BRUNO SPOERRI, RETO WEBER — Controlled Risk (lp)

Bruno Spoerri & Reto Weber – Controlled Risk (LP) arrives on WRWTFWW Records as catalogue WRWTFWW135, a 12-inch vinyl that revisits a pivotal moment in Swiss experimental music. The reissue, dated 5 February 2027, gathers the duo’s 1988 live session recorded at Powerplay Studios in Maur, and presents it in a heavyweight sleeve with fresh liner notes. The record sits at the crossroads of experimental pop beats, jazz improvisation and electronica, offering a vivid snapshot of a time when acoustic gesture and digital processing were still negotiating their relationship. Within the WRWTFWW catalogue, this release follows a series of 2026 statements from the label, including Tim Reaper’s “sfs/in vain (selected tracks) (3x12”)” (WRWTFWW133) and the “Cyberpunk 2077 Future Sound of Night City” compilation (WRWTFWW094). Those earlier titles underline the label’s commitment to forward-looking, boundary-pushing sounds, making the arrival of Spoerri and Weber’s historic collaboration a natural extension of its aesthetic. The album opens with “Love Power/For Papa”, a dedication to Ghanaian percussionist Papa Oyeah Makenzie. The piece immediately sets a dialogic tone, juxtaposing Spoerri’s saxophone and Synthophone lines with Weber’s percussive textures, creating a rhythmic thrust that feels both reverent and exploratory. “Das Stück Mit Der Maus” follows, a nod to computer-music pioneer Laurie Spiegel; its structure hints at the playful interrogation of control that a mouse can exert over sound, while maintaining the live, improvisational energy of the session. The title track “Controlled Risk” deepens this conversation, allowing hand-played rhythms to collide with digital processes, blurring the line between the organic and the synthetic. “Drum Song” continues the momentum, with Weber’s percussive palette interlocking with Spoerri’s electronic gestures, generating a groove that feels both immediate and unpredictable. Side B opens with “Bad Weather Song”, a darker vignette where the duo’s interplay adopts a more atmospheric stance, yet retains the kinetic pulse that defines the record. “Berimbau Electrico” revisits the global rhythmic vocabulary introduced early in the set, merging the timbre of a traditional berimbau with electronic treatment, further erasing the boundaries between world-folk sources and studio manipulation. The closing piece “Tamba-Koba” caps the journey with a concise, hyper-alert statement, leaving the listener with the lingering impression of a live experiment that never settles into a comfortable groove. For Bruno Spoerri, this release follows his recent “Musiques Légères (1976-1982)” on We Release Jazz (WRJ012LTD, 2024) and the earlier WRWTFWW reissue “Rare & Unreleased” (WRWTFWW033, 2018). Those records trace his evolution from early electronic explorations to the more expansive, improvisational approach captured on Controlled Risk. Reto Weber’s contributions, while less documented in the supplied data, are contextualised through his long-standing partnership with Spoerri, dating back to their 1970s collaborations such as the live album “The Sound of the UFOs” (1978). In the broader landscape of late-80s underground music, Controlled Risk anticipates the downtown New York energy of the Knitting Factory era, where jazz, world percussion and emergent computer music converged. Its refusal to resolve the tension between human gesture and machine processing makes it feel surprisingly contemporary, resonating with today’s producers who still question the role of technology in improvisation. From a DJ’s perspective, the record offers a suite of concise, rhythm-driven pieces that can be sliced and re-sequenced for live sets. “Love Power/For Papa” and “Controlled Risk” provide strong entry points with their immediate drive, while “Berimbau Electrico” and “Bad Weather Song” supply moodier interludes suitable for late-night transitions. The analog warmth of the live two-track recording lends itself to back-to-back mixing, and the varied percussive textures keep the set dynamic. The release is pressed as a 12-inch vinyl, presented in a heavyweight sleeve and limited edition packaging, accompanied by new liner notes that contextualise the original 1988 session. Its physical presence reinforces the tactile nature of the music, echoing the original intent of treating technology as an improvisational partner rather than a replacement. Bruno Spoerri & Reto Weber – Controlled Risk (LP), WRWTFWW Records, catalogue WRWTFWW135, 12-inch vinyl, 7 tracks, experimental/pop-beats/jazz-beats/electronica, released 5 February 2027. Tracklist: A1. Bruno Spoerri & Reto Weber – Love Power/For Papa A2. Bruno Spoerri & Reto Weber – Das Stück Mit Der Maus A3. Bruno Spoerri & Reto Weber – Controlled Risk A4. Bruno Spoerri & Reto Weber – Drum Song B1. Bruno Spoerri & Reto Weber – Bad Weather Song B2. Bruno Spoerri & Reto Weber – Berimbau Electrico B3. Bruno Spoerri & Reto Weber – Tamba-Koba