Hamburg based producer and drummer Silvan Strauss counts as one of the outstanding new European jazz drummers who can easily shapeshift between jazz and its varieties ranging into urban contemporary music. In the last years he successfully worked with the likes of Maria João, Soweto Kinch, Omer Klein, Guinga, Farhot, Jazzrausch Bigband, Nils Landgren, Till Brönner. Strauss channels the immense input gained by all the different collaborations into his own project Toytoy where he produces and closely works with his band mates on their vision of experimental groove music. Recently awarded with the Hamburg Jazz Award Strauss finally takes the step towards releasing his very own solo-project “Facing” – it’s title paying tribute to the extraordinary mimics that many drummers share. Curated alongside Kabul Fire Records founder Farhot this instrumental album in hiphop/urban jazz fashion complements KFR-Releases in a very special way as Strauss represents the organic and analogue side of beatmaking. Pics by Gaudenz Strauss and Firas Colin