"Talk Talk", the second album of the improvising duo "Superimpose" from Germany's capital of free music Berlin is a vivid statement of alert and physical free improvisation. Matthias Mueller on trombone and Christian Marien on drums sound like what they are: a working band. They take paths you can only discover after playing together for a long time with high intesity, intuition and faith. They open up the cosmos of the unexpected and make "Talk Talk" a surprising document of the eternal search for depth and beauty.”
http://www.leorecords.com/?m=select&id=CD_LR_555

“Superimpose is trombonist Matthias Müller and percussionist Christian Marien, a Berlin-based duo who have recorded previously under their own names and as part of larger ensembles Olaf Ton and The Astronomical Unit. The title Talk Talk is an apt representation of their methodology, which is to engage in voluble exchanges in a free improv idiom pioneered by the like of Paul Rutherford and John Stevens. The action shifts rapidly and is dense beyond any expectation of what a duo should be able to achieve, but it’s also thrilling in its sustained intricacy. [...] Superimpose gets deep into their chosen language.”
(Bill Meyer in Downbeat, August 2010)

“This improvising duo for trombone (Matthias Müller) and drums/percussion (Christian Marien) is unequivocal, starting from the album’s very title which expresses exactly what happens throughout its six tracks. Obviously, it falls on the big horn to produce the large part of grumbling, bubbling and obsessed blah-blah; this is something which this writer, who has been a lover of East European cartoons replete with similar sounds since the early childhood, is absolutely used to but not less responsive (go to You Tube and dig some Gusztav to understand). Müller is a technically gifted player, in the same vein of the Hubwebers and the Rutherfords; a bravura not ruined by the constant emission of notes, involving and amusing through fat tones and blubbery groans all along while also minding to the reciprocal breathing room, never obsessively saturated and/or invaded. Marien is a great responder to the systematic attempts of altercation - or just animated dialogue - that the partner throws by the dozen. He utilizes the drum set with pyrotechnically susceptible facility, maintaining the ears well open to sudden changes of the dynamic picture: in “IMHK”, for instance, the couple enjoys a rare moment of tranquillity before restarting the customary, and ever-ironic exchanges. A pleasing listen overall - and I admit that the wish of hearing even more quarrelling and tit-for-tats in a trio with the volcanic Joelle Léandre is already appearing at the back of my mind.”
(Massimo Ricci in Touching Extremes, June 8, 2011)

“Negating the cliché that three into two won’t go, bassist Clayton Thomas adds new textures to Relativity when his contributions expand the partnership of trombonist Matthias Müller and drummer Christian Marien showcased on Talk Talk.
Recorded within eight months of one another, these CDs are actually parallel elaborations of a similar improvisational process within either two or three parts. The major difference may be that The Astronomical Unit (AU)’s four tracks use words in their titles while Superimpose’s six use letters. Although an augmented stratum of tension exists within the AU’s improvisation which are, in the main, staccato and agitato, that seems to be deliberate. Berlin-based Müller and Marien have worked as a duo since 2006 and as trio with Thomas since 2007.
Initially members of the Olaf Ton band, Müller and Marien developed a common duo language from that experience. At the same time the trombonist collaborates with other musicians ranging from guitarist Olaf Rupp to multi-reedist Chris Heenan; while the drummer frequently works not only with musicians, but also with visual artists and dancers. An Australian turned Berliner, Thomas is now one of the busiest bassists in Central Europe, regularly working in combos featuring, among many others, French saxophonist Jean-Luc Guionnet and German trombonist Johannes Bauer.
On their own, Müller and Marien have evolved a free, but somewhat cramped, strategy. Involving double counterpoint, it appears as if every tone or measure expressed by one player is immediately answered by the other one, and vice versa. Moving beyond call-and-response, the idea seems to be that, should for instance, the drummer output rim shots and sectional snaps, equally expressive vibrating tongue stretches emanating from deep within the trombone must appear as well. Should Müller create a rubato hocketing throat growl, then Marien’s response involves percussive flams, rolls or drags.
With many tracks fading once concordance is reached, distinguishing tonal, features of these duets extend beyond technical instrumental quirks. Besides air propelled from his trombone in burps, snorts and sniffs, Müller also layers his improvisations with a unique form of onomatopoeia. Müller constantly hollers, mutters and mumbles under his breath in what could be the language of a secret society - or a Druid. Yet this parallel texture amplifies rather than supersedes his brass playing. Even when there are interludes of whistling grace notes or buried gutbucket growl from the trombonist, Marien’s ricocheting cymbal textures, off-side snare pressure or muscular bass drum beats speed up or slow down to meet the brass man’s expressions.
Paradoxically, it appears that timbral expansion from the bassist’s bag of tricks opens up Relativity’s sound. These new timbres also contribute to a tauter trio interaction. Thick, rebounding stops plus slippery sawing on the bass’s strings with a license plate instead of a bow propel higher pitches and encourage Müller to be more adventurous. Subsequently hand-muting his bell for softer grace notes or thinning his tonal output to yelp, bark and bite encourages similar unprecedented expansions from the others. Marien’s response involves herky-jerky rubs and drags on his drum tops, protracted shuffle beats, and passages where strokes tick and pulse like an over-wound clock. For his part, Thomas uses powerful stopping and straightforward walking to prevent the contrapuntal triple improvisations from splintering or spinning out of control.
While the sound journey on Relativity may appear to be more exhausting than the one which characterizes Talk Talk, each is memorable and praiseworthy.”
(Ken Waxman in Jazzword, September 13, 2010)

