Album Release: Felix Hauptmann & Kirke Kaja "Underwater Consciousness"

On June 27, Karja Hauptmann Duo will release their new album Underwater Consciousness

After various releases with his trio PERCUSSION or as Side Man, NICA artist Felix Hauptmann has come out with an intimate duo recording: the new album Underwater Consciousness recorded with a soulmate on the keys - Kirke Karja from Estonia. The two pianists explore their shared underwater sound world together in a way that is both challenging and delicate at the same time. Complexity and simplicity are directly opposed to each other in this experiment and blend together to create a uniquely harmonious sound.

KARJA HAUPTMANN, the duo of acclaimed pianists Kirke Karja and Felix Hauptmann, is releasing their debut album via Boomslang Records - available as vinyl and digital download.

Underwater Consciousness blurs the boundaries between free improvisation and spontaneous composition, capturing the exploration of textural depth, rhythmic complexity and layered structures in a delicate yet captivating piano dialog. The music springs from a shared rhythmic sensibility and draws the listener into immersive soundscapes of urgency and introspection.

The production: a process of sonic exploration

The album was recorded on January 4, 2024 at LOFT, Cologne. After an intense day of rehearsing and exploring new textures and musical ideas, Hauptmann and Karja recorded the album in just one hour. Each piece unfolds organically - shaped by their improvisational conversation and intuitive artistic connection, in which humor and playfulness also find their place.

“The recording shows depth and urgency - both core values of our work.”

The album is available digitally and on vinyl.

•••

Release on June 27, 2025 on Boomslang Records

Recorded at LOFT, Cologne
Sound engineer: Stefan Deistler
Mix & Mastering: Christian Heck
Cover-Artwork: Cyrille Beirnaert
Poem & title: Maria Filippou
Supported by NICA Artist Development