Cologne-based multi-instrumentalist Niels Klein talks about his jazz quartet Tubes & Wires

If there is one word that would aptly describe their brand of music, it probably would be ‘whacky jazz’. Not just because their sound is unconventional to the ears, but also because they fuse rock and electronic music with

jazz

elements so exclusively that it becomes a genre of music on its own. Meet Tubes & Wires, a German jazz quartet which recently regaled audiophiles in the city with their brand of alternative jazz. “People listen to our music with great interest because it sounds unique to their ears. But not many get the concept as it is a weird combination of rock and jazz,” says Niels Klein, a multi-instrumentalist-cum-composer and frontman of the band.

‘In Tubes&Wires, my role is more of an instrumentalist’

Niels has been a household name in the “experimental jazz” circuit in

Cologne

, Germany and has had been a part of a number of ensembles that include coveted names such as the European Jazz Orchestra and Metropole Orkest, among others. “I am associated with different bands and orchestras but this band gives the independence to apply my musical vision to the fullest. I am a composer and an instrumentalist and this is just one part of my music world. In this band, my role is that of a player whereas in other projects, I mostly compose. Being a part of this quartet, I do exactly what I want to do,” says the 40-year-old.

‘We fuse jazzy sounds with rock’

When quizzed why Tubes &Wires chose to branch out from the traditional jazz sound, Niels explains, “The world of jazz music is expanding with a lot of experiments. Musicians, all over the world, are making some crazy recipes of sounds and that includes Germany too. It is like picking up the spices of your choice and make a mixture of unique compositions. We mixed jazz with rock as I have always been fascinated with rock. Others are mixing it with which ever genre they like. Jazz, as a genre, is not limited to a particular sound anymore.”

‘my bandmates are musically flexible’

Apart from their unique compositions, Tubes & Wires is also known for its members’ musical flexibility. “All the band members are multi-instrumentalists and we take turns to play different instruments on stage. That is one of the highlights of our live shows and people love it. For instance, I sometimes play the synth bass and so does our guitar player (Hanno Busch). Often our synth player (Lars Duppler) and drummer (Ralf Gessler) too, at times, pick up other instruments and we all chip in,” says Niels, who founded the band four years ago.

‘Indians often see jazz as an extension of blues’
The musician feels that Indian audiophiles often see jazz as part of blues. Speaking about his experience touring in India, the woodwind instrumentalist said, “India has great musicians and each one of them has their own crazy style. What I have observed here is that Indian listeners often see jazz as an extension of blues. It’s all good, I am not complaining but this is what I have observed. So far, the tour has been great and we hope to continue entertaining people here with our ‘wonderfully weird and whacky’ sound.”