Biography

Thomas Jeker is a Swiss musician, composer and sound designer for theatre, film and video art. He studied Guitar, Contrabass and Shakuhachi at the Conservatories for Music in Basel and Bern. Since 2003, Thomas Jeker has had a prolific career, composing and performing in multiple productions and working in sound design, location sound and field recording. Over two decades of expansive collaboration with choreographers and directors, he has created imaginative sonic works and exploratory musical experiences for various commissions and spaces.

Thomas’ versatile repertoire have led to a rich portfolio presented throughout Europe, Africa and Asia as well as international festivals such as the Kunsten Festival des Arts in Brussels, the Lucerne Festival, Fringe Festival Philadelphia, Vision du Reel in Nyon and SPAF in Seoul.

With Christian Moser, Jeker is one half of Minimal-Atmos Duo, an oud, bass and electronics act with several releases and film soundtracks in their repertoire.

His penchant for unique sonic textures is encapsulated in a hypnotically engaging style of playing and composing. A wonderful synthesis of his signature edgy electronics with simple acoustic touches, Jeker’s sound is almost always conveyed with an expressiveness that is distinctly understated, beautifully woven, and mesmerising.

2014 — 6 month residency scholarship at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris
2020 — Thomas Jeker receives an award by the Alexis Victor Thalberg Stiftung, for his      work on the films “Isola” and “Arada”
2020 — Christoph Oertli’s film “Sensing Bodies” received the Medienkunstpreis Basel

Thomas Jeker is currently finishing his MA in Sound Design at the ZHdK in Zürich.

 

Music Composition / SoundDesign / Location Sound for Films:

 

  • 2021
    • “Planet Hora”, Location Sound, Sound Design, Music
  • 2020
    • “Sensing Bodies”, Christoph Oertli, Location Sound, SoundDesign and Music
    • “Arada”, Jonas Schaffter, Music
    • “Mussi’s Zimmer” Felix Hergert, Sound Design
    • “Shenpen”, Lara Jacobs, Sound Design
  • 2019
    • “The Song of Mary Blane”, Bruno Moll, Music Jeker/Moser Duo
    • “HappyBirthday”, Lisa Gertsch, Sound Design and Music
    • “Isola”, Aurelio Buchwalder, Location Sound
    • “Shenpen”, Lara Jacobs, Sound Design
  • 2016
    • “Das Mädchen vom Aenziloch“, Alice Schmid, Music
  • 2015
    • “Ethiopian Run”, Christoph Oertli, Location Sound
    • “La troisième langue“, Benno Hungerbühler, Music
    • Shakuhachi for “Polder” by Samuel Schwarz, Music Michael Sauter
  • 2013
    • “Campus“, Christoph Oertli, Music
    • “Frontier“, Gavin Webber, Grayson Millwood, Jeff Wood, Music
  • 2012
    • “like a butterfly “, Frank Neveu/ Salamandre Films, Music
  • 2008
    • “Karta“, Christoph Oertli, Music
  • 2007
    • “Global Skin“, Christoph Oertli/Swissbau, Basel, Music
    • “Taxila“, Christoph Oertli, Music
    • Soundinstallation for the exhibition and book art opening „Shigemori”, Christian Lichtenberg, ETH Zürich
  • 2006
    • „Black Box“, Soundinstallation with Christian Lichtenberg, Galerie Ueker&Ueker, Basel
    • „Telefonterror“,Soundinstallation with Christian Lichtenberg, Aarau
    • „24h“, Sinus Series Basel, Thomas Jeker (Sound), Christian Lichtenberg (Video)
  • 2005
    • “Still seeing disappear the sailors“, Christoph Oertli, Music
  • 2003
    • “Egyptian hostess soap opera“, Sherif el-Azma, Music
    • „The room“, Amal Khenawi, Music
Compositions/Musician/ Collaborations for contemporary Dance and Theatre

    

