Jani Moder's Brain Blender 

Križanke Open-air Theatre, 2 JUly 2014

The opening ceremony was followed by two concerts at the Križanke open-air theatre (the late-evening appearance by Limousine scheduled to take place at the CD Club was cancelled due to force majeure but will be included in the CD’s Tuesday Clubbing series this autumn). The first to perform was the Slovenian-Austrian project Jani Moder's Brain Blender led by Slovenian guitarist Jani Moder.

The quintet played music from their latest album, Abacus (Moder’s third original music release), which “blends and blenders diverse musical contexts into a unique whole”, if we cite the guitarist’s definition of the band’s sound as well as approach to various techniques and jazz styles. The beautifully harmonious group astounded with its elaborate collective interplay as well as vibrant solo passages, which all band members indulged in besides the leader: keyboardist Marko Črnčec, bassist Robert Jukič, drummer Klemens Marktl and marimba-player Flip Philipp.

With his strings, Moder dexterously steered the course of the playing and varied the intensity of the group’s sonic interaction. He would occasionally draw away and add colour to the backdrop by softly plucking his strings; his extended solo flights were invariably sensibly embedded into the flow of music. The quintet astounded with the fluidity of its playing and rich assortment of moods, ranging from intimistic fluctuations and associations with fusion to scintillating, fiery funk and rock.

Mario Batelić

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Photo Nada Žgank