News
Photo: ©sandro zanzinger www.sandrozanzinger.com
zeitkratzer-poster (format A3) for free! shipping costs: Germany 1,45 €; Europe: 2,20€
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upcoming Releases - December 1. 2008
zeitkratzer & Carsten Nicolai
zeitkratzer records zkr004
Barcode: 881390642427
Distribution MDM # 64242
This CD documents the cooperation between zeitkratzer and Carsten Nicolai, started nearly a decade ago; a cooperation between an avantgarde ensemble and a non-academic electronic musician. The electronic music of Carsten Nicolai - partly being of even aseptic clearness and quality – suddenly becomes sensual and physical through zeitkratzer’s instrumental sounds.
Inversely, zeitkratzer sounds different too: in „5 min“ the musicians play only electric sound generators: humming of plugs, the peeping of the synchronised zeitkratzer-clocks, white noise, TV cheeping at 10 kHz. „Synchron Bitwave“, the latest piece is the most sensual and warmest; no other sounds than a small third and its electric derivates, finally leading to high, dabbed string spiccati. While „c1“ transfers electronically conceived asymmetrical loops into a 19/16th rhythm. A strange undertow results, partly because of the pieces’ grounding with merging split sounds. Here, Carsten Nicolai virtually becomes metaphysical, perhaps even romantic…
zeitkratzer & Terre Thaemlitz
zeitkratzer records zkr005
Barcode: 881390642526
Distribution MDM # 64252
Terre Thaemlitz developed the present pieces for and with zeitkratzer. The starting points were Thaemlitz’ releases „means from an end“ and „couture cosmetique“, which present him as an electro acoustic composer with an amazing sensibility for sound and harsh cutting techniques. This is especially evident in the pieces „Sloppy 42nds“ or „Turtleneck“, and moreover, Thamlitz’ filtering techniques are transformed into a complex, nearly surrealistic instrumental sound in „Superbonus“.
Thaemlitz’ provenance as a New York underground DJ is recalled, as well as his political engagement in „Down Home Kami-Sakunobe“ and „Hobo Train“. On this CD you will probably find the most Pop oriented music - including references to dance and house - zeitkratzer has ever released!
zeitkratzer & Keiji Haino
zeitkratzer records zkr006
Barcode: 881390642625
Distribution MDM # 64262
The Berliner Zeitung wrote about zeitkratzer’s cooperation with Keiji Haino, one of the most renowned japanese noise artist: „the result was mind-blowing. Haino made music on the guitar and on the drums, on electronic devices, on two Theremins and with his wunderfully changeable tenor; zeitkratzer infolded him, pushed him away, embedded him in noise and carried him through the sound space like on atomising waves. Only one thing did not exist: the reconciliation between the soloist and his ensemble, which would have denied the differences in traditions and styles; The greatness of the sound, the richness of his textures was a result purely of the contrast and its dynamic.” zeitkratzer continued the cooperation with Keiji Haino and performed with him also at Donaufestival Krems. This CD contains the music from the legendary Volksbühne concert – ending in standing ovations.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
# fresh releases: august 25th this year, two CD releases reveal zeitkratzer’s love and understanding for true classics and true humor: volksmusik, a joyful CD full of contemporary yodelers and waltzes, heavy metal horns and electric zithers. and re-discover Arnold Schönberg and his Pierrot Lunaire, in a cheap imitation: Schönberg Pierrot Lunaire Cheap Imitation which captures the full essence of the 12-tone-inventors’ masterpiece to get you rolling on the floor! soprano vocals: Mark Weiser aka Marc Marcowitsch from Rechenzentrum! Conducted by Franz Hautzinger!
Press copies available NOW!
For press copies write to info[at]zeitkratzer.de
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 7, 2008, 22:15 hr2-kultur: zeitkratzer Feature by Raphael Smarzoch // Hessischer Rundfunk . See hr-online
Die Präsentation Neuer Musik abseits konventioneller spielerischer Praktiken und unabhängig von Stil- und Genregrenzen – so lässt sich die musikalische Programmatik des Berliner Zeitkratzer Ensembles charakterisieren. Seit 1999 praktiziert der Gründer und künstlerische Leiter des Zeitkratzers Reinhold Friedl zusammen mit seinen Musikern die Quadratur des Kreises. Unmögliches wird möglich. Zeitkratzer transkribieren Lou Reeds radikale Gitarren-Feedback-Studie Metal Machine Music für ein konventionelles Instrumentarium. Sie verstärken ihre akustischen Instrumente und bemächtigen sich einer elektronischen Klangsprache, können dadurch Werke aufgreifen, die bislang für eine klassische Kammermusik-Besetzung als unspielbar galten. Zeitkratzer zollen den elektronischen Kompositionen eines Iannis Xenakis Tribut, entdecken die tobenden Lärmangriffe von Merzbow und erobern Carsten Nicolai’s minimalistische Klangskulpturen. Das Kratzen an der Zeit wird hier zum kreativen Spiel mit diversen klanglichen Kapazitäten, stilistischen Derivaten und spielerischen Kalkulationen – ein Amalgam aus verschiedenen musikalischen Philosophien, das Aktualität und Progressivität vermittelt. Ein Bekenntnis zur Gegenwartsmusik. Eine Sendung von Raphael Smarzoch.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
November 20
zeitkratzer live at Zaragoza, Spain
Program:
James Tenney: Critical Band
Lou Reed: Metal Machine Music part 4
Morton Feldman: Durations 1
MerzBow: Crack Groove
John Cage: Hymnkus