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Filtron M

Filtron M is a free-form project by pianist, keyboardist and composer Manu Koch.

Exposed to numerous cultures and genres by touring, performing and recording with many leading figures in contemporary music for the past 25 years, Manu’s compositions and perspective define the direction of Filtron M. The sound evolves with contributions from a multi-national network of collaborators.

The core idea of Filtron M goes back to Manu’s Boston years during the late 90’s when he led his first band that was influenced by the jazz-fusion group Weather Report and various Brazilian artists. After his transition to New York and years of sideman work that took Manu around the globe and refined his understanding of various music styles, his official debut album Triple Life was released in 2011.

With the aspiration to create and perform authentic original music with a multi-cultural outlook the goal now was to translate the global sound with various participants into a live setting. While appearing in New York frequently as Filtron M since late 2012 Manu had the initial members divided into units as introduced on the EP Mandatory Underground (2014). The album Astoria Roots Live (2017) featured the unit of the same name live at the Iridium in New York and at Moods in Zürich with featured guest appearances.

The music of the new Filtron M album Transit Net, set for worldwide digital release on November 26th 2021, goes back to August of 2018 when Manu’s writing process and pre- production started. The basic structure of all 10 tracks including its titles and the song order were in place by 2019, and the remote recording approach as well as the themes it addresses are fitting for the shifts happening since the Covid pandemic started. Joined by 21 musicians of 14 nationalities this album expands the range of what Filtron M looks and sounds like. The first single of the same title Transit Net was released on December 4th 2020.

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Album Review

Filtron M: Astoria Roots Live

Read "Astoria Roots Live" reviewed by James Nadal


In a genuine international collaborative effort, with sessions recorded in New York and Zurich, Astoria Roots Live showcases the eclectic sounds of Filtron M, performing in a live setting. Launched as a musicians' collective based out of New York under the direction of pianist/composer Manu Koch, this project has expanded into Europe and integrated musicians from around the world. Favorably compared to the work Joe Zawinul did with Weather Report and in his later recordings, Filtron M draws on that ...

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Recording

World Music And Jazz-Fusion Group Filtron M To Release New Album "Astoria Roots Live”

World Music And Jazz-Fusion Group Filtron M To Release New Album "Astoria Roots Live”

Source: ARE GROUP

Filtron M, led by New York-based pianist, keyboardist, and composer Manu Koch, will release their latest album entitled Astoria Roots Live (True Groove Records) on April 28, 2017. The recording is the first full-length album released by the group and was recorded live at the Iridium in New York, NY, and Moods in Zürich, Switzerland in 2014. Filtron M represents a diverse cross-section of many groups and sub-projects and comprises an array of artists from around the globe. Stemming from ...

Anybody with a taste for avant-garde jazz fusion, ambient over the edge sound is gonna flip over Manu Koch and Filtron M’s Mandatory Undergound, a terrific four composition EP which sounds like Weather Report one second and some dark angled The XX style the next.” – rocknycliveandrecorded.com
Miles Davis
trumpet
Weather Report
band / ensemble / orchestra

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