Since their founding in 2012, The Shredz have embarked on an ongoing journey exploring the vast space that extends between acousto-electrical sound sources, manifold forms of realtime processing and diverse layers of composition and improvisation. Constantly refining and re-defining their collective performance and interplay, they have delivered two albums on the renowned ACT label, following up with a self-release of their most recent works in late 2023.
On the band's first album "Who Is Afraid Of Richard W." (2013), The Shredz established their sonic imprint, taking up the body of work by the famous classical composer Wagner and catapulting it between the poles of Jazz, Ambient, Dub and Kraut Rock. When John-Dennis Renken replaced their original trumpet player (Tom Arthurs), he brought new momentum to the band's creative spirit, which eventually resulted in their second release "Bliss" (2016). The album features tunes of increased compositional density as well as extensive explorations of sonic and stylistic space, improvisation and repetitive flow. It has been labelled „Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew transformed into 21st century music“…
While The Shredz recorded their first album at the famous Hansa studios in Berlin, "Bliss" was self-produced at keyboarder Volker Meitz's studio. Taking DIY to the next level, the band's most recent album "Orbit" was entirely self-released, with no external record label involved. Its musical concept leans towards the idea of "riddims" as used in dub reggae, employing short structures repeated in loops, forming the basis for collective improvisational ventures.
However, the band has also been developing long time span improvisation where the music evolves slowly and goes different places along the way. This will be reflected in a series of music videos featuring analogue visualizations by light artist Katrin Bethge, starting early 2024.
ERIC SCHAEFER (Drums)
This man should need little introduction - one of Europe‘s finest and most versatile drummers who is the backbone of the unique organism we have created as THE SHREDZ. His instinct for good grooves as well as for ensemble action extends well beyond sound: Eric has founded this band more than ten years ago from players who had never played together before, yet today are like a family
Ascetic repetitiveness and organic complexity are the sources that Eric Schaefer draws energy from. With acoustic drums he sculpted his take on modern and experimental Jazz. With modular synth he travels through dub and noise-informed sonic realms. Playing with protagonists of the art form he became a well established part of the German and European improvised music scene.
This man should need little introduction - one of Europe‘s finest and most versatile drummers who is the backbone of the unique organism we have created as THE SHREDZ. His instinct for good grooves as well as for ensemble action extends well beyond sound: Eric has founded this band more than ten years ago from players who had never played together before, yet today are like a family
Ascetic repetitiveness and organic complexity are the sources that Eric Schaefer draws energy from. With acoustic drums he sculpted his take on modern and experimental Jazz. With modular synth he travels through dub and noise-informed sonic realms. Playing with protagonists of the art form he became a well established part of the German and European improvised music scene.
JOHN-DENNIS RENKEN (Trumpet)
Warm and bright like two suns, deep as a fjord, and always ready to beam his conch horn into outer space with his dazzling live FX, JD is the breath of THE SHREDZ, and one of the biggest musicians you’re going to meet to, say the least.
Absorbed in endless soundscapes, power-driven lines and melodies, John-Dennis Renken is exploring the possibilities of combining the beautiful and powerful sound of the trumpet with the mind altering layers of electronic realms. Throughout his career, he built up a network within the world of improvised music, resulting in collaborations with some of the finest artists from around the world, each from different musical backgrounds. This lead to countless stage performances and untold hours in the studio, leaving a footprint on scores of recordings.
Warm and bright like two suns, deep as a fjord, and always ready to beam his conch horn into outer space with his dazzling live FX, JD is the breath of THE SHREDZ, and one of the biggest musicians you’re going to meet to, say the least.
Absorbed in endless soundscapes, power-driven lines and melodies, John-Dennis Renken is exploring the possibilities of combining the beautiful and powerful sound of the trumpet with the mind altering layers of electronic realms. Throughout his career, he built up a network within the world of improvised music, resulting in collaborations with some of the finest artists from around the world, each from different musical backgrounds. This lead to countless stage performances and untold hours in the studio, leaving a footprint on scores of recordings.
