| Jazz |
A Bold, Beautiful Dialogue: ACT’s Latest Duo Album Charts New Emotional Territory.
The ACT label has long been a connoisseur of the artist duo format. With its latest release, a striking acoustic collaboration between pianist David Helbock and multi-instrumentalist Julia Hofer, the label once again demonstrates its gift for assembling creative partnerships that surprise and resonate. Built around piano, cello, double bass, and fretless electric bass, and featuring three guest artists, the album is an unexpected gem that continues Europe’s jazz tradition of drawing inspiration from classical, pop, world, and rock music.
Helbock may already be a familiar name to jazz audiences. The revelation here is Julia Hofer, a classically trained cellist and genre-fluid bassist whose versatility brings this project to life. In true ACT fashion, the music defies easy classification, weaving through intricate melodies and textured soundscapes with a clarity of vision that’s both emotionally direct and technically refined.
The album’s centerpiece is an imaginative reworking of Prince’s “Purple Rain”, a litmus test of sorts. Rather than falling into the trap of obviousness, Helbock and Hofer strip the iconic song to its emotional core, letting it bloom anew with subtlety and grace. It’s in this reinterpretation that the duo’s creative intelligence shines brightest, revealing an ability to breathe new life into even the most recognizable material.
“I was looking for a new partner for a duo project,” Helbock explains. “Even though I’m passionate about my work with the Austrian Syndicate, a large and complex ensemble with many keyboards, I wanted something more intimate. With ACT’s CEO and producer Andreas Brandis, we began imagining a stripped-down, emotionally focused acoustic duo. That’s when I met Julia Hofer.”
What drew him in, Helbock says, was Hofer’s boundless versatility. “From our first rehearsal, I was captivated by her energy. You can tell she truly loves playing music from the very first note, and that kind of joy is not only motivating, it’s contagious.”
Hofer’s artistic range is impressive. One of Austria’s most prominent bassists, she grew up in a family of musicians and stands out for her stylistic fluency. Whether delivering poetic, classically rooted cello passages or driving electric bass lines, she moves effortlessly between genres. Her musical world spans from Earth, Wind & Fire to Jamiroquai to the Yellowjackets, and her approach goes beyond reading scores, she listens, transcribes, and inhabits the music. That method allows her to both respect and reinvent the original works she performs.
What we hear, then, is a new generation of musicians unfazed by stylistic boundaries. “At first we experimented with effects and electronics,” Helbock recalls, “but over time, we found ourselves using them less and less. Now the album is almost entirely acoustic, except for the electric bass. We rehearsed a lot, tried out many ideas. It was a thrilling process.”
The duo is joined by a few close collaborators. Soulful, lyrical trumpeter Lorenz Raab, a longtime musical partner of Helbock’s, adds his signature warmth. Hungarian vocalist Veronika Harcsa, another familiar voice in Helbock’s orbit, brings an unexpected twist to “Freedom Jazz Dance” with her scatting, and delivers Hungarian lyrics to a Thelonious Monk piece, something truly singular. Guitarist Mahan Mirarab, long on Helbock’s wish list, lends his distinctive sound on a double-neck guitar, one of them fretless. “It fits beautifully with Gurdjieff,” Helbock notes of their track together, part of the album’s second act, Faces of Night.
In an age when music can often feel overproduced or formulaic, this project offers a reminder of the enduring power of acoustic instrumentation. When composition crosses into artistry, when sound becomes an honest, sometimes acrobatic expression, the result is timeless.
This is music unafraid to take risks, crafted by musicians deeply devoted to their art. And for that alone, it deserves admiration.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, July 21st 2025
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Musicians :
David Helbock – piano
Julia Hofer – electric bass, fretless bass, cello
Guests:
Lorenz Raab – flugelhorn
Mahan Mirarab – guitar
Veronika Harcsa – vocals
Tracklist :
01 Woman’s Dance – Version 1
02 Dancing to Another Space
03 Dark Soul
04 Purple Rain
05 Night Dances
06 Song of a Dream
07 Freedom Jazz Dance
08 Clara’s Romance
09 Theme from Schumann’s Piano Concerto
10 Sexy M.F.
11 ‘Round Midnight
12 Woman’s Dance – Version 2
Produced by Andreas Brandis & David Helbock
Recorded on May 20th and 21st at Wavegarden Studio, Mitterretzbach, Austria
Recorded and mixed by Werner Angerer
Mastered by Klaus Scheuermann
Photo by Severin Koller at Reaktor, Vienna
Cover art (detail) by Tanka Fonta
The Meditative Movements; The Dawn Incantations III (2024)
Acrylic on canvas, 160 cm x 120 cm
Design by Siggi Loch