In 2017, Simon Berz tracked new material at Mariny Studios, New Orleans. When Japanese trumpet master Toshinori Kondo heard the recordings, he immediately laid down trumpet parts—an instinctive response that revealed a striking musical kinship. Both artists, unbeknownst to each other, had long performed in nature: electrified trumpet, drums, or stones played in open landscapes, sometimes without an audience—concerts for the void, for the “nothing” that listens. A joint album took shape. Kondo added two more trumpet tracks in his Tokyo studio; after a shared Japan tour in 2019, Berz edited five pieces into Breath Versus Beats. The music called for a grounding low end. In 2021, Kondo passed away unexpectedly, leaving the project—like his vast body of work—suspended in resonance. On the recommendation of Dan Suter (Echochamber), longtime Kondo collaborator Bill Laswell entered in 2022 to complete the production with bass and final mixes. The result is a vivid, breathing continuum: Kondo’s luminous lines, Berz’s tactile pulse, and Laswell’s deep foundation—Breath Versus Beats as a final, fitting arc.