The Sounds of Emotion German composer, producer, and drummer Mareike Wiening views music as a series of conversations. Given her flawless command of the musical storytelling on her recent, eight-song release Future Memories [Greenleaf Music], it may be convenient to envision the triple-threat artist as a powerful orator inciting reactions from the multitudes. But then you’d miss the whole point. Instead, the effect of Wiening’s music on the listener is beautifully subtle and profound, and her approach is more akin to a shared narrative, where she may set the groove, harmony, and melody, but her band is free to explore, interpret, debate, support, or charge boldly ahead through their own improvisational journeys. As a leader and drummer, Wiening is into producing textures, shades of timbral colors, and restrained support, rather than delivering bombast and bluster—although she can certainly explode into boogie-down moments if the music calls for it. Each member […]

January 2022 Issue