Merle Bennett

Merle Bennett, born in 1974, gathered a variety of musical experiences in her home town of Hamburg by playing with many different musicians in as many different genres as possible. She then decided to concentrate in the fields of experimental/improvisation and worked during the nineties with the touring contemporary dance ensemble contact 17. She studied Jazz and popular music through the "Kontaktstudiengang" at the Hamburg conservatory of music. Moving to Berlin, she decided to study Jazz and Popular music at the Hans Eisler Hochschule für Musik which she then supplemented in 2008 with elementary musicpedagogy.

She was playing pop and rock music with the band Erik & Me until 2012 and is playing instrumental music with her duo rant. Merle Bennett is continuing her work with dancers and with improv music. She also works as a music teacher for children. In october 2014 she started the professional program for the Grinberg method (body work) and is since then already working as a Grinberg practitioner.

Releases:

rant „seumsund/sundseum“ (2004 schraum)
„Labor-CD” [Sampler] (2004 Charhizma)
Orchester der Schatten „Der Ruf des Dämon“ (2004 Eichborn/Lido)
rant „a direct sensuous pleasure” (2006 schraum)
„Berlin Improv Sampler“ (2007 Japan Improv)
Erik&Me „Hundertsechzig Zeichen“ (2008 Madunsky Records)
Orchester der Schatten „SKI – Serie Krimi International“ (2010, Eichborn/Funkhaus Europa)
Erik&Me „Versteck“ (2011 Revolver)
rant „land“ (2011 schraum)
rant „margo flux“ (2015 schraum)

Torsten Papenheim

Torsten Papenheim was born in 1980 in Niedersachsen and has lived in Berlin since 2000. He works as a composer, guitarplayer and music teacher and is primarily concerned with the combination and juxtaposition of melody and sound. He studied guitar and composition with private teachers in Göttingen, Hannover and Cologne. His music can be heard on numerous records, he played concerts and festivals in Germany, Austria, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Finland and Switzerland.

In 2009 Papenheim released his highly praised album „Some of the things we could be“, with which he introduced his ensemle Tru Cargo Service. Apart from that and rant he also plays solo concerts.

Recently performed compositions include „Schattenspiel“ (chamber opera. Berlin, 2011), „BT N RS“ (french horn, guitar, harp and piano. Helsinki, 2013), „Syntax Zwei“ (cello and bass. Vienna, 2013) sowie „Shudder Studies“ (solo guitar. Hamburg 2015).

Releases:

kainkwatett „kainkwatett“ (2004 schraum)
rant „seumsund/sundseum“ (2004 schraum)
swift machine „swift machine” (2005 creative sources)
Ludwig Lugmeier „Der Mann, der aus dem Fenster sprang” (2005 kunstmann)
rant „a direct sensuous pleasure” (2006 schraum)
„flashbox pladde“ [Sampler] (2007 flashbox)
„Some of the things we could be“ (2009 schraum)
rant „land“ (2011 schraum)
rant „margo flux“ (2015 schraum)

The cooperation between Merle Bennett and Torsten Papenheim also includes the music label schraum which they founded together with Axel Haller in 2004. It has presented 20 well received advantgarde releases from an international cast. Both teach at the „Béla Bartók“ city music school in Berlin.