Extraordinary Contemporary Sounds from Ancient Instruments.
The 2018 Songlines Music Awards winners Black String will premiere new music from their upcoming album set to be released this autumn, following their acclaimed albums Mask Dance (2016) and Karma (2019) on the German label ACT.
‘a spellbinding experience’
(The Guardian on Black String’s K-Music Show)
‘no boundaries and relentless in its exploration of ever-fresh ingredients for sonic fusion’
‘Karma grabs your attention from the very opening bars of the first track’
Led by Youn Jeong Heo, the legendary master of the geomungo (zither), the band also includes guitarist Jean Oh, daegeum (flute) and yanggeum (hammered dulcimer) player Aram Lee, and percussionist and vocalist Min Wang Hwang. Black String creates extraordinary, enigmatic sounds with ancient instruments, blending East and West, Korean folk and jazz in their unique musical language.
After their debut at the London Jazz Festival in 2012, they have performed at some of the most prestigious concert halls and festivals in the world, including the New York Lincoln Center, the Washington Kennedy Center, the Berlin Philharmonic, the Danish Roskilde Festival and the New York Winter Jazz Festival. They were the first Asian band to sign with ACT, Europe’s largest jazz label, so far releasing two studio albums, Mask Dance (2016) and Karma (2019), and a live album, Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic (2020).