19.08.10: Fennesz Daniell Buck "Knoxville"
Recorded on February 7th, 2009, at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, the aptly named Knoxville, documents the first meeting of three of the most recognized players in experimental music. Christian Fennesz (guitar and electronics), David Daniell (guitar), and Tony Buck (drums) were brought together and encouraged to collaborate by the festival, and used the opportunity to channel their collective energies into a darkly atmospheric piece of music that ebbs and flows with remarkable cohesion. Minimalist drum passages scatter over the top of textured layers of guitar and subsumed melodic sequences, eventually giving way to warm beds of evolving, tactile drones. Sonic rain showers roll into full-blown thunderstorms of effected guitar and pounding drums only to yield a field of shattered electronic and percussive debris. For never having played together (aside from a brief soundcheck), the three retain a remarkable sense of unity while allowing plenty of room for each person to express their individual personality.
Christian Fennesz is known for creating his own intricate musical world and for his impeccable work in crafting beautiful compositions for guitar. Somewhere between concrete music, classical and ambient sounds, he stretches musical resources and effects to create melodies and atmospheres that fuse classical and orchestral concepts with conceptual musical research and complex digital structures, resulting in dense multilayered sheets of sound underpinned by a strong melodic sensibility. He has recorded and performed with Ryuichi Sakamoto, Keith Rowe, David Sylvian, Sparklehorse, Mike Patton and many others. Fennesz has also worked for nearly a decade alongside Peter Rehberg and Jim O'Rourke in the improvisational trio Fenn O'Berg.
David Daniell recently recorded his Thrill Jockey debut Sycamore with Douglas McCombs of Tortoise. As a duo, the two create a delicate tapestry of spacious and ethereal guitar lines woven into abstract, slow-burning and multilayered textural improvisations. The sounds blend and overlap to create richly faceted and thickly psychedelic passages, unveiling new layers of detail with each and every listen. Over the years, Daniell has collaborated with many notable musicians, including Loren Connors, Rhys Chatham, Tim Barnes, Jeph Jerman, Thurston Moore, Greg Davis, and Jonathan Kane, as well as releasing numerous albums under his own name and with his band San Agustin on labels such as Table of the Elements, Family Vineyard, and Antiopic.
Born in Sydney, Tony Buck is regarded as one of Australia's most creative and adventurous exports, with vast experience across the globe. He is best known as the drummer for the award-winning piano/bass/drums trio The Necks, with fifteen albums over their 20-year history. The Necks work in extended forms featuring lengthy pieces which slowly unravel in the most mesmerizing fashion, founded in a confluence of avant-garde, minimalist, jazz and ambient approaches. Early in his musical life, after having graduated from the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music, he became very involved in the jazz scene in Australia, often touring with visiting international artists such as Vincent Herring, Branford Marsalis and Ernie Watts. Tony has played, toured or recorded with, among others, Otomo Yoshihide, John Zorn, Tom Cora, Haino, The Ex, Peter Brotzmann, Han Bennink, and Wayne Horvitz.
30.07.10: Fennesz announces rare North American tour
Fennesz embarks on a rare North American tour this Autumn. Kicking off in New York on September 4, the tour takes in most major cities, including Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles as well as one date in Canada. Further details can be read on www.tinymixtapes.com and www.exclaim.ca.
4th September
@ Le Poisson Rouge, New York City - double bill with Soap&Skin
5th September
@ The International House, Philadelphia
20th September
@ Middle East, Cambridge, Boston
21st September
@ Sonic Circuits Festival, Washington
22nd September
@ Littlefield, New York
23rd September
@ Empty Bottle, Chicago
25th September
@ Decibel Festival, Seattle
26th September
@ Western Front, Vancouver
28th September
@ Swedish American Hall, San Francisco
29th September
@ Center of the Arts - Eagle Rock, Los Angeles
30th September
@ Emo's, Austin
Click here to visit fennesz.com's live listings page
22.06.10: Antony | Fennesz "Returnal"
Hot on the heels of the acclaimed Oneohtrix Point Never "Returnal" album come two versions of the title track, released as a 7" vinyl on 30th August 2010 via Editions Mego.
Antony swings the mood and strips the track of its delayed harmonised vocals and creates poignant ballad with Dan OPN on piano. Fennesz on the other hand sprinkles some his world famous majestic stardust over the proceedings.
All packaged in dazzling artwork by Stephen O'Malley.
17.04.10: Fennesz guests on ECM release, Food's "Quiet Inlet"
Christian Fennesz's guitar and electronics can be heard on Food's latest CD for the famous ECM imprint, "Quiet Inlet".
