Christian Fennesz
Encyclopedia
Christian Fennesz is an Austria
n guitarist active in electronic music
, often credited on albums simply as Fennesz.
Fennesz uses guitar
and notebook computers to make multilayered compositions that blend melody
and conventional musical instrument
s with harsh, irregular glitch
-influenced sounds and washes of white noise
. He lives and works in Vienna, Austria.
He became involved in the Viennese techno scene of the early 1990s. From there on, he began to collect his own equipment and produce music based loosely around guitar and synthesizer sounds.
Since the 1990s, Fennesz played live with Ryuichi Sakamoto
, with British electroacoustic improvisation
icon Keith Rowe
, and with quirky American pop group Sparklehorse
. He has also worked alongside Peter Rehberg
and Jim O'Rourke
in the improvisional trio Fenn O'Berg
, and with British singer David Sylvian
- Sylvian sang on Fennesz's album Venice while Fennesz composed the music for "A Fire in the Forest" from Sylvian's album Blemish
and made contributions to Sylvian's "When Loud Weather Buffeted Naoshima". Fennesz also remixed Ulver
on the album 1993-2003: First Decade in the Machines, as well as appearing on their 2007 album Shadows of the Sun
.
Fennesz had ties with the Vienna
-based label Mego, and is now signed to Touch in the UK.
Fennesz and Sakamoto released a collaborative album entitled Cendre in March 2007 on Sakamoto's new Commmons
label, via Touch.
Fennesz performed with singer Mike Patton
at the 2007 Moers Festival - marking the first time the two have performed together on stage in Europe, as they have performed in 2006 at the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville
, and will continue to tour Europe together into June.
In 2009 Fennesz teamed up with Mark Linkous
(Sparklehorse
) to create In the Fishtank 15
. The following year Fennesz released Szampler, a cassette containing his sample collection on the Tapeworm label. This release was later remixed by Stefan Goldmann
and released as Goldmann vs. Fennesz: Remiksz.
texture and the burying of pop
melodies under layers of effects are common features of Fennesz's music. Ultimately, this is something that can be traced to the various Fripp & Eno
collaborations of the 1970s. Also, the music of the Beach Boys has had an influence on Fennesz, as revealed by his cover of “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)” on the Plays EP. The Beach Boys influence is mentioned in a Pitchforkmedia interview, in relation to the album title, cover art, and melodic emphasis of his Endless Summer LP.
Collaboration albums
Compilations
Live Recordings
Studio EPs
Singles, tracks
Remixes
Soundtracks
In Fenn O'Berg:
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n guitarist active in electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, often credited on albums simply as Fennesz.
Fennesz uses guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and notebook computers to make multilayered compositions that blend melody
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
and conventional musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
s with harsh, irregular glitch
Glitch
A glitch is a short-lived fault in a system. It is often used to describe a transient fault that corrects itself, and is therefore difficult to troubleshoot...
-influenced sounds and washes of white noise
White noise
White noise is a random signal with a flat power spectral density. In other words, the signal contains equal power within a fixed bandwidth at any center frequency...
. He lives and works in Vienna, Austria.
Biography
Fennesz was born and raised in Austria and studied music formally in art school. He started playing guitar around the ages 8 or 9.He became involved in the Viennese techno scene of the early 1990s. From there on, he began to collect his own equipment and produce music based loosely around guitar and synthesizer sounds.
Since the 1990s, Fennesz played live with Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto
After working as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi in 1977, the trio formed the internationally successful electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group helped pioneer electronic genres such as...
, with British electroacoustic improvisation
Electroacoustic improvisation
Electroacoustic improvisation is a style of music that incorporates aspects of both electroacoustic music and free improvisation.-Origins:Live electronics has been part of the sound art world since the 1930s with the early works of John Cage...
icon Keith Rowe
Keith Rowe
Keith Rowe is an English free improvisation tabletop guitarist and painter. Rowe is a founding member of both the hugely influential AMM in the mid-1960s and M.I.M.E.O. Having trained as a visual artist, Rowe's paintings have been featured on most of his own albums...
