Philipp Wisser - 5th Dimension (2026) [Hi-Res]

With “5th Dimension,” Düsseldorf-based guitarist Philipp Wisser presents an album that distills contemporary jazz into a clear, stripped-down essence. Over two years, his quartet — Christoph Klenner, Conrad Noll, and Daniel Guerrero — developed a repertoire that sounds reflective, energetic, and open. Recorded live and without overdubs, the music captures a band that combines structural clarity with a willingness to take risks. On the title track, Vincent Pinn adds a distinctive color on flugelhorn.

The very term 5th Dimension leaves plenty of room for interpretation. It can be understood in physical, geometric, or spiritual ways. For this album, however, the reason behind the title is comparatively banal at first glance: many of the harmonies on 5th Dimension are related by thirds — and the third, in turn, is the 5th overtone. Much more familiar — though one level below — is the circle of fifths, which is based on the 3rd overtone.

This is certainly not a new discovery, and it won’t blow anyone’s mind. But on closer inspection, it reveals an old, almost forgotten truth whose value receives remarkably little attention today. When I began to study overtones more deeply, I found answers to questions that had become increasingly pressing: Why do certain harmonies exist at all? Why do specific scales work? I knew the rules, but much of that knowledge felt lifeless. Through exploring overtones, I found explanations rooted not only in the physical reality of our universe, but above all in something directly perceptible — a reality that is both simple and endlessly beautiful.

This has also shaped my self-understanding as an artist. My task is to make this simple beauty audible — and in that, I’m still very much a beginner. Ironically, many of the harmonies and rhythms are not particularly simple from a theoretical point of view. But I’m convinced that we all carry the immediate experience of music within us, and that attentive listening allows us to intuitively grasp far more than we might expect. Dry theory, on the other hand, often makes access appear more abstract than it actually is.

5th Dimension came into being over a long period of time. It’s not the kind of album where you write a handful of tunes, call your favorite colleagues, maybe play a short tour and then head into the studio — although that can be great too! Instead, we met irregularly over more than two years and worked on the material, usually without any gig on the horizon. I can’t thank Christoph, Conrad, Daniel, and Vincent enough for this shared process, which allowed me to reflect on the pieces with depth and calm. At the same time, what you hear is real, collective jazz improvisation: we recorded everything together, without any overdubs. That alone is no measure of quality, and in the editing process we did combine two complete takes for some pieces. What matters to me, however, is the documented connection between the intense creation process and the sudden, shared surrender in the moment.

5th Dimension is a natural successor to Just a Glimpse, even though that was never my intention. Looking back, my debut feels more like a brief snapshot, while this album is more mature in many ways. And yet it could not have come into being without the experiences from Just a Glimpse — the first step on a path whose direction wasn’t clear to me at the time.

Ultimately, however, 5th Dimension is not primarily about overtone series and the harmonies derived from them. Rather, I hope it reminds us of the beauty that surrounds us at all times, the beauty in which we are all connected. A beauty that belongs to no one and yet to everyone — Trust it. Moving through us.

Philipp Wisser, guitar
Christoph Klenner, tenor saxophone
Conrad Noll, bass
Daniel Guerrero, drums
Vincent Pinn, flugelhorn