Electronica festival debuts in Athens
According to authoritative magazine Rolling Stone he is «the most pictorial composer-programmer in laptop electronica.» It’s kudos for Austrian composer Christian Fennesz, who is scheduled to visit Greece as a guest at the first Athens Hertz Festival, a two-day event featuring experimental electronica, starting Friday. The organizers of the festival say it is dedicated to cutting-edge music of «thrilling complexity,» aiming at creating links between the local experimental music scene and noted sound artists from around the globe. Fennesz (on guitar and laptop) is scheduled to appear on Friday, the same night as local sound artist Novi-sad (laptop, field recordings and drones). Novi-sad is regarded a fast-rising star in the world of microsound. Coming up next on Saturday is French electronic music pioneer Eliane Radigue (Arp 2500 synthesizer, drones) who is scheduled to make her first appearance in this country. Working with electronic sounds on tape, Radigue creates sounds which seem to float around the listener. Also appearing on the same night is Thepersonwhodidthis. A lively performer, the artist is a keen improviser whose live set features animated phonetic gestures as well as a body-sized interactive controller called Woodyson. It is worth mentioning that the sound artists will bring their musical experiments to an eminently traditional space, namely the Parnassos Literary Society. The venue’s unique acoustics will no doubt play a key role in the way the entire project will unfold. Meanwhile Fennesz stands out for his guitar compositions, although his experiments with electronic sound and computer capabilities have prompted a number of specialists to define his music as «symphonic electronica.» The Parnassos Literary Society is located at 8 Karytsi Square (tel 210.322.1917). For more information, go to www.hertzfestival.com.
