Panzerballett

Panzerballett is a Munich Quintet, led by guitarist, composer and arranger January Zehrfeld, whose music style can be best described as jazz - metal.

History

After several years of searching the studied guitarist and composer January Zehrfeld drummed in 2004 some musicians together, with which he could realize his conception of jazz and metal -inspired, complex music: "I 'm always angry about something. In 2004 I founded so " tank ballet". In this band I compose pieces along the lines of "why easy, if it goes hard? " At the same time I can channel aggression. "

2005 Panzerballett published baptized project after a few appearances on their own his first, eponymous CD, which provided, inter alia, the German progressive rock scene for rave reviews. In the coming months, the band played a series of concerts, mostly in the Munich region, but also, inter alia, at the 15th nationwide jazz talents Festival in Leipzig and at the prestigious Burg- Herzberg Festival. In addition Panzerballett produced the live DVD Live at Backstage Munich 2006.

After several line-up changes, the band was taken in 2007 by the jazz label ACT under contract and published there in February 2008, their second album Strong pieces, which was presented as part of a small tour in Germany and in March 2008 reached rank 26 of the German jazz charts.

This was followed in the course of 2008, many concerts and cameo appearances - among others Zappanale, the Leverkusen Jazz Festival ( opening for John McLaughlin and Chick Corea, a nearly 60 -minute recording of this presentation was sent by the WDR in the series Rockpalast ), the Baltic Prog Festival and the self-organized " 1 Metal Jazz Festival" in Munich. Shorter television appearances ( in arte, 3sat and WDR ) has completed the band.

Published in August 2009 Panzerballett their third album, Hart enjoyed - From Abba to Zappa that made ​​the leap to number 25 of the jazz charts in September 2009 and of the drum magazine drums & percussion in the January / February 2010 " Record of the Month " was chosen. The band then played concerts and short performances throughout Germany (including as a guest of arte lounge and on3 - radio).

Music

Panzerballett play both original compositions by guitarist Zehrfeld as well as its (strongly the original alienating ) arrangements of popular songs from rock (such as Smoke On The Water by Deep Purple ), pop (eg A little peace of Nicole ), Jazz (eg Birdland by Weather Report) and soundtrack ( eg theme song of The Simpsons ). Here, the musicians of classic jazz and funk musicians demonstrate on the one hand and hard progressive metal bands like Meshuggah on the other hand affected. The song title Iron Maiden Voyage ( a pun on the band name of the metal band Iron Maiden and the jazz standard Maiden Voyage by Herbie Hancock ) illustrates this combination of styles.

An important feature of the music of Panzerballett is the virtuosity of their performance - who studied and some award-winning musicians play their instruments at a high technical level. Unlike the highly complex, polyrhythmic structures of the music compositions and arrangements Zehrfelds would not implement.

The time writes about Panzerballett: " your own pieces to flank with a number of hard rock, jazz and entertainment evergreens, they shred so unreservedly with the impeccable technique at German universities trained musician and recomposing that recognition effect and amazement, the maintain balance. "

The band itself describes their music among other things as " filigree of interlocking funk grooves with brachial hard, rhythmically complex riffs and jazz improvisations combined " as " wellness Death Jazz " or even winking as "like with incandescent Morgenstern in Grandma's freshly baked carrot cake ."

As a main musical influences and role models in January Zehrfeld called the band Meshuggah ( of which he even wrote his thesis ), Tribal Tech, Planet X and Mats Morgan.

Concerts

Panzerballett are also known for exceptional concerts. The humor of the band, which is only hinted at on CD (eg by song title as Schmitz Kadtse and with incandescent Morgenstern in Grandma's freshly baked carrot cake or even the vocal pieces with Conny Kreitmeier, eg Zickenterror II), occurs more in their live performances to days: particularly guitarist Zehrfeld supplies, clothed with cable rasta wig and sunglasses playing a stage show with exaggerated facial expressions and gestures, dance and Hüpfeinlagen and exuberant head banging. His improvised nonsense announcements remind here and there to Helge Schneider.

Collaboration with other artists

With Panzerballett previously played live and / or in the studio, among others Conny Kreitmeier, Mattias Eklundh, Klaus Doldinger, Ulf Wakenius, Nguyên Lê, Peter O'Mara and Okan Ersan.

Discography

• 2005 - Panzerballett
• 2008 - Strong pieces
• 2009 - Hard comrades - from ABBA to ZAPPA
• 2012 - Tank Goodness