Stefan Prins

A totally original and disturbing sound world mixing acoustic and electro-acoustic pieces by the Young Belgian Musician of the Year. Fremdkörper contains 10 brand-new recordings of acoustic and electro-acoustic compositions written between 2004 and 2010. Featured artists are Nadar Ensemble, Klangforum Wien, Champ d'Action, Nikel Ensemble, Agartha, Zwerm electric guitar quartet, Matthias Koole, Pieter Matthynssens and Stefan Prins. Comes with a 20 page booklet containing a.o. a text by Michael Rebhahn. 

The tension between his activities as a composer and a performer/improviser (live-electronics) is an important factor in Stefan Prins's music (Belgium, 1979). But perhaps even more important is his interest in contemporary technology and the way it influences the 'conditio humana' in today's society. After graduating as an engineer, he studied piano and composition at the Royal Flemish Conservatory in Antwerp, 'Music technology' at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, 'Sonology' at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and 'Philosophy of Culture' and 'Philosophy of Technology' at the University of Antwerp. Since september 2011 he's pursuing a PhD in composition at Harvard University (Cambridge, USA) with Chaya Czernowin. 

On this double cd -the first release to focus exclusively on my composed music- I happily present a considerable lot of my acoustic, electro-acoustic and mixed compositions up to 2010, ranging from the first piece which survived my self censorship, the 'Etude Intérieure' for inside piano and marbles (2004), to more recent compositions, such as 'Fremdkörper #2' for quartet & live-electronics and 'Fremdkörper #3 (mit Michael Jackson)' for amplified ensemble & sampler (2010). All compositions were recorded by the astonishing ensembles and performers for whom they were originally composed, after they have been intensively worked on and performed for years. Thanks to the artistry, dedication and enthusiasm of these wonderful musicians, these compositions and their performances got thus the chance to slowly grow into juicy, ripe fruits. The time had come to harvest.