reinhold friedl/zeitkratzer: kore

Reinhold Friedl and his zeitkratzer ensemble perform Friedl's Kore, an homage to Greek-French composer Iannis Xenakis. A natural advancement of Friedl's composition Xenakis [A]Live!, released in 2007 by Asphodel, Kore was conceived for nine amplified instruments, demonstrating zeitkratzer's well-established tradition of instrumental amplification (e.g. its early collaborations with Zbigniew Karkowski and Merzbow and its 2010s collaborations with William Bennett of Whitehouse) in which amplification not only makes things louder but also offers a microscopic perspective on sound that situates acoustic microsounds in a completely new context. References to seminal Xenakis tape compositions like Persepolis and La Légende d'Eer are audible in the materials, textures, densities, and sound masses performed by zeitkratzer, with a physical quality that creates a huge sonic architecture. Recorded live in January 2013 during the klub katarakt festival in Hamburg, Kore adds a stunning chapter to zeitkratzer's audacious catalog and a new sort of intensity to contemporary chamber music. This zeitkratzer lineup includes Frank Gratkowski, winner of the German SWR Jazz Prize; Norwegian French horn player Hild Sofie Tafjord, also known for her noise duo with Maja Ratkje; British trombonist Hilary Jeffery, who has toured with Jimi Tenor among others; Marc Weiser, cofounder of Berlin's CTM Festival; and bassist Martin Heinze, from the Berlin Philharmonic orchestra. Rashad Becker was responsible for sound and recording. zeitkratzer, directed by Reinhold Friedl: Frank Gratkowski, clarinet; Hild Sofie Tafjord, French horn; Hilary Jeffery, trombone; Reinhold Friedl, piano; Marc Weiser, guitar; Maurice de Martin, drums and percussion; Burkhard Schlothauer, violin; Anton Lukoszevieze, violoncello; Martin Heinze, doublebass. Mixed and mastered by Ralf Meinz.