 the album "a walking letter" (stattmusik/Kompakt) will be available oct09 @ your local record store.

Darguss

mudslide animal

A walking letter

French toast

stimulus satiation

Short Way Home

„A Walking Letter“ – from a sound box straight out of the playroom (stattmusik, 2009) 
It’s been a long time coming: after 30 years of playing together, the musicians, Ephrem Lüchinger (keys) und Manuel Rindlisbacher (bass), both from Zurich, are releasing their very first record together! This magical collection of experimentation from the sound lab „ephma“ called „A Walking Letter“ will probably make you lose your cool.  
Ephrem Lüchinger and Manuel Rindlisbacher first met playing in a sandbox many years ago. Their shared passion for weird sound games led to musical experimentation in their playroom! And though the outcome of these musical games has never been predictable, it is most definitely eccentric! But till now nothing the two have produced has been released, which is quite surprising, because both Lüchinger and Rindlisbacher are experienced musicians. They have played live and in the studio alongside well-known musicians. but what they still enjoy most of all is to steal away to their „ephma lab“ and toy around with sounds! According to Ephrem; “It often gets out of hand, because there are few rules and hardly any discussions during these sessions.  Experimenting and improvising with our musical ideas is more important than the outcome.“

With the release of „A Walking Letter“ the door of the musical playroom has been flung wide open. And what comes pouring out can sound either industrial, have a touch of jazz, be celestial or totally electro, and, at times, groovy enough to dance to! Ethnic instruments are peppered with voices and rhythmic samples of everyday noises. You certainly won’t fall asleep on your sofa-lounge, on the contrary, some of you clubbers, who think you have heard it all, might even prick up your ears and lose your cool!  

Ephrem Lüchinger is a pianist, keyboarder and producer for various bands of the Swiss jazz, pop and electro scene. He has played alongside the likes of Jimi Tenor, Burhan Ocal, Steve Grossman, Erik Truffaz, John Blackwell, Koch/Schütz/Studer, Gene Perla and Harald Haerter. He has been on concert tours throughout Europe and as far as Madagascar and Mexico. Today he lives with his partner and child in Zurich and is presently playing with ephma, Heidi Happy, William White & the Emergency and Neuromodulator. 

Manuel Rindlisbacher began playing on all kinds of instruments at the WIM (Workshop for Improvised Music) at the age of six. His intense exploration of the E-Bass and Chapman Stick led to concerts and tours with Pippo Polina (Italy), Burhan Öcal (Turkey), Jimi Tenor (Finland), Jean Paul Bourelly (USA), Dani König and Pete Penicka among many others. At present Manu is playing with Dee Day Dub, W*U*D*U and the Bourelly's Motion. Together with Ephrem Lüchinger he is part of the ephma production team, which has also created music for various fiction and documentary films. Since 2007 he organizes the summer concert series in the Bäckeranlage in Zurich.

