White Noise Trio - Prism (2019)

White Noise Trio is a Berlin based modern jazz group formed in 2015 by Robin Hartkopf (Drums), Stefan Merz (Piano) and Florian Dupuy (Double Bass).

White noise, from a physical point of view, simply means a test-signal containing the whole spectrum of audible frequencies. But for Hartkopf, Merz, and Dupuy, white noise means a musical approach to developing songs out of free improvisations, reflecting the fragile moment when a melody first begins to evolve, and diffuse frequencies get shaped into harmonies and rhythm.

Coming from different musical backgrounds, White Noise is exactly the point where Hartkopf, Merz & Dupuy meet to merge their contrasting influences into an exciting rendition of modern melodic Jazz.

About 25 years ago, Florian Dupuy decided to pick up a cello, played his first classical pieces, and was later engaged by orchestras in Paris, Cambridge, Geneva and Berlin. At the same time, Robin Hartkopf fell for the complex and energetic grooves of progressive rock and mildly disappointed his father and grandfather, who both have been jazz drummers. And about 20 years later, Stefan Merz switched from piano to synthesizers to perform House and Techno driven live-sets in Berlin’s night clubs, getting into harmonic minimalism and textures.

Even though their musical paths might have been a bit divergent, there was one thing all three of them had in common: Jazz was part of their musical education in their early years. Later, this foundation turned out to be the perfect playground to experiment with genres, styles and attitudes, while developing their own individual musical identity.

Today, all three have found their way back to Jazz, yet strongly influenced by their love affair with other genres. So whenever Hartkopf, Merz and Dupuy play together, the classical lines of chamber music meet the loop-driven approach of electronic dance music, combined with the energy and complex measures of progressive rock. But in the quest for their own musical identity, the trio does not forget to follow the path of their musical heroes like Avishai Cohen, Keith Jarrett or Brian Blade.

Tracklist:

01. Rain
02. Kosovo
03. Cross 5
04. Autumn
05. Groove Interlude
06. Seventeen
07. Continuum
08. Dawn