TRUCE <3 by Markus Reuter (featuring Fabio Trentini and Asaf Sirkis)

At its core, TRUCE <3 is an album about connection. It’s about what happens when three musicians come together with no preconceptions, no pre-written material, just open ears and open hearts.

This is our third album as a trio, and in many ways, it feels like a defining statement. We’ve built something here that is at once spontaneous and structured, emotionally direct yet filled with intricate detail. With this record, I feel we’ve reached a new level of cohesion, intensity, and depth.

One of the most exciting aspects of TRUCE <3 is how it merges different dimensions of our playing. The melodic storytelling that’s always been central to this project is still here, but so is outrageous shredding—a side of my playing that doesn’t always find a home in my other projects. If you’re a fan of fluid, high-velocity lead work in the spirit of Allan Holdsworth, you’ll find plenty of it here.

From Fabio’s hypnotic bass patterns that provide an almost trance-like foundation, to Asaf’s explosive yet nuanced drumming, this album lives in the spaces between groove, melody, and raw improvisational fire. Titles like “Not Alone,” “We Have Your Back,” and “Never Apart” reflect the deep sense of trust that exists in this trio—it’s music born from mutual respect and fearless exploration.

This time, there’s also an extra layer to the story. While we were recording, I was also developing a series of soundscape loop improvisations that served as the harmonic framework for our sessions. These bare-bones improvisations were never meant to be heard in isolation, but when I listened back, I realized they had their own beauty and purpose. This led me to create “Thirteen Studies in Tender Collapse: Love Drones”, a companion release that strips everything down to these raw, evolving sound worlds. It’s the unspoken, atmospheric counterpart to TRUCE <3, and I invite you to experience both records together.

Music is always about relationships—between notes, between players, between the listener and the sound. TRUCE <3 is our way of celebrating those relationships, and I hope that when you listen, you’ll feel the energy, intensity, and, most of all, love that went into creating it.

— Markus Reuter, February 2025

<3

There's video of the band playing "Not Alone" live in the studio here: https://youtu.be/Uss47fNxgzs

Fool of Music

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