Plexus Plexus by Web Web

Munich's jazz supergroup Web Web is back with its sixth album, Plexus Plexus, in seven years, and with a new touch. It is more psychedelic and sometimes more krauty than before.

Art by Jan Steins

This time, Web Web in their original line-up (without Max Herre) have (again) chosen a special guest: JJ Whitefield (The Poets Of Rhythm / Karl Hector & The Malcouns / Syrup), who contributes the fantastic guitar sound.

His riffs are sometimes funky as with the Poets Of Rhythm or Syrup, or more psychedelic as with Karl Hector & The Malcouns or his many live and studio recordings with Embryo. The sound color of his guitar gives the album the thrust into the wonderful atmosphere of spacey jazz-kraut bands of the seventies.

The album's concept should be the exact opposite of the previous WEB MAX album (WEB MAX II): Back to the (WEB WEB) roots, with spontaneous, improvised pieces, fragments, ideas that mean the greatest possible liberty and live spirit. And the idea of bringing JJ Whitefield on board was just as unpredictable and improvised: one day before the session, Roberto Di Gioia thought to himself: "JJ and I have always lived in Munich. But unfortunately, we've never really crossed paths. I'm a great admirer of his art, his music, his way of playing. He is so inspiring because he doesn't compromise. He plays in his own way, he's not a copy of anyone or anything."

So Roberto spontaneously called JJ and asked him if he could imagine playing on one or two songs. JJ immediately said yes, and a day later, he was in the studio. They actually only played two songs: One lasted 25 minutes, the other 45 minutes. Most of the tracks (apart from a few others without him) for the album Plexus Plexus mean something like network and interweaving.

The 14 compositions were created over two days, recorded by Jan Krause (Beanfield) in Munich. The two energetic live session lasted 10 hours each, and everyone - Roberto Di Gioia (Rhodes, Fender Precision Bass, Moog, Mellotron, percussion), Christian von Kaphengst (Fender Precision Bass, Rhodes), Peter Gall (drums, percussion, Fender Rhodes), Tony Lakatos (tenor saxophone, flute) - was “on fire” to the core.

The musicians switched instruments to create a completely different overall sound: Kaphengst on Fender Rhodes sounds different to Roberto, his playing has a different harmonic structure, and Roberto on bass is familiar from numerous Max Herre recordings, or from Till Brönner's album “Till Brönner”, and of course also from the “Let Yourself Be Loved” by Joy Denalane, which he produced and which was released on Motown Records.

Michael Reinboth (Compost) was present at the session and spontaneously made a small request: "Hey, why don't you play Moondog's "Bird's Lament"? So they listened to the original once (!) and the guys played it through twice in their irresistibly professional way. The cover artwork is once again by Jan Steins and continues the series of fantastic illustrations for all Web Web albums.

Web Web - Plexus Plexus
Release Date 25th April 2025
Label Compost Records

Tracklist
1. Apotheosis
2. The Madness Of Ajax
3. Sacred Tree
4. Mysia
5. Sun-Hero
6. Bird's Lament
7. Royal Princess
8. Morning Ritual
9. Nyx
10. Garden Of Hesperides
11. Cheiron
12. Sha-Sa-Vish-Nu-Ka-Di
13. The Argonauts Ensemble
14. Infant At The Time