Insa Donja Kai - Insomnie Joyeuse

Insa, Donja and Kai might not be names you’re too familiar with, but unbeknownst to most of us these three veteran musicians have been working behind the scenes on some of the most beautiful music of the last few years. Most notably the trio have appeared live and on record with prepared piano maestro (and Sonic Pieces family member) Hauschka, yet hearing them perform their own compositions is even more rewarding than this might suggest.

With Kai Angermann on percussion and Insa Schirmer and Donja Djember on cello, there is an uncompromising peculiarity to the trio’s sound. And yet while such a combination is unusual to come across, the fragile beauty is undeniable. Angermann’s breathy, subtle drumming adds a refined texture to the recordings, and works as a perfect backbone as the dueling cellos soar and plummet overhead. Far from a mere collection of exercises, ‘Insomnie Joyeuse’ moves us through the three musicians’ passions; from haunted cinematics, through heart-wrenching melancholia to chiming explorations into shimmering gamelan-inspired magnificence. Needless to say, fans of classic Rune Grammofon, ECM and of course Hauschka should investigate immediately – Insa Donja Kai have struck upon a sound that is not to be ignored under any circumstances.