. The liveliness and unifying power of rhythms are most palpable for us during our concerts, which is a significant reason why we enjoy being on stage. Our music aims to enchant listeners with the magic of rhythms, to move (quite literally), to touch and ultimately spread good vibes.