A new collective that isn’t completely new. Drummer and percussionist Joost Lijbaart and pianist Wolfert Brederode have played together as a duo since 2005. With Batik they have become a quartet by adding guitarist Ed Verhoeff and bassist Clemens van der Feen. Their sound can now be developed further. The ultimate, ambitious goal of the group is to merge into one great instrument. New sounds emerge along the way and traditional forms of ensemble playing fade away. Their debut album Headland, that was released last year, was inspired by the work of the artist Claudy Jongstra, known for her wool and felt wall hangings. Just as Jongstra transforms felt, so Batik transforms music, explains Lijbaart in the liner notes. The music sometimes sounds serene but never safe: Batik knows how to wrong-foot listeners. Critics appreciate this complex tension: the Dutch daily Trouw described the quartet as having ‘a new take on jazz’. Recognition also came in the form of an Edison nomination.