JOHN ECKHARDT (Bass)
If your chest ain’t rattling, it ain’t happening! The blood pumping through the veins of the beautiful organism that is THE SHREDZ, John Eckhardt provides the low-end shamanism that drives this group into ever deeper states of trance…
Like a modern hunter-gatherer of all things bass, John is constantly involved in the music of today. As a double bass soloist, in diverse ensembles and bands, in manifold personal projects, or when working sound systems on a bass guitar or as a DJ, he is unfolding a low-frequency cosmos of unusual dimensions. It is pervaded by secret branchings between new music, industrial dub and pure infrasonics. John Eckhardt has contributed to over 40 recordings and releases his sixth solo album in 2023.
If your chest ain’t rattling, it ain’t happening! The blood pumping through the veins of the beautiful organism that is THE SHREDZ, John Eckhardt provides the low-end shamanism that drives this group into ever deeper states of trance…
Like a modern hunter-gatherer of all things bass, John is constantly involved in the music of today. As a double bass soloist, in diverse ensembles and bands, in manifold personal projects, or when working sound systems on a bass guitar or as a DJ, he is unfolding a low-frequency cosmos of unusual dimensions. It is pervaded by secret branchings between new music, industrial dub and pure infrasonics. John Eckhardt has contributed to over 40 recordings and releases his sixth solo album in 2023.
VOLKER MEITZ (keys)
Funky, psychedelic and multi-dimensional, we are still not sure whether he is entirely human - at least not on the many recent occasions where Volker sets up a truck load of gear, plays but also records and mixes the band’s performances in ways defying earthly gravity. He’s certainly the CPU of this band.
Meitz’s musical personality is eclectic by nature; having created music on 8-Bit computer platforms back in the day, then playing in funk bands, pursuing neo fusion/hardbop or electroacoustic freejazz projects as well as putting out numerous tracks in the realm of broken beat & nujazz, he’s come a long way being a composer, producer, remixer, musical director, performer and original artist. Volker has a degree in audio engineering and is the curator of an annual music festival dedicated to solo improvisation.
Funky, psychedelic and multi-dimensional, we are still not sure whether he is entirely human - at least not on the many recent occasions where Volker sets up a truck load of gear, plays but also records and mixes the band’s performances in ways defying earthly gravity. He’s certainly the CPU of this band.
Meitz’s musical personality is eclectic by nature; having created music on 8-Bit computer platforms back in the day, then playing in funk bands, pursuing neo fusion/hardbop or electroacoustic freejazz projects as well as putting out numerous tracks in the realm of broken beat & nujazz, he’s come a long way being a composer, producer, remixer, musical director, performer and original artist. Volker has a degree in audio engineering and is the curator of an annual music festival dedicated to solo improvisation.
Since their founding in 2012, The Shredz have embarked on an ongoing journey exploring the vast space that extends between acousto-electrical sound sources, manifold forms of realtime processing and diverse layers of composition and improvisation. Constantly refining and re-defining their collective performance and interplay, they have delivered two albums on the renowned ACT label, following up with a self-release of their most recent works in late 2023.
On the band's first album "Who Is Afraid Of Richard W." (2013), The Shredz established their sonic imprint, taking up the body of work by the famous classical composer Wagner and catapulting it between the poles of Jazz, Ambient, Dub and Kraut Rock. When John-Dennis Renken replaced their original trumpet player (Tom Arthurs), he brought new momentum to the band's creative spirit, which eventually resulted in their second release "Bliss" (2016). The album features tunes of increased compositional density as well as extensive explorations of sonic and stylistic space, improvisation and repetitive flow. It has been labelled „Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew transformed into 21st century music“…
While The Shredz recorded their first album at the famous Hansa studios in Berlin, "Bliss" was self-produced at keyboarder Volker Meitz's studio. Taking DIY to the next level, the band's most recent album "Orbit" was entirely self-released, with no external record label involved. Its musical concept leans towards the idea of "riddims" as used in dub reggae, employing short structures repeated in loops, forming the basis for collective improvisational ventures.
