Watch Grandbrothers’ video for lead single ‘We Collide’

Last month, Grandbrothers announced the release of their new album Elsewhere, alongside the first single ‘We Collide’. Now the German-Swiss duo have paired the track with an accompanying video directed by Austrian filmmaker Rupert Höller, who had this to say about it:

“The hypnotic pull and the powerful use of repetition in ‘We Collide’ fascinated me from the very first listen. My goal was to make that feeling – the chaos of an inner storm – tangible through abstract imagery, creating a visual journey from disorientation to acceptance.”

Grandbrothers’ pianist Erol Sarp also shared his thoughts on the video:

“What we really appreciate about Rupert’s take is how naturally he picked up on the energy and movement of the track. He really understood what we were going for – the dynamics, the transitions, that inner tension building slowly throughout. And he found a visual language that translates the energy of the music into motion.”

Watch the video below and watch out for the album’s release on September 26th through __and__others.

Grandbrothers announce new album Elsewhere, out in September

Photo: Dan Medhurst

Following 2023’s stunning Late Reflections, Grandbrothers have announced their new album Elsewhere, set for release on September 26th through __and__others. The German-Swiss duo of pianist Erol Sarp and engineer/software designer Lukas Vogel are striking out in a bold new direction, stepping beyond the sound they’ve so meticulously built over the course of four albums. “The concept had become our identity,” explains Vogel. “Letting go of it brought questions: are we losing something – or discovering something new?”

On Elsewhere, and for the first time, Grandbrothers have introduced drum samples, analogue synths, and fresh rhythmic structures into their palette, allowing sound to become a more immersive and physical experience. Collected sounds from over the years now form the backbone of their compositions, rather than sitting as layered additions. This evolution extends beyond the studio, as their upcoming live tour will see them leave behind the traditional seated format in favour of venues where the audience can connect more viscerally with the performance, all accompanied by a newly developed light and stage show. “The music is physical,” says Sarp. “It’s meant to be heard loud.”

The album is introduced by first single ‘We Collide’, a beautifully dense piece. Listen to it now.

Grandbrothers release second single ‘Daybreak’

Photo: Dan Medhurst

Grandbrothers have a new album on the way, Late Reflections, recorded in the iconic Cologne Cathedral. Last month they shared the grand and gripping lead single ‘Infinite’, and now have let loose another track from the album called ‘Daybreak’. Speaking about it, pianist Erol Sarp had this to say:

“During the recording process, we found ourselves in a highly shifted rhythm. We worked exclusively at night until early morning. When we packed up our things around 6 a.m., the windows began to shine and the cathedral seemed to awaken. This visual transformation was central symbol of the recording process for us, that’s why ‘Daybreak’ is the album’s opener”.

‘Daybreak’ is offered with a video accompaniment made by filmmaker Manfred Borsch. The duo’s Lukas Vogel offered some insight about it:

“Manfred has been with us for a very long time, and as a Cologne native, he naturally has a close relationship with the cathedral. Richter, after all, left the arrangement of the colors he chose to a random generator; he wanted to avoid any representationalism. Manfred follows a similar path, he abstracts and deconstructs the window cinematically once again.”

Watch the video below and watch out for the release of Late Reflections on April 14th through City Slang.

Grandbrothers announce fourth full-length album, Late Reflections

Photo: Dan Medhurst

Two years on from the release of All The Unknown, Grandbrothers are ready to follow it up with their fourth album. Entitled Late Reflections, the new album was recorded in the iconic Cologne Cathedral following a surprising invitation from the church’s master builder and architect, Peter Füssenich back in 2019. On the run up to the performance, which took place last summer, the duo of German-Turkish pianist Erol Sarp and Swiss engineer/mechanic/sofware designer Lukas Vogel ended up writing a whole album. Vogel elaborates:

“The first idea was to only have one or two songs specially made for the concert. This concert came closer, and we were there to have the first test of the acoustics. We were really impressed by this place. Sound-wise, it is really huge, and especially at night, when nobody else is in the Cathedral, it’s so breathtaking. During the process, we realized that this environment makes it so much fun and challenging to write music for this place.”

The actual recordings were done before the concert but it bears the influence of such a monumental and historical building and is reportedly more ambient and atmospheric. “On our previous album we went into a more physical and club-influenced direction,” Sarp said. “This album, we just said, ‘Let’s see what happens and be free to go more into ambient, or more atmospheric, experimental sound spheres.”

We’ll have to wait until April 14th for Late Reflections to be out through City Slang but Grandbrothers are already enticing us with a grand and gripping single, ‘Infinite’, accompanied by a video. Watch it now.

Listen to Grandbrothers’s new single ‘What We See’

Photo: Toby Coulson

Grandbrothers‘ upcoming album All The Unknown is getting close to its release day on January 15th through City Slang. Following the title track, the duo of German-Turkish pianist Erol Sarp and Swiss engineer/mechanic/sofware designer Lukas Vogel have shared a second single, ‘What We See’. Grandbrothers composed the track using artificial intelligence. They explain:

“The first part of this song is this sort of caucasian piano line. The interesting part about it is, that the origin of that was something completely different: we just played randomly on the piano and let it run through an algorithm on the computer, which made it the way it is now. From there on, we built things around this fragment that by time became this emotional rollercoaster with very vulnerable and intimate, but also very fierce and brute parts.

“What We See” implies that sometimes things aren’t what they seem to be and that you should take your time to take a second look and question them.”

Listen to ‘What We See’ below.