Re: Satie, Picturing the Invisible [Pure DSD]

Re: Satie, Picturing the Invisible is pianist and composer Philipp Rüttgers’ deeply personal exploration of the enigmatic world of Erik Satie, reimagined through the language of a contemporary jazz piano trio. Rather than concentrating only on the familiar Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes, Rüttgers immersed himself in Satie’s complete works, gathering fragments, motifs and ideas and carefully reshaping them into new musical narratives.

The characteristic melancholy of Satie remains, enriched by serenity, subtle humor and the freedom of improvisation. The result is neither a collection of arrangements nor a conventional tribute, but a new musical world in which Satie’s elusive spirit and Rüttgers’ own voice meet. Together with double bassist Omer Govreen and drummer Sun-Mi Hong, Rüttgers explores the power of restraint: fewer notes when the music calls for space, greater complexity when it naturally unfolds. The trio’s close listening and organic interplay give the music remarkable transparency, allowing the silences, hidden harmonies and spaces between motifs to become part of the performance itself.

Recorded by Sound Liaison in Studio 2 at Heuvellaan in Hilversum, the three musicians performed together in the same room and without headphones, finding their own natural balance much as they would in concert. The session was recorded directly in DSD256 and mastered in Pure DSD256 through a high-end analog chain, without PCM conversion. The natural acoustics of Studio 2, combined with a central Josephson C700S and carefully placed spot microphones, create an intimate yet spacious soundstage. Piano, double bass and drums occupy a clearly defined acoustic space while remaining part of a single musical event. Re: Satie, Picturing the Invisible is an album about what exists between the notes as much as the notes themselves: a contemporary jazz trio searching for the invisible architecture, mystery and quiet beauty within Satie’s music.

Philipp Rüttgers - piano
Omer Govreen - double bass
Sun-Mi Hong - drums