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Schrödingers Katze — The Cat Is Alive
(Bandcamp moprph018LP, 2026, LP / DL)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2026-05-03

The Cat Is Alive Cover art

Schrödingers Katze is the Swiss duo of Simon Althaus and Manuel Pasquinelli. Drummer Pasquinelli we know from many of his previous endeavors, a long time member of Sonar and other groupings in the Stephan Thelen orbit (Fractal Guitar, Worlds in Collision, Transneptunian Planets, etc.) as well as his own band Akku Quintet, and some may be aware of the bands Steeo and Karsumpu before that. Simon Althaus plays Rhodes electric piano and electronics; his sole credit prior to Schrödingers Katze is with the group Jodelterzett Engiadina, on grand piano no less, but what he does here is mighty impressive — think of all the ways that one might alter and distort the sound of a Rhodes, and Althaus has done it here, along with supplying the duo with some deep Moog bass and other electronics; together they have been stretching the jazz and rock idioms in some very radical and unpredictable ways since their 2020 studio debut Superposition. Following the band’s second studio recording, Unscharf in 2023, is the duo’s third album and first live recording The Cat Is Alive, recorded live at Moods in Zurich in January 2025, and released in March of the following year. The opener “Fernwirkung” is a new number, and right away the listener is treated to beautiful distorted loops of electric piano while the drums come into the picture slowly, keeping a powerful and steady cadence as it all unfolds, seeming almost like an improvisation, though with Althaus in the pilot’s seat, this seems like a trip that could go just about anywhere, with mysterious electronic sounds filling up all the spaces between the notes. Next comes “Position 7” taken from the debut album, clearly showing the band’s jazz pedigree, though in an entirely different context; later in the set, the even busier “Position 3” gives the listener another slab of slack-jawed amazement. Perhaps the highlight of the set is the nine-and-a-half minute “Electrons,” a piece that was released on Unscharf, and also as a much shorter single track; beginning with some percussion and electronic sound loops, the Rhodes joins about a minute in, building slowly as it proceeds toward a massive crescendo around the eight minute mark. The strangely named “45r” is also from Unscharf, a busy drum workout where one can hear what a distorted Rhodes sounds like when it’s run through a Leslie. Set closer “Metamorph” is another new tune, beginning with a beautiful lengthy Rhodes intro that eventually morphs into an intense Moog bass sequence like no other. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, no vocals anywhere. A great introduction to Schrödingers Katze.

Filed under: New releases, 2026 releases

Related artist(s): Schrödingers Katze

More info
http://schroedingerskatze.bandcamp.com/album/the-cat-is-alive

 

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