Nik Bartsch put up a great solo show — Ecstasy Through Asceticism — at The Calcutta School of Music, organised by Pro Helvetia — Swiss Arts Council. Being a martial arts expert, the Swiss is not averse to taking matters into his hands! He played solo as opposed to playing with his other outfits Mobile and Zen-funk quartet Ronin. t2 caught up with the man behind the keys.

What has your musical upbringing been like?

I have studied traditional classical music like Bach and Stravinsky but one cannot learn everything at all levels. I was always interested in rhythms and the combination of rhythms, like in my piece Module 26. It is a combination of time signatures in nine and five playing simultaneously. It is one thing to play it with two hands and “one brain” but it’s a completely different challenge to do it in a band with other musicians. What helps is that the musicians I’m playing with have been working together for 15 years. In Zurich, there is a club called EXIL that I co-founded. Here we meet on Mondays and that’s when we play our music and develop on ideas.

Your thoughts on playing in Calcutta....

It was great, especially because I’m here alone this time around (he played at Jazz Fest in 2015 with his band Ronin). A lot of the music that I play depends on groove... since it has a lot of repetitive and ceremonial aspects to it. When I’m playing solo, it becomes easier to incorporate improvisation.

What’s happening with your other projects?

We made a new record with our acoustic group called Mobile, and the album is called Continuum. Another album is coming up with Ronin and we hope to tour with that next year.

Any plans of returning to Calcutta with a full line-up?

Yes! I’m truly hoping to be back in India. There is a good connection and the Indian audience likes the sort of music we play.

RAPID FIRE

Three tips to become a better musician

• Listen (to music and bandmates)
• Play only the essentials and what’s true and important
• Play in such a way that everyone in the band feels joined and comfortable; music is about synchronising

Three artistes on your playlist

• Igor Stravinsky compositions
• Colin Vallon (Swiss jazz pianist)
• Thelonious Monk

Pianists you recommend:

• Colin Vallon
• Christian Wallumrod (Norwegian composer-musician)