Food has defined a new kind of lyrical electro-acoustic improvisation in the course of its twelve year existence. Founded as a quartet in 1998, since 2006 the group has been a core duo of UK saxophonist Iain Ballamy and Norwegian drummer Thomas Strønen joined by guests for diverse projects. At the Molde Jazz Festival and the Oslo Blå club in 2007/8 their guests were trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer, well known to ECM followers, and Austrian improvising guitarist Christian Fennesz, making his label debut. The resultant music, with melodic improvising, trancelike pulses, and shifting clouds of sound is highly attractive.
Review at www.guardian.co.uk
www.ecm-records.com
25.03.10: "Szampler" - a cassette-only limited edition
"Szampler" is Fennesz's contribution to The Tapeworm - an hour-long limited edition of 500 on cassette only. In his own words, the tape comprises a "collection of samples I made for my old Ensoniq EPS-16 Plus and ASR-10 samplers that I used between 1989 and 1996."
Here Christian Fennesz opens his magic box to reveal a plethora of samples from his old Ensoniq EPS-16 Plus and ASR-10 samplers which he used for his recordings from 1989 to 1996. For those of you familiar with his work, you will recognise some of them... from noise to dub and blasts of sheared electronics with his familiar patina, a palette of extraordinary energy and spirit is made manifest. An exciting and invigorating collection, with great wit and flair, this cassette is the perfect accompaniment to his wonderful albums.
Further info at www.tapeworm.org.uk
Buy in the TouchShop
08.03.10: Mark Linkous
"It was with joy and pride that I had the honour to work with Mark. I can't describe how much I will miss him, but I am comforted in the knowledge that he has found peace."
12.01.10: Fenn O'Berg are back!
Cat. No.: eMEGO 103V / eMEGO 103
Artist: Fenn O'Berg
Title: In Stereo
Formats: Double gatefold Vinyl / CD Digipack
Release Date: March 5th 2010
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part I
Part VII
Part VI
Part II (vinyl only)
Written and performed by Christian Fennesz, Jim O'Rourke & Peter Rehberg
Recorded and mixed at Studio GOK Sound, Tokyo, October 2009
Mastered at Piethopraxis, Köln, December 2009
Photos by Shunichiro Okada (Outside) & Ujin Matsuo (Inside)
Thats right, they're back!
After a hiatus of almost 9 years the legendary trio of Christian Fennesz, Jim O'Rourke and Peter Rehberg have returned with a new studio album. Technically the first studio album as previous releases were edits of live performances.
They spent a week in Studio GOK Sound, Tokyo to lay down some stunning electronic works. Whereas previously the emphasis was on a chaotic blend of found samples mangled through their mobile computing systems to create a humorous oddball sound, 'In Stereo' implements a more wider instrumental palette of analogue & digital synthesis, guitar, piano, bass and percussion. What they do maintain is the ability to make a near psychedelic audio blend where its impossible to determine who does what.
Released as CD digipack and deluxe gatefold double vinyl which features an extra slice of classic Fenn O'Berg magic beauty.
'In Stereo' ...for you.
pre-orders which can be made here
30.11.09: The Muse: "Endless Summer" is one of decade's ten best records
The Muse say; "Austria's finest musical export Christian Fennesz dropped one of the best noise albums of all time in 2001. His brand of reverb-drenched guitar expression combined with incredible ambient drone and intelligent mixing all came together on Endless Summer to create an album outstripping anything release by Tim Hecker, Wolf Eyes, Black Dice, or any other noise musicians active in the 2000s."
Buy "Endless Summer" in the TouchShop
27.08.09: Sparklehorse + Fennesz - "In The Fishtank"
Released on Konkurrent on 14th September.
Konkurrent say -
"Ever since 'Endless Summer' we were attracted to the music of Christian Fennesz. Where many laptop artists don't reach further than idle electronic rumble without engagement, Fennesz manages to create a world of unheard and rich new sounds.
Christian's idea to collaborate with Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse excited us immediately. The two artists had performed together a couple of times and both felt that there was further mileage in the collaboration.
Just two days in December 2007 were enough to record over 40 minutes of the sublime Fennesz and Sparklehorse combination. Prepared oddities and masses of inspiration make these recordings unique in their style and in this series in particular. Songs and soundscapes of rare beauty with stunning atmospherics, where abstract sounds and wellcrafted traditional songstructure meet and where acoustic instruments and electronics create outstanding ambience."
Further info at www.konkurrent.nl
Buy at www.boomkat.com
27.08.09: David Sylvian - "Manafon"
Fennesz appears on David Sylvian's forthcoming album, "Manafon", released on September 14th. Further information on this release can be found at www.manafon.com
Click here for the Fennesz news archive.
