Convergence Björn Meyer

• 1 Convergence 04:38
• 2 Hiver 04:02
• 3 Drift 03:25
• 4 Gravity 04:50
• 5 Motion 05:25
• 6 On Hope 03:20
• 7 Rewired 02:55
• 8 Magnetique 04:55
• 9 Nesodden 04:21
• Total Runtime 37:51

Info for Convergence

With Convergence, his second solo album, Swedish-born bassist Björn Meyer further develops music on the blueprint established with his recording Provenance (2017), making use of the technical potential of the bass guitar to establish striking sonorities and grained textures while also being acutely aware of the acoustic space in which his sounds emerge. In its review of Björn’s previous solo statement, London Jazz News found the bassist demonstrating “that melodic high-jinks and emotional intensity aren’t just for those who inhabit the treble stave. Meyer’s bass sings.” Here the bass player’s atmospheric explorations conjure images in the mind. His technical innovations appear expanded in a programme of songful quality. In brief it feels complete in itself, more than a document of instrumental prowess.

Meyer’s musical material is realized in real time, played ‘live’ in the studio, with effects and delays and reverbs – colours of the modern bassist’s palette – integrated in the moment. The pieces heard on Convergence came together gradually: “In the first few tours after the release of Provenance I played mostly material from that album. However, new inspirations, ideas and ‘accidents’ started finding their ways into the performances. In a quite slow but steady way these new directions stayed with me, developed over time, and grew up to become a fully new repertoire. Experiences gathered in the last few years of more intense solo playing have converged into this album. The many solo performances have also allowed me to go deeper in my research of the six-string electric bass. New playing techniques, sounds and ways of improvising and composing for and with this instrument have found direct ways into my musical practice, and not only in a solo context.”

This journey to the heart of the bass guitar has sometimes involved oblique approaches and ‘preparations’ akin to Cagean experimental tradition. On the improvisation called “Rewired”, for instance, Meyer uses magnets and metal bars to change the vibration of the strings, going further on “Magnétique” whose muted and metallic sound is achieved “thanks to a special construction of magnets, a spring, and some drops of superglue.” The tapping style deployed on “Magnétique”, moreover, makes it seem almost like a percussion piece, suggestive of the cross-rhythms of mbira music. Meyer is continually exploring the possibilities of his instrument, whether emphasising that this is a bass guitar – see the elegant polymetric plucking of “Gravity” – or setting free broad swaths of ambient sound as on “Drift”. Each piece becomes an episode in an unfolding narrative.

“At some point in the mixing and sequencing process Manfred Eicher made a boldly wonderful suggestion to rearrange the tracks, and made ‘Convergence’ the opening track. That decision set in motion a very strong dramaturgical flow that ends beautifully with ‘Nesodden’,” Meyer notes. “It became a story that could best be told in this way, one that I find sparks imagination and is full of surprises while still allowing for contemplation.”

Björn Meyer, 6-String electric bass

Björn Meyer
Born in Sweden and based in Switzerland since 1996, Björn Meyer is acclaimed for his category-defying musicianship, expanding the sonic and expressive possibilities of the electric bass. His pivotal ECM solo album Provenance (2017), produced by Manfred Eicher, reimagines the instrument in dialogue with acoustic spaces — what Meyer describes as a “second member” in his solo performances. The album has taken him to audiences worldwide, from the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and Ronnie Scott’s in London to Istanbul, Yokohama, Tehran, and beyond.

“.. Meyer has taken a unique approach to composition for solo bass guitar. It is one that will move the instrument forward as much as it will move the listener emotionally.” - John Marley, Jazz Views

Alongside his solo career, Meyer has forged long-lasting collaborations across diverse musical landscapes. He has worked extensively with Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem and, for three decades, shaped contemporary Swedish folk music with Bazar Blå. He leads the intercultural ensemble Garden of Silence, co-founded the Swiss quartet NEN, and continues to be active in projects with Afghan German singer Simin Tander, English trumpet player Tom Arthurs, Iranian kamancheh-player Misagh Jolaee and guitarist Mahan Mirarab, American harpist Park Stickney and many others.

Meyer was a defining force in Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin, contributing to the first seven albums and over a decade of international touring, and has maintained an enduring creative partnership with Swiss composer and musician Don Li.

Awarded the Swiss Music Prize 2019 and the Canton Berne Music Prize 2018, Meyer continues to redefine the voice of the electric bass across cultures, genres, and traditions.

Booklet for Convergence