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Stephan Micus

Thunder

ECM
Release Date: January 20, 2023

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1 A Song For Thor  
2 A Song For Raijin  
3 A Song For Armazi  
4 A Song For Shango  
5 A Song For Vajrapani  
6 A Song For Leigong  
7 A Song For Zeus  
8 A Song For Ihskur  
9 A Song For Perun  
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Stephan Micus’ new album is a tribute and offering to thunder gods around the world. As a natural phenomenon so dramatic and alarming, it’s clear that cultures everywhere would create their gods to placate lightening and thunder.

However Micus’ original inspiration wasn’t the thunder gods, but an instrument. Since 1973 he’s been travelling extensively in the Himalayas, from the Hindu Kush, Ladakh and Zanskar in the west to Eastern Nepal and Sikkim in the east. “The great attraction first of all was the mountains and the dramatic landscapes, but a highlight always was spending time in the Tibetan monasteries. Whenever I could I would listen to the ritual and ceremonial music. Music that seems timeless - both ancient and modern - at the same time.”

The most striking instruments in these Tibetan monastic ceremonies are the long dung chen trumpets, growling as a deep fundamental tone behind the most significant and pro-found ceremonies. This ritual trumpet is the inspiration behind Stephan’s 25th solo album for ECM, a compelling statement about our reaction to the power of nature, our inability to control it and desire to placate it.

  • Before there was a 'world music,' there was Stephan Micus / Echoes
    Posted At: October 12, 2021 12:00 AM

    The Japanese poem accompanying Winter's End, Stephan Micus' 24th solo album for ECM, seems like a metaphor for his music. He chuckles at the suggestion, as he thinks of the hours and hours working with dozens of different instruments which he builds up layer upon layer in his studio. "For a musician or an artist, it's very important to keep your childlike nature," he says. "Of course, it...
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