, and with quirky American pop group Sparklehorse
Mark Linkous
Mark Linkous was an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as leader of Sparklehorse. He was also known for his collaborations with such notable artists as Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Daniel Johnston, Radiohead, Black Francis, Julian Casablancas, Nina Persson, Sean Terrington Wright, David...
. He has also worked alongside Peter Rehberg
Peter Rehberg
Peter Rehberg is an author of electronic audio works.He has collaborated with: Jim O'Rourke, Christian Fennesz, Dennis Cooper, Gisèle Vienne, Stephen O'Malley , Tina Frank, Matmos, Tujiko Noriko, Kevin Drumm, Marcus Schmickler, Michaela Schwentner , Matt "Skitz" Sanders, Russell Haswell, Florian...
and Jim O'Rourke
Jim O'Rourke (musician)
Jim O'Rourke is an Irish-American musician and record producer. He was long associated with the Chicago experimental and improv scene...
in the improvisional trio Fenn O'Berg
Fenn O'Berg
Fenn O'Berg is an improvisional computer music trio made up of members Christian Fennesz, Peter Rehberg and Jim O'Rourke.The cover art for their first two albums is provided by Chicks on Speed....
, and with British singer David Sylvian
David Sylvian
David Sylvian is an English singer-songwriter and musician who came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead vocalist and main songwriter in the group Japan...
- Sylvian sang on Fennesz's album Venice while Fennesz composed the music for "A Fire in the Forest" from Sylvian's album Blemish
Blemish (album)
Blemish is the sixth solo album by David Sylvian. It is experimental in its use of electronics and sound. It features Derek Bailey, an avant-garde guitarist, and Fennesz, a guitarist and electronic music musician...
and made contributions to Sylvian's "When Loud Weather Buffeted Naoshima". Fennesz also remixed Ulver
Ulver
Ulver is a musical group from Norway. Since their first, folklore-influenced black metal release entitled Bergtatt – Et eeventyr i 5 capitler , Ulver’s musical style has been fluid and increasingly eclectic, blending genres such as rock, electronica, symphonic and chamber traditions, noise and...
on the album 1993-2003: First Decade in the Machines, as well as appearing on their 2007 album Shadows of the Sun
Shadows of the Sun
Shadows of the Sun is the seventh studio album by the Norwegian experimental band Ulver, released on October 1, 2007 in Europe and on October 2 in the United States. The title was announced on July 13, 2007 and the album was described as "low-key, dark and tragic"...
.
Fennesz had ties with the Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
-based label Mego, and is now signed to Touch in the UK.
Fennesz and Sakamoto released a collaborative album entitled Cendre in March 2007 on Sakamoto's new Commmons
Commmons
is a Japanese record label founded by Ryuichi Sakamoto, an award-winning Japanese musician. Avex Group, Japan's biggest independent record label, is its official parent company.-History:...
label, via Touch.
Fennesz performed with singer Mike Patton
Mike Patton
Michael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the metal/experimental rock band Faith No More. He has also sung for Mr...
at the 2007 Moers Festival - marking the first time the two have performed together on stage in Europe, as they have performed in 2006 at the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville
Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville
The Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville is an annual international music festival held in Victoriaville, Quebec that showcases contemporary music.-External links:*...
, and will continue to tour Europe together into June.
In 2009 Fennesz teamed up with Mark Linkous
Mark Linkous
Mark Linkous was an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as leader of Sparklehorse. He was also known for his collaborations with such notable artists as Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Daniel Johnston, Radiohead, Black Francis, Julian Casablancas, Nina Persson, Sean Terrington Wright, David...
(Sparklehorse
Sparklehorse
Sparklehorse was an American indie rock band led by the singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous.-History:Sparklehorse's first album, Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot featuring Bob Rupe of the Silos and Cracker, was a modest college radio success...
) to create In the Fishtank 15
In the Fishtank 15
In the Fishtank 15 is a collaborative EP by Sparklehorse and Christian Fennesz. It is the fifteenth and most recent installment of the collaboration project by Konkurrent and the final release by Sparklehorse before the death of leader Mark Linkous in 2010...
