Nur Mar Mus

Anima Sound, the husband-and-wife duo of Paul and Limpe Fuchs, rode around the German countryside in the early 1970s, setting up stage in the back of a wooden caravan, and playing "music for everyone" on invented instruments. The Fuchss captured the joyously creative spirit of the day in their improvised racket of metallic percussion, modified horns, and freeform vocals. Limpe carries this delight in invention over into her solo work, creating instruments from metal, stone, wood, and other natural materials. NUR MAR MUS first presents Limpe Fuchs in a solo context, introducing the distinctive timbres of the Serpentinit stones and the ingenious, Paul Fuchs-designed ballaststring instruments--wire-strung metal bars suspended from a brass drum--showcased on "Nur." "Mus" and the extended "Mar" are splendid compositions for voice and the carillon-like stones. Even more remarkable are the duo and trio pieces featuring percussionist Thomas Korpiun and double bassist Georg Karger. On "Mit," Korpiuns brash sheet-metal gestures and Fuchs vocal explosions contrast with the ballaststrings sonorous sounds. Kargers stalking figures and Korpiuns tumbling accents complement Fuchs expressive, folk-style violin on "Hau" and "Did." Fuchs takes to a set of bronze drums on the animated "Kra," and brings out the famed Fuchshorn for "Zug."