ASPHODEL
ZEITKRATZER - Reinhold FRIEDL, "Xenakis (A)live!"
"Equal parts composer, performer and curator, Berlin's Reinhold Friedl is a veritable renaissance man. In conjunction with his highly regarded orchestra Zeitkratzer ("Time scratcher" in German) as well as in collaboration with such artists as Lou Reed, Lee Renaldo and Merzbow, Friedl has helped set new standards for Europe's new music scene, crossing every conceivable line that separates chamber from computer music, and piano from studio composition. On Xenakis [a]live!, Friedl and Zeitkratzer paint an impressionistic tribute to Greek composer and electro-acoustic pioneer, the late Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001). Quite literally a stylistic dedication to the flavor of Xenakis' classic tape compositions through the use of amplified orchestral instruments, Xenakis [a]live! recreates acoustically what were once primarily studio generated sounds. The dramatic results convey an aesthetic link to zeitkratzer's other homage to the early seventies, Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music. With bo
 th projects Friedl and his associates compared the "orgiastic" and "holistic" elements of these dense sonic architectures from two socially distinct composers of a common historical era. What emerges from giving an ear to Zeitkratzer's flesh and blood transformations realized in Xenakis [a]live! and its Metal Machine Music companion (both on Asphodel) is a re-orchestrated aural expedition that musically refreshes & correlates these epic textural excursions. Unlike Metal Machine Music, Xenakis [a]live! is not a literal transcription of any specific Xenakis works; it instead focuses on the listening experience. Hearing these pieces invokes and transforms the amalgamation into Reinhold's acoustical perception of Xenakis' broad electronic influence and prevalent stochastic techniques. You've never heard a full chamber orchestra sound quite like this! Directed and created by Lillevan (from Rechenzentrum), the accompanying video is equally inspired by Xenakis' mathematical composi
 tional technique. Based on photographs and film fragments of the Iranian city of Persepolis, this award-winning German video artist manipulates his source material beyond recognition, using it as the raw material for a full-length film which organically reflects the dynamic intensity of Xenakis[a]live!."

CD + DVD
16,75 euros