Umlaut

Umlaut is a collective of musicians founded in 2004 in Stockholm, from which two related structures opened in 2009 in Berlin and Paris. Umlaut gathers around the notion of “Transformation of sound” artists driven by the desire to defend today’s creative music, involving improvisation, new forms of writing and the encounter of different musical idioms. They are committed to nowadays’ musical creation, rich in the heritage of jazz, contemporary and improvised music.

Their many and varied collaborations, both artistic and professional, enable Umlaut to assert its singular aesthetic identity beyond their respective borders.

Whether programming, composing, directing, creating, improvising or performing, the artists’ musical proposals are part of an original aesthetic that is unclassifiable, multiple and surprising. They enable the discovery of musics that are too rarely promoted, and invite to a reflection on creation, improvisation, writing and breaking down barriers.

The collective’s activities are organized around 4 axes:
– Artistic creation: production and distribution of various artistic projects by members of the collective.
– Programming: the Umlaut festival presents a program that shines a light on today’s creative music, while encouraging the crossing between different aesthetics.
– Label: the Umlaut Records label has over 80 titles in its catalog, the result of a genuine emulation.
– Research and transmission: the question of the articulation between writing and improvisation is at the heart of the work of the musicians of the Umlaut collective, and their answers are multiple and innovative.