  • 2021
    • “Absent Bodies”, Fatin Abbas/ Chris Leuenberger, Dampfzentrale Bern
  • 2019
    • “The Sixth Day of the moon” , Malmö, Dalia Acin Thelander
  • 2018
    • “The Garden of spirited minds“, Stockholm, Dalia Acin Thelander
    • “Chronik der Zukunft” Infinite Coorperation, Rote Fabrik ZH,Yanna Rüger/TomSchneider
    • “Ef-Femininity”, Marcel Schwald & Chris Leuenberger
  • 2016
    • “Desire & Discipline” Chris Leuenberger & Matthew Rogers, Dampfzentrale Bern, Ceske Budejovice (CZ)
    • “Glas/Auge” Sunita Asnani & Chris Lechner, Attisholz-                                    Kettenreaktion 2016
    • “Numb”, Dagmar Bock, Rote Fabrik Zürich, ZHDK Showroom Z+ 2016
    • “ein Tanzlied” , Beweggrund Heitere Fahne Bern, Chris Leuenberger
  • 2015
    • “Atlas der abgelegenen Inseln”, Tom Schneider, Theater Neumarkt Zürich
    • “Organisation”, Chris Leuenberger, Dampfzentrale Bern
  • 2014
    • „Tuning”, Sumi-Jang&Sung im Her, LIG Art Hall Korea, Theater Freiburg,  Uferstudios Berlin
    • Double Bill “Too far again, not far enough” (recreation)
    • “Agile”, Daniel Jaber, Adelaide Festival
    • “Anatomically Incorrect” by Daniel Jaber
  • 2013
    • „Wilderness“, Tommy Noonan, Theatre Freiburg (D)
    • „Spaziergang“ Su-mi Jang, Christoph Oertli, Theatre Freiburg (D)
    • „Nought“, Daniel Jaber, ADT, Adelaide (AUS)
    • „Je veux mourir sur secene”, Marcel Schwald, Theater Bern
  • 2012
    • „Philia“, Su-Mi Jang&Sung-Im Her, Theater Freiburg (D)
    • „Visch und Fogel“ , Lucky Trimmer, Radio Eins im Park, Berlin
    • „Sweet and Tender fort the end of the World“, Dampfzentrale Bern/ Switzerland
    • „Finkenschlag-Residency“+Showing,Research for „Wilderness“ with Tommy Noonan, Theater Freiburg
    • „Kasmir und Karoline, Felicitas Brucker, Staatstheater Hannover
    • „Natural Causes“, Emma Murray, Dampfzentrale Bern
  • 2011
    • „The Engagement“ of Heinrich von Kleist, Kleist Festival, Tommy Noonan, Maxim Gorky Theater Berlin
    • “Vish&Fogel“, Lucky Trimmer Festival in Berlin
  • 2010
    • „Die Brüder Löwenherz”, Sandra Strunz, Theater Freiburg (D)
    • „Macht&Rebel”, Tom Schneider, Graham Smith, Theater Freiburg
    • „Jamais de jambes“, Jung ae Kim
    • “Die Beschenkten”, Su-mi Jang, Theater Freiburg (D)
  • 2009
    • „1001”, Graham Smith, PVC, Theater Freiburg (D)
    • “Happiness”, Tom Schneider, PVC, Theater Freiburg (D)
    • „Der Auftrag” von Heiner Müller, Joachim Schlömer, Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus
    • „Too far again”, Daniel Jaber, Adelaide Fringe Festival (AUS)
  • 2008
    • „Lieu comun?“, Cie Les Pasnommes, Mulhouse.
    • „Sos“, Graham Smith, PVC, Theater Freiburg (D)
    • „Tango la queen“, Joachim Schlömer, PVC, Theater Freiburg (D)
    • „Hit and Runs”, PVC, in Freiburg und Hamburg (Kampnagel)
    • „In Schnee“, Joachim Schlömer, PVC, Theater Freiburg, Lucerne Festival, La Monnaie Brüssel, Grand Theatre de Luxembourg
    • Musik with Tom Schneider for „nicht einmal Weihnachten kann dich jetzt noch retten”, Clint Lutes, PVC, Theater Freiburg (D)
    • Monumenta, Paris, Shakuhachi-Improvisation for a Choreografie by Daniel Larrieu/Compagnie Astrakan
  • 2007
    • „The other“/Crowd Company”, Sweden, Egypt
    • „The abducation of sita“, Joachim Schlömer, PVC, Theater Freiburg (D)
    • „Ich ersehne die alpen“, mapateatro, Bogota, Festival de la Batie, Genf.
    • „A clear view in heaven“, Joachim Schlömer, Lucerne Festival
    • „Pä besök“ by Torgunn Woyzeck, Oslo
  • 2006
    • „Le loup du chien“ (Fables de la Fontaine), M. Shafik
    • „It’s not the Sound of the Birds, it’s my stomach“, M. Shafik, Vif du sujet Montpellier
    • „B rör mig“, Gilda Stillback, Norrlandsopera Umea (Sweden)
    • „X1“, Dance Umbrealla, The Place/London, Cecile Feza Bushidi
    • „Jamais de jambes“, Jung ae Kim
  • 2005
    • „Rien ne laisse présager de l’état de l’eau”, Odile Duboc Centre Choréographique National de Belfort
  • 2004
    • „Hadid“, M. Shafik/L. Rondoni (Company Descent-Danse, Paris)

