One of hilde’s great strengths is her ability to find completely unexpected, sometimes downright daring links between abstract sonic invention and traditional grace. This rare gift is most evident in her live performances. It hardly matters who is responsible for which playful impulse, which tone colour, which composition or which spontaneous idea. Four musicians merge into one person, hilde, an individual with four heads and eight arms, who confronts us with massive gentleness on “Tide”. The same goes for the whole arc of the album. Each song stands on its own, but the order is not arbitrary. hilde is telling a story that needs to be heard from the first to the last note.
We like beautiful things,” hilde exclaims in unison. For them, improvisation is an expression of freedom that excludes nothing and allows everything. What sounds like a matter of course is – as 60 years of freely improvised music soberingly show us – not at all. Beautiful sounds, melodiousness and song structures that invite you to sing along are not embarrassing slips of the tongue, but deliberate. The basis for this intuitive unity goes far beyond the much quoted mutual trust. It is based on a benevolent reliability that is seldom lived in this unbreakability, which gives each of the four musicians the feeling of security they need to be able to go to the extreme as hilde and always reach the innermost – and vice versa.
Text by Wolf Kampmann
This is hardcore free music improv at its best: intense, focused, quick changing, challenging to the listeners and musicians alike and the excitement factor is up high. Vocalist Marie Daniels is particularly strong throughout, glad to hear her do her thing, cast her up there with Sainko, Iva Bittova & Catherine Jauniaux. What makes this disc so special is that all four members are equally strong, focused and intense improvisers. The interactions are often astonishing! – Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG (New York City)
Hilde rely on musical contrasts. For example, beautiful vocal passages can be coupled with true noise orgies, melodiousness meets dissonance, dreaminess meets high energy. There are no stylistic boundaries in this experimental, constantly surprising wonderland of contemporary chamber music, jazz, improv and avant-pop – so we can only wish this outstanding quartet from Cologne an influx of open-minded fans from all musical backgrounds. And anyone who experienced hilde at Bezau Beatz last year, for example, will also appreciate their stunning live qualities.
Peter Füssl, Kulturzeitschrift – May 2024
https://umlandrecords.bandcamp.com/album/open
https://hildemusic.bandcamp.com/album/tide