Drawing inspiration from “old creepy silent films and broken machines”, the ensemble Karja Renard Wandinger seem to navigate a narrow passage between free improvisation and modern composition in their dark atmospheric material. The trio is led by the energetic Estonian pianist and composer Kirke Karja, who made her first appearance on stage together with French bassist Etienne Renard and German drummer Ludwig Wandinger in 2019. After their second major performance at the European Jazz Network Conference in Tallinn, the three musicians were invited to play various major festivals, such as Jazzfest Berlin, Südtirol Jazzfest and jazzahead!. By 2022, they’d released their dynamic debut album The Wrong Needle, and two years later, they managed to win the Jazz Band of the Year award; one of the most important awards in the Estonian jazz scene, with leading media outlets such as DownBeat and All About Jazz also holding this unique trio in very high regard.
