I I

Mario Batkovic occupies a singular space between composition, performance and sonic experimentation. Based in Bern, Switzerland, the composer, accordionist and multi-instrumentalist has developed a personal musical language rooted in a radical interrogation of the accordion: its timbre, mechanics, physicality and rhythmic potential.

On II, Batkovic ventures further into uncompromising, experimental territory, both reducing and expanding sound. Voices overlap, rhythmic structures develop an almost mechanical force, and layers evoke analogue synthesizers before falling away into near-total silence, the breath of the bellows and a single frequency.

The album is built entirely around the physical relationship between one musician and one instrument: no loops, no electronics. Batkovic received international acclaim with his 2017 debut on Invada Records, while INTROSPECTIO featured collaborations with Colin Stetson, James Holden and Clive Deamer. His credits also include Red Dead Redemption II, Mad Heidi and Shame and Money.