However, the band has also been developing long time span improvisation where the music evolves slowly and goes different places along the way. This will be reflected in a series of music videos featuring analogue visualizations by light artist Katrin Bethge, starting early 2024.
ERIC SCHAEFER (Drums)
This man should need little introduction - one of Europe‘s finest and most versatile drummers who is the backbone of the unique organism we have created as THE SHREDZ. His instinct for good grooves as well as for ensemble action extends well beyond sound: Eric has founded this band more than ten years ago from players who had never played together before, yet today are like a family
Ascetic repetitiveness and organic complexity are the sources that Eric Schaefer draws energy from. With acoustic drums he sculpted his take on modern and experimental Jazz. With modular synth he travels through dub and noise-informed sonic realms. Playing with protagonists of the art form he became a well established part of the German and European improvised music scene.
This man should need little introduction - one of Europe‘s finest and most versatile drummers who is the backbone of the unique organism we have created as THE SHREDZ. His instinct for good grooves as well as for ensemble action extends well beyond sound: Eric has founded this band more than ten years ago from players who had never played together before, yet today are like a family
Ascetic repetitiveness and organic complexity are the sources that Eric Schaefer draws energy from. With acoustic drums he sculpted his take on modern and experimental Jazz. With modular synth he travels through dub and noise-informed sonic realms. Playing with protagonists of the art form he became a well established part of the German and European improvised music scene.
JOHN-DENNIS RENKEN (Trumpet)
Warm and bright like two suns, deep as a fjord, and always ready to beam his conch horn into outer space with his dazzling live FX, JD is the breath of THE SHREDZ, and one of the biggest musicians you’re going to meet to, say the least.
Absorbed in endless soundscapes, power-driven lines and melodies, John-Dennis Renken is exploring the possibilities of combining the beautiful and powerful sound of the trumpet with the mind altering layers of electronic realms. Throughout his career, he built up a network within the world of improvised music, resulting in collaborations with some of the finest artists from around the world, each from different musical backgrounds. This lead to countless stage performances and untold hours in the studio, leaving a footprint on scores of recordings.
Warm and bright like two suns, deep as a fjord, and always ready to beam his conch horn into outer space with his dazzling live FX, JD is the breath of THE SHREDZ, and one of the biggest musicians you’re going to meet to, say the least.
Absorbed in endless soundscapes, power-driven lines and melodies, John-Dennis Renken is exploring the possibilities of combining the beautiful and powerful sound of the trumpet with the mind altering layers of electronic realms. Throughout his career, he built up a network within the world of improvised music, resulting in collaborations with some of the finest artists from around the world, each from different musical backgrounds. This lead to countless stage performances and untold hours in the studio, leaving a footprint on scores of recordings.
JOHN ECKHARDT (Bass)
If your chest ain’t rattling, it ain’t happening! The blood pumping through the veins of the beautiful organism that is THE SHREDZ, John Eckhardt provides the low-end shamanism that drives this group into ever deeper states of trance…
Like a modern hunter-gatherer of all things bass, John is constantly involved in the music of today. As a double bass soloist, in diverse ensembles and bands, in manifold personal projects, or when working sound systems on a bass guitar or as a DJ, he is unfolding a low-frequency cosmos of unusual dimensions. It is pervaded by secret branchings between new music, industrial dub and pure infrasonics. John Eckhardt has contributed to over 40 recordings and releases his sixth solo album in 2023.
If your chest ain’t rattling, it ain’t happening! The blood pumping through the veins of the beautiful organism that is THE SHREDZ, John Eckhardt provides the low-end shamanism that drives this group into ever deeper states of trance…
Like a modern hunter-gatherer of all things bass, John is constantly involved in the music of today. As a double bass soloist, in diverse ensembles and bands, in manifold personal projects, or when working sound systems on a bass guitar or as a DJ, he is unfolding a low-frequency cosmos of unusual dimensions. It is pervaded by secret branchings between new music, industrial dub and pure infrasonics. John Eckhardt has contributed to over 40 recordings and releases his sixth solo album in 2023.
