Nik Bärtsch’s and OY’s refusal to abide by the rules of any easily identifiable style category is typical for Zurich’s vibrant music scene. In a country with four languages it is only natural to pick and mix artistic ingredients. Pianist Bärtsch is best known for his percussive fusion of minimal music, hard-edged jazz and piano lyricism with his band, Ronin. Ronin are an integral part of Zurich’s musical landscape. Their weekly Monday concerts at Exil Club (which they co-own) will be celebrating its 600th edition in the very near future. Here, Bärtsch will appear for the first time in the UK in a duo with Ronin’s bass clarinettist Sha.
OY are the duo of multi-instrumentalist and singer Joy Frempong and percussionist Lleluja Ha. Combining electronica with melodies that strongly reflect Frempong’s family roots in Ghana, and a witty multi-media show, OY are an extraordinary live experience.
Bärtsch/Sha and OY appear as part of the Serious Space Shoreditch festival at Rich Mix, six nights of premieres, collaborations and commissions from international stars and homegrown UK artists organised by music producers Serious. DJ Alex Dallas from the legendary Zurich club Zukunft will be spinning the decks after their live performances.