Jim Lange Published

Markus Reuter: The Perfect Touch

Markus Reuter
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Markus Reuter is a master musician, inventive composer, producer and a great teacher.

"Whenever something is true and authentic, it translates. It will always translate. The beauty, your beauty will always come out through your art. It's impossible to break that connection." – Markus Reuter

I first met Markus in 2012 at the Three of a Perfect Pair music camp (Adrian Belew, Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto are the “pair” in question). Confession: I knew nothing about him or his music. When we were introduced, his wit, candor and passion about music came through immediately. In short, we fast became friends.

Then I heard him play. It was an experience unlikely to forget. To begin, he plays a U8 Touch Guitar: an instrument he developed by first playing the Chapman Stick and the Warr Guitar. The music that comes forth is so jawdroppingly good that it takes a moment for the senses to reconcile what is heard with what is seen. I jokingly refer to this phenomenon as a “music concussion”, but that’s not far from the truth. This video of The Crimson ProjeKCt in concert might illustrate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1Y4Hrx2ToM

Besides the aforementioned Crimson ProjeKCt, Markus is also a member of Stick Men with Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto and Centrozoon with Bernhard Wöstheinrich and Tobias Reber.

It is very difficult to pinpoint Markus’ style as a composer because his work keeps expanding into unlikely (for the stereotypical electric guitarist) areas such as the orchestral Todmorden 513 and string quartets: Heartland Bleeds. Simply put, whatever musical endevaour he undertakes, he does so with immense focus, technique and most of all – passion.

His latest album, Truce, may be his most personal. Listen and find out why:

mark_reuter_extended_interview.mp3
Markus Reuter extended interview.

truce_cover.jpg

Available on https://markus-reuter-moonjune.bandcamp.com/album/truce