The transatlantic free improvising quartet Earscratcher was conceived in 2019 as a way to celebrate Austrian pianist Elisabeth Harnik’s 50th birthday in 2020. For the occasion, Harnik called on several longtime collaborators from Chicago with whom she’d connected at the Umbrella Music Festival back in 2008, on her first visit to the city – sorano, alto, and tenor sax player Dave Rempis, cellist and electronics player Fref Lonberg-Holm, and drummer Tim Daisy (all played in the iconic Vandermark 5, and Harnik collaborated with Vandermark in DEK trio). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the quartet first toured in May 2022 and recorded its debut self-titled album on its first performance ever at Alte Gerberei, St. Johan in Tirol (Aerophonic, 2023).
The sophomore album of Earscratcher, Otoliths, was also recorded live, at the North St. Cabaret