VOLKER MEITZ (keyboards)
Funky, psychedelic and multi-dimensional, we are still not sure whether he is entirely human - at least not on the many recent occasions where Volker sets up a truck load of gear, plays but also records and mixes the band’s performances in ways defying earthly gravity. He’s certainly the CPU of this band.
Meitz’s musical personality is eclectic by nature; having created music on 8-Bit computer platforms back in the day, then playing in funk bands, pursuing neo fusion/hardbop or electroacoustic freejazz projects as well as putting out numerous tracks in the realm of broken beat & nujazz, he’s come a long way being a composer, producer, remixer, musical director, performer and original artist. Volker has a degree in audio engineering and is the curator of an annual music festival dedicated to solo improvisation.
Funky, psychedelic and multi-dimensional, we are still not sure whether he is entirely human - at least not on the many recent occasions where Volker sets up a truck load of gear, plays but also records and mixes the band’s performances in ways defying earthly gravity. He’s certainly the CPU of this band.
Meitz’s musical personality is eclectic by nature; having created music on 8-Bit computer platforms back in the day, then playing in funk bands, pursuing neo fusion/hardbop or electroacoustic freejazz projects as well as putting out numerous tracks in the realm of broken beat & nujazz, he’s come a long way being a composer, producer, remixer, musical director, performer and original artist. Volker has a degree in audio engineering and is the curator of an annual music festival dedicated to solo improvisation.
Since their founding in 2012, The Shredz have embarked on an ongoing journey exploring the vast space that extends between acousto-electrical sound sources, manifold forms of realtime processing and diverse layers of composition and improvisation. Constantly refining and re-defining their collective performance and interplay, they have delivered two albums on the renowned ACT label, following up with a self-release of their most recent works in late 2023.
On the band's first album "Who Is Afraid Of Richard W." (2013), The Shredz established their sonic imprint, taking up the body of work by the famous classical composer Wagner and catapulting it between the poles of Jazz, Ambient, Dub and Kraut Rock. When John-Dennis Renken replaced their original trumpet player (Tom Arthurs), he brought new momentum to the band's creative spirit, which eventually resulted in their second release "Bliss" (2016). The album features tunes of increased compositional density as well as extensive explorations of sonic and stylistic space, improvisation and repetitive flow. It has been labelled „Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew transformed into 21st century music“…
While The Shredz recorded their first album at the famous Hansa studios in Berlin, "Bliss" was self-produced at keyboarder Volker Meitz's studio. Taking DIY to the next level, the band's most recent album "Orbit" was entirely self-released, with no external record label involved. Its musical concept leans towards the idea of "riddims" as used in dub reggae, employing short structures repeated in loops, forming the basis for collective improvisational ventures.
However, the band has also been developing long time span improvisation where the music evolves slowly and goes different places along the way. This will be reflected in a series of music videos featuring analogue visualizations by light artist Katrin Bethge, starting early 2024.
ERIC SCHAEFER (Drums)
This man should need little introduction - one of Europe‘s finest and most versatile drummers who is the backbone of the unique organism we have created as THE SHREDZ. His instinct for good grooves as well as for ensemble action extends well beyond sound: Eric has founded this band more than ten years ago from players who had never played together before, yet today are like a family
Ascetic repetitiveness and organic complexity are the sources that Eric Schaefer draws energy from. With acoustic drums he sculpted his take on modern and experimental Jazz. With modular synth he travels through dub and noise-informed sonic realms. Playing with protagonists of the art form he became a well established part of the German and European improvised music scene.
This man should need little introduction - one of Europe‘s finest and most versatile drummers who is the backbone of the unique organism we have created as THE SHREDZ. His instinct for good grooves as well as for ensemble action extends well beyond sound: Eric has founded this band more than ten years ago from players who had never played together before, yet today are like a family
Ascetic repetitiveness and organic complexity are the sources that Eric Schaefer draws energy from. With acoustic drums he sculpted his take on modern and experimental Jazz. With modular synth he travels through dub and noise-informed sonic realms. Playing with protagonists of the art form he became a well established part of the German and European improvised music scene.