. The following year Fennesz released Szampler, a cassette containing his sample collection on the Tapeworm label. This release was later remixed by Stefan Goldmann
Stefan Goldmann
Stefan Goldmann is a German-Bulgarian DJ and Record producer of electronic music. He has released numerous records through the labels Perlon, Innervisions, Cocoon Recordings and others. Since 2007 he runs his own imprint, Macro, and holds a residency at Berlin's Panorama Bar club...
and released as Goldmann vs. Fennesz: Remiksz.
Influences
The emphasis on the guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
texture and the burying of pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
melodies under layers of effects are common features of Fennesz's music. Ultimately, this is something that can be traced to the various Fripp & Eno
Fripp & Eno
Fripp & Eno is an ambient musical side project composed of Brian Eno and Robert Fripp. The duo have released four studio albums. The album Headcandy was also essentially a collaboration between the two, though credited just to Eno. The music created by this pair is entirely instrumental and has...
collaborations of the 1970s. Also, the music of the Beach Boys has had an influence on Fennesz, as revealed by his cover of “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)” on the Plays EP. The Beach Boys influence is mentioned in a Pitchforkmedia interview, in relation to the album title, cover art, and melodic emphasis of his Endless Summer LP.
Discography
Studio Albums- (1997) Hotel Paral.lel (Mego)
- (1999) Plus Forty Seven Degrees 56' 37" Minus Sixteen Degrees 51' 08" (TouchTouch MusicTouch is a British audio-visual organisation, operating the Touch label. It is the main arm of the London-based multimedia publishing company Touch, established in 1982...
) - (2001) Endless SummerEndless Summer (Fennesz album)Endless Summer is an album by Christian Fennesz, released on 3 July 2001 by Mego. It was reissued in 2006 with two bonus tracks and new cover art. Like most of Fennesz's other works, it focuses heavily on digitally manipulated electric guitar sounds, but with a much stronger emphasis on melodies...
(Mego) - (2004) VeniceVenice (album)Venice is Christian Fennesz's 2004 release on Touch.-Track listing:#"Rivers of Sand" – 4:42#"Château Rouge" – 6:40#"City of Light" – 6:34#"onsra" – 0:20#"Circassian" – 5:49#"onsay" – 1:08#"The Other Face" – 3:25#"Transit" – 4:59...
(Touch) - (2008) Black SeaBlack Sea (Fennesz album)Black Sea is the fourth studio album by the Austrian electronic musician Fennesz. The LP was released on November 25, 2008, while a CD release followed on December 9, 2008 with different artwork...
(Touch) - (2010) Szampler (Tapeworm)
Collaboration albums
- (2005) Cloud with Keith RoweKeith RoweKeith Rowe is an English free improvisation tabletop guitarist and painter. Rowe is a founding member of both the hugely influential AMM in the mid-1960s and M.I.M.E.O. Having trained as a visual artist, Rowe's paintings have been featured on most of his own albums...
, Toshimaru NakamuraToshimaru NakamuraToshimaru Nakamura is a Japanese musician, active in free improvisation and Japanese onkyo.He began his career playing rock and roll guitar, but gradually explored other types of music, even abandoning guitar and started working on circuit bending...
and Oren AmbarchiOren AmbarchiOren Ambarchi is a multi-instrumentalist who in major plays electric guitar and drums, with longstanding interests in transcending conventional instrumental approaches. He was born in Sydney, Australia in 1969 to a Jewish family originally from Iraq....
(Erstwhile) - (2007) CendreCendreCendre is a 2007 studio album, a collaboration between Christian Fennesz and Ryuichi Sakamoto. It follows their previous collaboration on 2005's Sala Santa Cecilia.-Track listing:All songs by Sakamoto and Fennesz.# "Oto" - 3:49# "Aware" - 4:46...
with SakamotoRyuichi SakamotoAfter working as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi in 1977, the trio formed the internationally successful electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group helped pioneer electronic genres such as...
