Water as a Muse, Augmented Bass, Sound Curtains and More with Pascal Niggenkemper

Close Enough for Jazz · Aug 13, 2026 · 44m

We sit down with bassist and composer Pascal Niggenkemper to explore his fascinating approach to the "augmented bass" and look back on our early days together in the 2009 Brooklyn loft scene. Pascal explains how he uses external motors and octophonic settings to create an immersive, ASMR-like experience that places the listener directly inside the instrument. We then discuss his recent large-scale project, the Tuvalu Ensemble, commissioned for the SWR NEWJazz Meeting 2024, which featured eight musicians and a 360-degree audience experience surrounded by vibrating sound curtains. We also trace…