Petrichor

Water in itself is odorless, but when rain falls on parched earth, it smells earthy and fresh. Australian researchers came up with their own name for this summer scent: Petrichor. David Orlowski named his eponymous album after it. The renowned clarinetist is one of the few people with a synesthetic perception, and on his album Petrichor he translates a wide variety of scents into music. Orlowsky suspects that the boundaries are fluid: "It's certainly no coincidence that we talk about scents, tonal colors and hues. Colors, sounds and scents go far beyond what can be described in words." Besides the eponymous Petrichor, the sound artist names individual tracks such as Limão, Marrakesh, Magnolia and Lisboa. Orlowsky seems to capture entire scenes when he traces the scents musically: "Lisboa reminds me of a certain place in Lisbon where I often sat. There was a bakery and a fish restaurant and the aroma changed depending on the wind direction." Two jazz musicians, Daniel Stelter on guitar and Tommy Baldu on drums, accompanied the clarinetist, who became famous for his klezmer music, on his musical and olfactory voyage of discovery. The three met each other at a jazz festival. Orlowsky explains: "It clicked immediately and then we spontaneously started a short tour together through German jazz clubs. The concerts were very playful and new song ideas emerged at every soundcheck." Just like Petrichor.