uproot is an improvised music formation founded in 2015 and based in Berlin.

The group consists of Ganesh Anandan (IN/CA) on shruti stick, microtonal metallophones and percussion, Kriton Beyer (GR/DE) on harmonium, objects and daxophone and in its electroacoustic incarnation with the addition of Marcello Lussana (IT) on live electronics. The acoustic musicians work with the use of both the natural sounds of their instruments as well as with preparation of these instruments, the use of objects and extended techniques. The interplay of these two is linked and fused with Marcello’s live electronics and particularly by means of granular synthesis, thus creating a sonic hall of mirrors where the beginning and the end of any sound merge and the sound source begins gradually to disappear. Faint harmonic shapes shine through dense clusters of sound, complex rhythms are subtly woven into organic soundscapes, elusive microtonal structures fade gently in and out, sounds fade to noise and back to sound again and create a world of surreal sonic phantom images.

In the duo version of the group, in which Kriton is focusing on playing the daxophone, the sound is distinctively different than in the electroacoustic trio version: The acoustic dimension of the music is more evident here and the music more direct without the extensive use of electronic audio processing that is characteristic for the trio. Ganesh uses a wide variety of percussive instruments, self-built microtonally tuned metallophones and the shruti stick that blend surprisingly well with Kriton’s daxophone and his electronic toys that function so very differently regarding every musical aspect: The sound is more organic and the two musicians and their instruments complement each other perfectly in sound, timbre and texture, in skillful play and in savvy real-time composition.