Marek Johnson

Double concert with WRENS.
As Marek Johnson, Cologne jazz musician David Helm explores the vastness of pop together with his congenial partner Wanja Slavin: between singer/songwriter, trip-hop, electronica and indie, they create a highly elegant sound that is both arty and accessible. Sometimes it sounds like the perfect soundtrack to long fall nights, warming you up when you start to get cold.

The quintet's music oscillates between sophistication and groundedness. The fact that four of the five musicians have a background in jazz can be heard more in the delicate sound than in the overly atonal or intricate elements. Their pieces always have a magical, international flair. Hardly anyone would think that a song like "Embrace The Glitch" is the work of a German act. Helm recently revealed that he prefers to write his music at night, which is hardly surprising. Songs such as "Lucky Star", "Reply, Reply" or "Still Here" actually sound as if the absence of daylight is virtually inscribed in them. "I'm still here tonight", sings Helm in the latter song. For a moment, you want to sit down next to him with a candle and listen until the sun rises. 

Afterwards: WRENS