“Superimpose is the duo of trombonist Matthias Müller and percussionist Christian Marien. On Talk Talk, the pair blusters and clatters its way through half a dozen open-ended improvisations. The music is as cryptic as the titles they've given to the pieces, full of random sounds, rapid call and response passages, subterranean moans, damped cymbals, and much more.
The music, which flows in fits and starts for about the length of an LP, is intermittently arresting. One piece that did grab me is AS, where Müller' s brassy and incisive sound meshes with Marien's rubbed and struck drums for a taut and dynamic six minutes.”
(Stuart Kremsky in IAJRC Journal, June 1, 2010)

“This is German trombonist Matthias Müller's seventh release, and his second with Christian Marien on drums. Together they bring you deep into free improv territory, full of short and very intense interactions, exploring sounds, timbres, shades and colors, perspectives and musical depth, bouncing of notes and rhythms, extracted from context, abstracted from meaning. [...] Müller squeezes more sounds out of his trombone than most trombonists even conceive is possible, but to his credit he uses this skill not as an objective but as a means to create music. New music, taking risks, and in Marien he clearly found a great sparring partner.”
(Stef Gijssels in http://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/2009/12/trombone-trombone-trombone.html)

“Der Posaunist MATTHIAS MÜLLER benörgelt den diskreten Charme der Bourgeoisie zwar auch in einem Trio mit O. Rupp & R. Fischerlehner oder in The Astronomical Unit mit Clayton Thomas und dem Perkussionisten CHRISTIAN MARIEN, aber vor allem als Superimpose mit Marien allein. Ihr Debut war 2007 bei Creative Sources zu hören, Talk Talk (LR 555) spinnt diese knörige, rappelige, hyperaktive Ästhetik weiter mit 6 freien Improvisationen. Müller nuckelt, knutscht, schnaubt und blubbert wie närrisch, er scheint ins Mundstück zu brabbeln, darauf herum zu kauen, während Marien dazu aus dem Nähkästchen plaudert, klackernd, nestelnd, klimprig, tickelnd oder tockend. Man kapiert schnell, wie hier der Märzhase läuft und keine Zeit hat, oder Zeit allenfalls für keine Tasse Tee oder Rätsel wie: "Warum ist der Rabe kein Schreibtisch?"
(Rigobert Dittmann in Bad Alchemy, December 2009)

“Superimpose is een jong Berlijns duo, dat bestaat uit trombonist Matthias Müller en drummer Christian Marien. De titel van hun tweede cd, 'Talk Talk', is veelzeggend. Zoals alle improvisatie-duo’s van formaat voeren de twee heren een goed muzikaal gesprek. En zoals dat hoort in een goed gesprek, luisteren ze geconcentreerd naar elkaar. Er wordt alert gereageerd op elkaars antwoorden, en ze zijn uiterst eloquent, en hebben een flink vocabulaire tot hun beschikking. Bovendien heeft Müller, om de vergelijking compleet te maken, een 'pratende' manier van spelen. Zeer vocaal, veel dempergebruik, en een frasering waar hij korte notenslierten vaker inzet dan lange halen. Marien is een lekkere ritselaar, die veel gebruik maakt van brushes, en zich een nazaat van de generatie Lytton-Lovens-Bennink betoont. 43 minuten lang leveren ze zo een overtuigend bewijs dat vrije improvisatie anno 2009 bepaald nog geen oude koek is.”
(Herman te Loo in Jazzflits, January 2010)

“Beaucoup de duos dans cette dernière fournée de l’étiquette Leo Records (le Maneri/Harada aussi). Celui-ci met en scène le tromboniste Matthias Müller et le batteur Christian Marien, dans une session en studio d’improvisation libre. Un disque relativement court (43 minutes) composé de six improvisations énergiques et occupées, une musique volubile et expressive. Pas remarquable, mais honnete et bien fait.”
(francois couture in monsieur delire’s listening diary, january 2010)
“Lots of duo CDs in Leo Records’s latest batch of releases (there’s also the Maneri/Harada CD). This one features trombonist Matthias Müller and drummer Christian Marien in a free improv studio session. A rather short record (43 minutes) consisting of six driving and busy improvisations. Talkative and expressive music. Not remarkable, but honest and well done.”
(Francois Couture in Monsieur Delire’s Listening Diary, January 2010)

“Trombone and percussion duet on challenging free conversation. Blurts, growls, blatts meet scattershot, skittering percussion.”
http://reviews.wruv.org/2010/02/superimpose-talk-talk-leo/

“Do pomyslné ,ulítlé edice bychom mohli zaradit i nový opus berlínského dua Superimpose TALK TALK (LR 555, 42:56). Trombonista Matthias Mueller a perkusista Christian Marien se znají jiz drahnou chvilku a jsou zvyklí hrát jako dvojice i v nejruznejsích jiných konstelacích. Jednoznacne je cítit, ze mají spolecný smysl pro sussi, spíse nenemecký humor a roztodivné koláze, jez oznacují pouze nedesifrovatelnými shluky písmen, které ovsem implicitne evokují strukturu jejich improvizací. Vskutku super i impozantní bublající a rachotící kolekce.”
(Slabý Petr in Kulturní Magazín UNI, february 2010)