The Muul Ensemble gives voice to Estonian composer-pianist Madis Muul’s first string quartet, Echoes of Layers, a work that fuses contemporary European writing with a discreet South Indian Carnatic undertow. Conceived after a walk in the woods, it charts a clear trajectory from spareness to intricacy. The release will be supported by a WAV master, videos, images, and behind-the-scenes material, with live presentations planned and potential festival dates at Tallinn Music Week and Jazzkaar.
Across three movements, the score is concise and assured. Horizon. Unfolding opens with breadth and gradually reveals inner detail. Growth. Time, informed by Percy Smith’s 1910 film The Birth of a Flower, shapes transformation with lucid, fractal logic. Depths. Cells turns to overtone-rich resonance reminiscent of the tampura, directing attention toward the microscopic and the spiritual. The arc is coherent, the pacing exact, and the textures cleanly balanced.
Muul’s training—jazz piano at Siena Jazz University (Italy) and composition at ArtEZ University of the Arts (Netherlands)—together with his collaboration with percussionist Giridhar Udupa, anchors the quartet’s rhythmic poise and timbral focus. His honors include the Estonian Theater Award (2022) for original music, second place at the International Songwriting Awards, and recognition at the Estonian Jazz Awards, with All About Jazz calling his music “cosmic, tender, and deeply immersive.” String Quartet No. 2 is slated for spring 2026, and both quartets are planned for a special vinyl edition. Echoes of Layers emerges as a confident, distinctive entry in today’s chamber repertoire.
