KiKu

KiKu is a Swiss avant-garde project led by trumpeter and composer Yannick Barman and drummer and percussionist Cyril Regamey. The two musicians founded KiKu in 2003. What began as a duo has since evolved into an open, modular formation that redefines its line-up and musical language with each new project. At the heart of KiKu’s music is the fusion of acoustic instrumentation and electronic sound design. Yannick Barman’s trumpet and computer interact with Cyril Regamey’s drums and sampler. Composed structures flow into improvised passages, while rhythmic precision is combined with electronic textures and a strong sensitivity to sound, dynamics and space. In doing so, KiKu deliberately crosses the boundaries between contemporary jazz, electronic music, rock, improvised music and experimental sound art. KiKu is less a conventional band than a flexible artistic platform. Guest artists are not simply added to the line-up, but fully integrated into the musical architecture of each project. Voice, text, rhythm, improvisation and electronic processing become equal compositional elements. KiKu has presented its music in international jazz clubs, at festivals and on stages dedicated to contemporary music. Its concert tours have taken the project throughout Europe and Asia, as well as to Australia.

Monthey, Switzerland