With the zen-funk quartet RONIN founded in 2001, Nik Baertsch proceeds with the work on his RITUAL GROOVE MUSIC together with Kaspar Rast (drums), Jeremias Keller (he replaced Thomy Jordi in 2020, who replaced Björn Meyer on the bass in 2011) and Sha (bass/contrabass clarinet. Percussionist Andi Pupato joined the band 2002-2012). Their music consistently follows the same aesthetic vision under various instrumental guises: creating the maximum effect by minimal means.

Despite the multiplicity of the band’s influences, Ronin’s music always possesses a strong individuality. They incorporate elements of disparate musical worlds, be they funk, new classical music or sounds from Japanese ritual music.

However, these forms are never merely juxtaposed in a post-modernist fashion but instead amalgamated into a coherent new style. Ultimately, these sounds and rhythms are highly idiosyncratic. The music consists of very few phrases and motives, continually combined and layered in new ways. Ronin thus creates a consistent aesthetic across all levels of musical expression. Composition, phrasing, sound structure, performance, and musical form all combine to form a system of interrelated elements. (Michel Mettler)

The members of Ronin meet every week, as they have done for many years now, to puzzle out the implications of Bärtsch’s pieces in workshops and performances at the Zürich club, Exil.

The group is, says Nik, still coming to terms with the demanding final piece here, “Modul 59”. It is one which, he says, points the way to the future. “It begins from basic ideas, in this case to do with triplets, and builds until it becomes a sort of polyrhythmic, polyphonic carpet of sound. We’ve rehearsed and developed it extensively, and it still keeps surprising us.”

What the media says:

2024 USA TOUR SELECTED MEDIA

My favorite set from the entire four-day event (Big Ears Festival 2024)—and probably one of my top shows ever—came Thursday evening with Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin. SPIN MAGAZINE

One of the most uplifting concerts of the (2024 Big Ear) festival was Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin. Bathed in stage smoke, Ronin seemed like high priests of minimalism and the mystic. ECHOES.ORG 

On paper, Ronin is a standard quartet of reeds, keyboards, bass, and drums. What they play though is both unique and universal....what you hear is astonishingly funky and hip. GEORGE GRELLA

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Nik Bärtsch (piano)

Sha (altosax, bass- and contrabass clarinets)

Kaspar Rast (drums)

Jeremias Keller (bass)