It’s cold. It’s winter. You are out in a deserted snowed out countryside. What would make you feel warm and dry? It’s the hut on the horizon – a soft warm plume of smoke coming from its chimney. They invite you into the house to sit on the fireplace. They serve you soup. You are safe and sound.
What is a ‚Teufelskamin‘? A ‚Devil’s Chimney‘ is a natural geological phenomenon, a natural rock formation built by tidal powers. Take for example the natural shaft on the Crozon peninsula in Brittany, France. Waves push into this pit and spit out a giant jet of seawater. Watch out! It’s a cold satanic soup coming from hell’s kitchen. When chef Satan starts cooking, wet showers are coming out of his hut, not dry smoke. At least the devil cooks with water.
What is cooking when the old Kammerflimmer Kollektief invites you to sit on their Teufelskamin? There is a familiar electric guitar that takes you on a ride into Black Mountains. There is the ground making breath of an Indian harmonium. There is a gentle dark push from an upright bass. And there is a female voice amplifying wordless moods over wordless songs.
For years now the Kammerflimmer Kollektief have skillfully sailed waves of various musical genres. On Teufelskamin a spooky guitar sound, a Surf Noir is a new ingredient. And bravely, they call out for Albert Ayler’s helping ghost. Kammerflimmer Kollektief is creating a great authentic dish over a nice long running fire and like the devil they cook with water. Cool, cool water. Heike Aumüller, Johannes Frisch and Thomas Weber are stirring some music of salty beauty from which no one can escape.
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How do you get visitors out of your house? Well, jam the chimney over the fireplace. Smoke them out like these devils do in Western movies.
BIOGRAPHY:
The Kammerflimmer Kollektief plays music, which should not be written down, for it would scorch the paper. The project, whose music meanders between precision and freedom, has been founded in 1996 by Thomas Weber. Up to now, the Kollektief has released eight albums in all sorts of line-ups. Live performances all over the world are realized as a trio (with Heike Aumüller and Johannes Frisch).