(Touch) - (2009) In the Fishtank 15In the Fishtank 15In the Fishtank 15 is a collaborative EP by Sparklehorse and Christian Fennesz. It is the fifteenth and most recent installment of the collaboration project by Konkurrent and the final release by Sparklehorse before the death of leader Mark Linkous in 2010...
with SparklehorseSparklehorseSparklehorse was an American indie rock band led by the singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous.-History:Sparklehorse's first album, Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot featuring Bob Rupe of the Silos and Cracker, was a modest college radio success...
(Konkurrent) - (2010) Knoxville with David DaniellDavid Daniell (musician)David Daniell is an American guitarist and composer active in experimental music, improvisation and electroacoustic composition.He has been active with the trio San Agustin since 1996...
and Tony BuckTony BuckTony Buck is a drummer and percussionist. He graduated from the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music , becoming involved in the Australian jazz scene....
(Thrill JockeyThrill JockeyThrill Jockey Records is an American independent record label established in 1992 in New York City by former Atlantic Records A&R representative Bettina Richards.-History:...
) - (2010) Remiksz with Stefan GoldmannStefan GoldmannStefan Goldmann is a German-Bulgarian DJ and Record producer of electronic music. He has released numerous records through the labels Perlon, Innervisions, Cocoon Recordings and others. Since 2007 he runs his own imprint, Macro, and holds a residency at Berlin's Panorama Bar club...
(Tapeworm) - (2011) Flumina with SakamotoRyuichi SakamotoAfter working as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi in 1977, the trio formed the internationally successful electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group helped pioneer electronic genres such as...
(Commmons)
Compilations
- (2002) Field Recordings: 1995-2002 (Touch)
Live Recordings
- (2000) Live at Revolver, Melbourne live EP (Touch)
- (2004) Live at the LU with Keith RoweKeith RoweKeith Rowe is an English free improvisation tabletop guitarist and painter. Rowe is a founding member of both the hugely influential AMM in the mid-1960s and M.I.M.E.O. Having trained as a visual artist, Rowe's paintings have been featured on most of his own albums...
(Erstwhile) - (2005) Sala Santa CeciliaSala Santa Cecilia (album)Sala Santa Cecilia is the first collaborative release between Christian Fennesz and Ryuichi Sakamoto. It was recorded live on 28 November 2004 and released 5 July 2005 by Touch. Claudia Engelhart was responsible for recording this at the Auditorium della Parco Musica for the Romaeuropa Festival....
live EP with Ryuichi SakamotoRyuichi SakamotoAfter working as a session musician with Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi in 1977, the trio formed the internationally successful electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1978. Known for their seminal influence on electronic music, the group helped pioneer electronic genres such as...
(Touch) - (2005) Live in Japan CD (Headz/Touch, 2003) and LP (Autofact/Touch)
- (2009) Live @ The V. Sessions streaming video recording (The V. Sessions), 2009
Studio EPs
- (1995) Instrument 12" vinyl (Mego)
- (1998) Il Libro Mio EP (Tanz Hotel)
- (1998) Plays 7" (Mego)
- (1999) Plays CDEP (Moikai)
- (2006) Plays 10" vinyl (Editions MegoEditions MegoEditions Mego is a non-funded independent record label, founded 1 January 2006 by Peter RehbergIts aims are to maintain the back catalogue and legacy of the Mego label, as well as releasing new works.- Releases :...
) - (2011) Seven Stars 10" vinyl (Touch)
Singles, tracks
- (2002) "Wrapped Islands" with PolwechselPolwechselPolwechsel is a musical group founded in Vienna, Austria in 1993.Their music has mostly straddled a line between contemporary music and free improvisation, and is characterized by quiet volume, sustained drones, and slowly-developing structures....
(ErstwhileErstwhile RecordsErstwhile Records is an independent record label devoted to free improvisation, particularly the electroacoustic variety. Erstwhile was founded by Jon Abbey in 1999, and his knowledgeable personality and tastes are closely identified with the label.Characteristic label artists include guitarist...
) - (2005) "Erstlive 004" with Peter RehbergPeter RehbergPeter Rehberg is an author of electronic audio works.He has collaborated with: Jim O'Rourke, Christian Fennesz, Dennis Cooper, Gisèle Vienne, Stephen O'Malley , Tina Frank, Matmos, Tujiko Noriko, Kevin Drumm, Marcus Schmickler, Michaela Schwentner , Matt "Skitz" Sanders, Russell Haswell, Florian...
