Jameszoo and Asko Schönberg - Music for 17 Musicians (2025)

Jameszoo (Mitchel van Dinther) returns to Brainfeeder with a wonderfully cinematic album embarking on adventures on the fringes of jazz and contemporary classical. Imbued with the same spirit of adventure and experimental outlook as his previous work on the label, Music for 17 Musicians is a new work written for and performed by the renowned Dutch ensemble Asko|Schönberg, percussion group HIIIT and Jameszoo’s own “blind” group: Niels Broos (organ), Petter Eldh (electric bass) and Richard Spaven (drums).

Much like in 2019 when he worked with the Grammy-winning Metropole Orkest and Jules Buckley to adapt his album Fool, Music for 17 Musicians is a largely acoustic piece diving deeper into and reflecting on the ideas behind his 2022 album Blind. With 16 musicians and a self-governing disklavier taking center stage this album documents the Dutchman’s foray into contemporary classical music. The title is a nod to Steve Reich’s masterful 1978 album on ECM Music for 18 Musicians.