Vincent Meissner Trio - Eigengrau (2025) [Hi-Res]

“The more new discoveries you make, the more you go back to the beginning,” observes pianist Vincent Meissner. The music on his third album, ‘Eigengrau’, is characterized by an inward gaze, by his reflections on experiences and encounters that have been meaningful to him. Together with his working trio, Josef Zeimetz on bass and Henri Reichmann on drums, Vincent Meissner has developed his own language, drawing inspiration from artists such as The Bad Plus, Esbjörn Svensson, Vijay Iyer - and his mentor, Michael Wollny.

“The word ‘Eigengrau’ describes a state of darkness behind closed eyes,” Meissner explains. “But once you rub your eyes, you see patterns. Everyone sees something different: structures, objects, perhaps nothing at all... and that’s what our music is like - creating a distinct image for every listener.”

On stage, the trio is in constant motion, often exploding with pure energy. In the studio, Vincent Meissner, his fellow musicians, and producer Andreas Brandis have sought a paring down of melody, texture and mood. On the album, the three are in close focus, with every note as an exploration, each of the tracks an invitation to finely honed and playful yet profound interchange.

At its heart, then, and despite the depth and complexity, Eigengrau is an album of songs. Its nine highly focused tracks are always emotionally involved rather than detached, and each in a subtly different way. Eigengrau flickers and shimmers with intense and carefully gradated pastel shades; their appeal is never less than totally hypnotic.