The passionate percussionist Simon Popp presents his solo project that invites to transcend and dance in equal measure.

The world is full of dualisms, sometimes even when grocery shopping. Lost in thought here, drummer Simon Popp found himself imagining an imaginary balafon ensemble playing in his head - later, this everyday mind game turned into "Pingo," the mesmerizing opening track of his recently released sophomore album, Devi. According to the composer, several different beat groups unite here to form a great melange, driven by an organic groove that makes the listener* climb deeper and deeper into the sound-loving rabbit hole. Idiophones and steel drums give each other a symbolic hand, forming a sound carpet in the finest detail, in which every woven fiber can be found exactly where Popp once imagined it. If this pattern creates the image of electronic dance music from the 90s in the listener's head, then this is also no coincidence. "Devi" invites to discover, but does not force this on anyone. 

But if you go on a search, you will discover polyrhythmic delights and well-hidden sound structures that always bring surprises to light. One can spy a strongly alienated Indian tubular drum (dholak) in the piece "Holort". Either way, it is completely enough to surrender to the disarmingly hypnotic groove of this record. Like a heartbeat, it runs through the musical work of the passionate percussionist. Sometimes somber and nervous, but often light-footed and liberating - this is the dualism that Popp pushes on "Devi", entirely in the spirit of the character of the Hindu goddess who serves as the namesake for this album. Even without words, the result is a work full of personality and intimacy that packs the tensions and reflections of the past year into a sound that fascinates and infectiously invites listeners to transcend and dance in equal measure. At the Jazztage, Popp finally brings this dynamic dualism live to the stage, knowing full well that life is not all black and white, but that it can be immense fun to maneuver back and forth between these two poles.