The serene cover art for the NEXUS album out of the blue is in keeping with what Swiss drum-set artist Fritz Hauser calls “the serene mastery” of NEXUS in performance. Out of the blue features Hauser in a solo entitled time flies and in an extended improvisation with NEXUS. (You can hear a segment of it here.)  In out of the blue’s booklet,  Hauser says, “Improvising with NEXUS is like having 10 extra arms and ears and being surrounded by about 150 years of musical experience …I heard NEXUS in concert and was blown away by the serene mastery of their performance.”

The cover art is indicative of Hauser’s interest in architecture and his cross-media works with architect Boa Baumann. Andreas Fahrni has photographed Baumann’s architecture in a cool blue. Joint Hauser/Baumann projects include four single-family homes perched high above Lake Zurich, and ongoing work on Hauser’s country home - with spectacularly beautiful results.

How does percussionist Hauser figure in this? Together, he and Baumann create “rhythmicized structure,  running all the way through to the last detail.” Baumann has also collaborated on Hauser’s percussion project Schallmaschine, which has evolved as a sound-space sculpture.

German photographer, book designer and curator Vera Pechel designed out of the blue’s cover and booklet.  She has also worked closely with photographer Beat Presser (she designed his 2005 calendar Water), and the group SwissMiss.