, Sachiko MSachiko MSachiko Matsubara, who usually records as Sachiko M, is a Japanese musician, but she considers herself to be a "non-musician".She was a member of Otomo Yoshihide's Ground Zero from 1994 to 1997, where she used a sampler. More recently, she has concentrated on music made from sine waves...
and Otomo Yoshihide (Erstwhile) - (2007) "On a desolate shore a shadow passes by" (Touch) - download only
- (2008) "Transition" (Touch)
- (2008) "Saffron Revolution" (Touch) - download only
- (2011) "Fearless" (Thrill Jockey) - contribution for the Benefit for the Recovery in Japan compilation
Remixes
- (2003) Remixed "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "The Future Sound Of Music" (titled "Only the Poor have to Travel") by UlverUlverUlver is a musical group from Norway. Since their first, folklore-influenced black metal release entitled Bergtatt – Et eeventyr i 5 capitler , Ulver’s musical style has been fluid and increasingly eclectic, blending genres such as rock, electronica, symphonic and chamber traditions, noise and...
on 1993-2003: A Decade In The Machines (Jester RecordsJester RecordsJester Records is a record label founded in 1998 by Kristoffer Rygg after conflicts between his band Ulver and their German/American label Century Media Records.-Artists:* 1349 Rykkinn...
) - (2005) Remixed "Weight" by IsisIsis (band)Isis was a Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, with a career spanning from 1997 to 2010...
on Oceanic Remixes Vol. 4 (IpecacIpecac RecordingsIpecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles,...
) - (2007) Remixed "In This Twilight" by Nine Inch NailsNine Inch NailsNine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
on Year Zero RemixedYear Zero Remixed-Vinyl:-Critical reception:Year Zero Remixed received generally positive reviews. Virgin Media's review described the album as "a real cornucopia of treats" and "Highly recommended." Pitchfork Media's review, however, criticized the album, writing that it "lacks cohesion and is predictably...
(InterscopeInterscope RecordsInterscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
) - (2010) Remixed "Returnal" by Oneothrix Point Never on Returnal Maxi Single 7" (Editions Mego)
- (2011) Remixed "The Visitor" by Miracle on Fluid Window
Soundtracks
- (1999) Beyond the Ocean (USA)
- (2000) Gelbe Kirschen (Austria), directed by Leopold LummerstorferLeopold LummerstorferLeopold Lummerstorfer is an Austrian film director, author and producer. He resides in Vienna and near Kapuvár....
- (2002) Blue Moon (Austria), written and directed by Andrea Maria DuslAndrea Maria DuslAndrea Maria Dusl , is an Austrian/Swedish film director, author and illustrator.She was born in Vienna, the daughter of Austrian architect Erwin H. Dusl and Swedish captain's family Pettersson's descendant Monica Jüllig. Between 1981 and 1985 she studied stage design at Vienna's Akademie der...
- (2005) Platform#09 Chicago loo (France) by Cedrick Eymenier
- (2009) Film ist. a girl & a gun (Austria), directed by Gustav Deutsch, with Lucia Pulido, Martin Siewert, Burkhard StanglBurkhard StanglBurkhard Stangl is a composer and musician, currently of Vienna, Austria. Using primarily guitar and electronics, he is a prolific performer in the world of electro-acoustic improvisation, having participated on over 50 recordings. One of his most noted recordings is schnee, a duet with Cristof...
(7", Interstellar Records, Austria 2009)
In Fenn O'Berg:
- (1999) The Magic Sound of Fenn O'Berg (Mego)
- (2002) The Return of Fenn O'Berg (Mego)
- (2009) Magic & Return Double CD reissue (Editions Mego)
- (2010) In Stereo (Mego)
External links
- Fennesz.com - Official website
- Biography of Fennesz at Touch
- Fennesz at Mego
- Exclaim interview (02/2009)
- Semtex Magazine interview (02/2006)
- Pitchfork interview (03/2002)