Vehicle/Passenger

Ethereal yet full of raw power: Vehicle/Passenger combine jazz, hip-hop and live electronics with spoken word in a haunting and highly contemporary way. The international all-star trio, consisting of Marc Alberto (voice, saxophone and synthesiser) from the Netherlands, American drummer and percussionist Lesley Mok and Cologne-based double bass player Florian Herzog, is a tour-de-force of artistic expression. Alberto’s thoughtful, radical poetry, which explores the black experience of alienation in a white society, makes its way through dynamic, powerful improvisations, collective grooves and delicate soundscapes. Vehicle/Passenger’s live performances convey an energy and urgency that is hard to escape. Their latest album “Live in Amsterdam” (2024) is, according to All About Jazz ‘one of the most honest and unique recordings of the year’.

Marc Alberto (they/them) is a performer, award-winning poet and composer, born in Curaçao and currently living in the Netherlands. Alberto’s work is explicitly political and always critical of colonial structures. As one of the driving forces behind the theatre collective Boys won’t be Boys and part of other productions, Alberto has performed internationally on various stages and theatres, from the Royal Concertgebouw and the Dutch National Opera to pop festivals such as Sziget, Rock Werchter and Pinkpop.

Bassist and composer Florian Herzog is a pioneer of the German and international jazz and avant-garde scene, whose bass playing has been described by the press as ‘emancipated, spirited and sensitive.’ He has worked with established greats such as Theo Bleckmann, Jim Black and Nils Wogram, as well as with the new generation and musicians such as Anna Webber, Elias Stemeseder and Nick Dunston.

Lesley Mok (they/them) is a percussionist and interdisciplinary artist from Brooklyn, NY, working in sound, installation, film and theatre. Their critically acclaimed debut album ‘The Living Collection’ was awarded the prestigious German Jazz Prize 2024.

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What the press say:

‘A captivating juxtaposition of sound and message that offers harsh reflections on the state of the world, with Alberto acting as the group’s spokesperson and moral compass. Together, Alberto, Mok and Herzog have created a listening experience that is as thought-provoking as it is musically unconventional. Bravo!‘
Avant Music News on the album “Live in Amsterdam”

‘Energy and urgency without simple slogans’
WDR