The sharp/spikey and tough Spinifex plant has evolved to be able to survive even the most arid of hinterlands. The band of the same name is just as unyielding, and has been making music for some two decades, managing to conquer its own place in the jazz circuit precisely because of its dogged nature. Led by saxophonist and artistic director Tobias Klein and the well-known trumpeter Bart Maris, Spinifex is always looking for that exciting middle ground between tight, complex compositions and anarchic improvisations. This prickly combination sometimes leads back to The Mothers of Invention, but there is also room for Middle Eastern and Indian influences, while drummer Philipp Moser (who also happens to be an astrophysicist) hails from a metal background. Last year, the eighth album Undrilling The Hole was released, which has been described as an ‘insane roller coaster ride’. Although the international sextet is based in Amsterdam, it is highly regarded the world over. Leading magazine DownBeat recently called Spinifex ‘one of Europe's most important improvisation groups’, praising their explosive live shows in particular.
