Swiss artist Zimoun had the honor and joy to spend time with a unique instrument, the Wind Dynamic Organ (Prototype III), located in Bern, Switzerland. He was given access to explore and record over the past few years. The result is two albums of material: a solo work of more pure and unmaniuplated sound titled Wind Dynamic Organ, One & Two (12k2061) and this, Wind Dynamic Organ, Deviations, on which he collaborates with Taylor Deupree. On this latter work they use the organ’s tones as a starting point for deeper sonic experimentation.
Zimoun describes the experience:
“I have had the wonderful opportunity to engage regularly and over a longer period with the ‘Wind-Dynamic Organ, Prototype III’—a truly outstanding and marvellous instrument developed by Daniel Glaus and his team. In contrast to a conventional organ, wind pressure and air volume per pipe can be actively, continuously, and dynamically shaped: the tone is therefore not merely switched on and off, but modulated while it is sounding. This makes it possible to work with dynamic sound evolutions, to generate sounds at the boundary regions of the actual tones, or to integrate pure air noises and shimmering rustles. The key travel changes the attack of the tone, allowing seamless shifts from clearly accented figures to fused bands of sound without changing stops. In this way, airy, noise-tonal textures and flickering, oscillating overtone clouds can emerge that respond to the current wind pressure.”
Based solely on sounds from the organ, Deviations allows the two artists to use them as a point of departure in order to develop further modulations that dig deeper into the unique characteristics of the instrument’s sound, highlighting and altering textures to create something new, yet related.
The organ stands in the Bern Minster, Switzerland. It was developed and built as part of a research project at the Bern Bern Academy of the Arts (HKB) under the direction of organist and composer Daniel Glaus—with support from the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Album Credits
Composed and produced by Taylor Deupree and Zimoun, 2025.
Mixed and mastered by Taylor Deupree at 12k.
Special thanks to Daniel Glaus and Felix Gerber.