JOHN-DENNIS RENKEN (Trumpet)
Warm and bright like two suns, deep as a fjord, and always ready to beam his conch horn into outer space with his dazzling live FX, JD is the breath of THE SHREDZ, and one of the biggest musicians you’re going to meet to, say the least.
Absorbed in endless soundscapes, power-driven lines and melodies, John-Dennis Renken is exploring the possibilities of combining the beautiful and powerful sound of the trumpet with the mind altering layers of electronic realms. Throughout his career, he built up a network within the world of improvised music, resulting in collaborations with some of the finest artists from around the world, each from different musical backgrounds. This lead to countless stage performances and untold hours in the studio, leaving a footprint on scores of recordings.
Warm and bright like two suns, deep as a fjord, and always ready to beam his conch horn into outer space with his dazzling live FX, JD is the breath of THE SHREDZ, and one of the biggest musicians you’re going to meet to, say the least.
Absorbed in endless soundscapes, power-driven lines and melodies, John-Dennis Renken is exploring the possibilities of combining the beautiful and powerful sound of the trumpet with the mind altering layers of electronic realms. Throughout his career, he built up a network within the world of improvised music, resulting in collaborations with some of the finest artists from around the world, each from different musical backgrounds. This lead to countless stage performances and untold hours in the studio, leaving a footprint on scores of recordings.
JOHN ECKHARDT (Bass)
If your chest ain’t rattling, it ain’t happening! The blood pumping through the veins of the beautiful organism that is THE SHREDZ, John Eckhardt provides the low-end shamanism that drives this group into ever deeper states of trance…
Like a modern hunter-gatherer of all things bass, John is constantly involved in the music of today. As a double bass soloist, in diverse ensembles and bands, in manifold personal projects, or when working sound systems on a bass guitar or as a DJ, he is unfolding a low-frequency cosmos of unusual dimensions. It is pervaded by secret branchings between new music, industrial dub and pure infrasonics. John Eckhardt has contributed to over 40 recordings and releases his sixth solo album in 2023.
If your chest ain’t rattling, it ain’t happening! The blood pumping through the veins of the beautiful organism that is THE SHREDZ, John Eckhardt provides the low-end shamanism that drives this group into ever deeper states of trance…
Like a modern hunter-gatherer of all things bass, John is constantly involved in the music of today. As a double bass soloist, in diverse ensembles and bands, in manifold personal projects, or when working sound systems on a bass guitar or as a DJ, he is unfolding a low-frequency cosmos of unusual dimensions. It is pervaded by secret branchings between new music, industrial dub and pure infrasonics. John Eckhardt has contributed to over 40 recordings and releases his sixth solo album in 2023.
VOLKER MEITZ (keyboards)
Funky, psychedelic and multi-dimensional, we are still not sure whether he is entirely human - at least not on the many recent occasions where Volker sets up a truck load of gear, plays but also records and mixes the band’s performances in ways defying earthly gravity. He’s certainly the CPU of this band.
Meitz’s musical personality is eclectic by nature; having created music on 8-Bit computer platforms back in the day, then playing in funk bands, pursuing neo fusion/hardbop or electroacoustic freejazz projects as well as putting out numerous tracks in the realm of broken beat & nujazz, he’s come a long way being a composer, producer, remixer, musical director, performer and original artist. Volker has a degree in audio engineering and is the curator of an annual music festival dedicated to solo improvisation.
Funky, psychedelic and multi-dimensional, we are still not sure whether he is entirely human - at least not on the many recent occasions where Volker sets up a truck load of gear, plays but also records and mixes the band’s performances in ways defying earthly gravity. He’s certainly the CPU of this band.
Meitz’s musical personality is eclectic by nature; having created music on 8-Bit computer platforms back in the day, then playing in funk bands, pursuing neo fusion/hardbop or electroacoustic freejazz projects as well as putting out numerous tracks in the realm of broken beat & nujazz, he’s come a long way being a composer, producer, remixer, musical director, performer and original artist. Volker has a degree in audio engineering and is the curator of an annual music festival dedicated to solo improvisation.