     

  • 2003
    • „Bel arabi feel“, Mohamed Shafik and Laurence Rondoni (Company Descent-Danse, Paris)
Improvised Music/Projects:
  • 2019
    • Festival “Le Guess Who”, Utrecht, Vivian Wang & Thomas Jeker
    • Shakuhachi Recordings for the Radio Play “Am Ende des Sommers” by Myriam Zdini, Composer, Michael Sauter
  • 2017/18
    • Concert wit the “Minimal-Atmos Duo” at “Orbital Garden Bern”, Concert Series in Slovakia (Nova Synagoga, Zilina)
    • Soloconcert and Compositions, “Bass & Tape Delays”, Schadau Thun
    • Soloconcert and Compositions, “Gradience”, for Shakuhachi& Elektronik, Thun
  • 2006-13
    •  Concerts with the Ensembes “Toboflex“, “Parisafari” ,“Cuarteao”
    • Concerts with the Trio “Vientosnuevos“, Argentinien Tango and Folklore for Church Organ, Bandoneon and Bass
  • 2004
    • Zoom In-Festival, Bern, Improvisation-Duo with Alex Wäber
  • 2002
    • Concerts with the Trio “EMMA“ at the Fringe Festival, Philadelphia
  • 2001
    • Recordings for the Sound Installation “Musik für Räume“, Aargauer
      Schlösser by Walter Fähndrich
  • 1999
    • Recordings for the Sound Installation “Musik für Räume“, Weimar by Fähndrich
  • Oud-Bass-Electronic Duo with Christian Moser
  • Collaborations under the name “the Blip” with Volker Böhm and Samuel Rohrer
  • Invited at the festival „Chiant 2013“, in Marseille, Live Music to the film few of us” from Sharunas Bartas with the trio „Toboflex“, featering Erik Menkinnen
  • Trio „Vientosnuevos“, Argentinien Tangomusic and Folklore for
    Churchorgan,Bandoneon and Bass
  • Various concerts with the groups „Parisafari” and „Cuarteao“
  • Zoom In-Festival 2004, Münsingen, Bern, Duo with Alex Wäber
  • Trio „EMMA“, Fringe Festival 2002, Philadelphia
  • Recordings for the Soundinstallation „Musik für Räume“, Aargauer
    Schlösser from and with W. Fähndrich, 2001
  • Recordings for the Soundinstallation „Musik für Räume“, Weimar,
    from and with W. Fähndrich, 1999