Welten

There is a strange magic surrounding the music of the band WELTEN. Music like the eponymous embrace of their new album “embrace”—sometimes loving, sometimes comforting, sometimes filled with euphoria for a brief moment.

WELTEN is an indie-jazz band from Leipzig at the intersection of jazz, ambient, post-rock, and neo-classical. What makes their sound special is its vivid, almost cinematic musical language—music that conjures images in the mind. Restrained yet haunting, complex yet accessible.

“embrace” marks the tenth anniversary of this unique band. To date, WELTEN has released four albums—“Live im Laden auf Zeit” (2017), “Ycatú” (2018), “Akureyri” (2019), and “Thaw” (2022)—and played over 80 concerts in Germany, Iceland, Switzerland, and Austria. Particular highlights included performances at the Múlinn Jazz Club in Harpa (Reykjavík) with Óskar Guðjónsson (ADHD), live performances on Deutschlandfunk Kultur, and concerts at festivals such as Fusion, Seanaps, and At.tension.

In addition to founding members Valentin Mühlberger (Wurlitzer, Moog, vocals), Lukas Backs (alto flute, transverse flute, percussion), and Laurenz Welten (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet), the sound of the new album was shaped by two new musicians. Anna-Lucia Rupp (Olicía, BODIES, among others) has been part of WELTEN for some time now; she is a versatile multi-instrumentalist who expands the band’s sonic possibilities with synthesizer, percussion, and above all, her voice. In addition, the new drummer Raphael Schuster brings new impulses to the band’s rhythmic concept with prepared drums and expanded percussive sound sources.

The alto flute, saxophone, and Anna-Lucia Rupp’s precise vocals are often arranged together in phrases on “embrace,” creating a unique sound. Valentin Mühlberger crafts the soundscapes using a Wurlitzer, Moog, and effects. His voice and that of Anna-Lucia Rupp add additional layers without taking over the song—a small part of a larger whole. Raphael Schuster’s rhythms extend far beyond the drums, encompassing a collection of antique mixing bowls that belonged to his grandfather, a pastry chef, on which he even plays melodies in various sizes.

Lukas Backs plays mainly the alto flute—a lower-pitched version of the transverse flute—and loves spontaneously experimenting with percussion instruments and everyday objects, which can be heard on many of the album’s tracks. Even though the band bears the surname of their soulful saxophonist and clarinetist Laurenz Welten, this is more of an inspiration. There is no traditional bandleader, and all members contribute compositions.

The album’s first single, “Skúli & Óskar,” is a tribute to the two Icelandic musicians Skúli Sverrisson and Óskar Guðjónsson, whose duo album “The Box Tree” is one of the band’s favorite albums. Their admiration ran so deep that saxophonist Laurenz Welten once lived in Iceland for six months and took lessons from Óskar Guðjónsson. The accompanying video was filmed in the fall of 2025 during the band’s artist residency in the small, picturesque town of Loshult (Sweden) in the town’s historic village church.

WELTEN’s fifth album “embrace” will be released on September 4, 2026.

The concert on September 25 at the ufaFabrik is the exclusive record release show!