The Austrian musician brings Venice, his landmark 2004 electronic work in which music merges with the sounds of the city, back to Venice. We met him for you.
How do you organize your work when searching for the repertoire you draw from?
What still fascinates me, though, is pushing digital tools to their limits so that happy accidents occur – and those are often what I enjoy working with further. Otherwise, my approach is closer to traditional studio practice: experiment/improvisation – idea – composition – execution/ mix. In any order.
Acoustic guitars, electric guitars, synthesizers, samplers, and field recordings: is there a primary element from which your compositions take shape?
All of these things matter equally. But I’d say the main element is probably the guitar – simply because it was my first instrument.
Your work Venice was originally recorded in 2004 and now lives on in an expanded version celebrating its twentieth anniversary. How and to what extent has your approach to this work changed between the two occasions? How and to what extent has “the voice of Venice” changed?
In my view, The Voice of Venice hasn’t changed. What has changed are the technical conditions I was working with this time. Many of the tools I used in 2003/2004 no longer run on new computer platforms, so I had to rethink things and try out new approaches.
Your career includes many collaborations with artists such as David Sylvian, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Jim O’Rourke. What were the common grounds for exchange with these artists?
It’s about learning from one another, appreciating and respecting each other. Sometimes I need to step out of my comfort zone, and I want to make music together with artists I admire.
Is there a particular city whose “voice” you would like to record?
What are the reasons behind your choice? I haven`really thought about that yet. It’s also hard to top the unique acoustics of Venice. It would have to be a city that’s either especially quiet or especially loud.
