From time to time we sit together and ponder two questions that we get asked frequently, because those questions seem to be important to people. Or at least to those who take the most welcomed liberty to ask.
Who are we and what is it exactly that we do?
Well, we of course know who we are and likewise know what it is that we do.
Yet being artists, musicians to be exact, it seems not to be in the nature of our respective personas to be able to put a stamp or label on either of those two questions. Let alone do all of that in two snappy sentences.
After all we are artists, musicians, composers and producers not salesmen or PR agents.
So let us give you our best shot at answering those questions. For you and also for us, so we have our little bit of package to hand out to the enquiring minds, because they are likeminded, curious and hence a lot like us in that particular respect.
We are Ralf Gustke on drums, Philipp Rehm on bass and Michael Strobel on guitar and vocals. You can click on our names to travel to the corresponding space in the web for each respective musician, should you desire to learn more about one of us.
Pluq however started out when Ralf played drums on Phil´s debut album „The Philbum“, which was released in 2015. They started to take the spirit and some of the ideas of the Philbum and developed a duo format incorporating drums and bass (of course) and electronics to further develop their vision of rhythm and sound.
In 2020 Michael Strobel was added to the outfit to broaden the sound of the group with Michael´s rough guitar playing and singing.
Together the trio is working on the continued evolution of rhythmical expression as the key motif of the artistic work of Pluq.
The result can be heard on the EP Traveler. A sound that combines different layers of meters and harmonical tension that would otherwise be heard in contemporary and experimental jazz merged with the punchiness and punk attitude of the Prodigy or Rage against the machine. Blended with lyrics that may aspire to have a touch of brightness and are definitely inspired by Zappa´s understanding of storytelling, our music is what you want it to be, when you hear it.
Could be Fusion. Could be Rock. Could be Jazz. Could be Progressive. Could be interesting?
Is music.