Christian Fennesz

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Christian Fennesz (born December 25, 1962) is an Austrian musician who uses guitar and computer to create his electronic compositions. He lives and works in Vienna and Paris, and is often credited on albums with just Fennesz.

Contents

1 Biography
2 Overview
3 Influences
4 Discography
5 External links

Biography

Fennesz was born and raised in Austria, and studied music formally in art school. In the late 1980s he formed a band called Maische, with a 'noise meets pop' approach similar to bands such as Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. Despite the local popularity of the group, Fennesz was uncomfortable with the band setup and left [link], going on to expose himself to 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.

Overview

Fennesz has been recording with Ryuichi Sakamoto, with whom he also plays live, with Keith Rowe and Sparklehorse. He has also worked alongside Peter Rehberg and Jim O'Rourke in the improvisional trio Fenn O'Berg, and with David Sylvian who sang on his album Venice and for whom Fennesz composed the music for the song "A Fire in the Forest" for his album Blemish. Fennesz also appeared on the Ulver remix/compilation album , contributing "Only The Poor Have Time To Travel".

Fennesz had ties with the Vienna-based label Mego, and is now signed to Touch in the UK.

Influences

Fennesz’s sound is often considered an updated shoegazer sound for the digital or computer age, and many written pieces covering his music make reference to this musical style (and My Bloody Valentine in particular). The emphasis on the guitar texture and the burying of pop melodies under layers of effects are common ground for Fennesz and shoegazer music. Also, the music of the Beach Boys have 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

Albums, EPs, lives, collaborations

(1995) Instrument EP (Mego)
(1997) Hotel Paral.lel (Mego)
(1998) Il Libro Mio EP (Mego)
(1998) Plays EP (Mego/Mokai)
(1999) Plus Forty Seven Degrees 56' 37" Minus Sixteen Degrees 51' 08" (Touch)
(2000) Live at Revolver, Melbourne live EP (Touch)
(2001) Endless Summer (Mego)
(2002) Field Recordings: 1995-2002 (Touch)
(2004) Venice (Touch)
(2004) Live at the LU with Keith Rowe (Erstwhile)
(2005) Sala Santa Cecilia live EP with Ryuichi Sakamoto (Touch)
(2005) Live in Japan CD (Headz/Touch, 2003) and LP (Autofact/Touch)
(2005) Cloud with Keith Rowe, Toshimaru Nakamura and Oren Ambarchi (Erstwhile)

Singles, tracks

(2002) "Wrapped Islands" with Polwechsel (Erstwhile)
(2005) "Erstlive 004" with Peter Rehberg, Sachiko M and Otomo Yoshihide (Erstwhile)

Soundtracks

(1999) Beyond the Ocean (USA)
(2000) Gelbe Kirschen (Austria), directed by Leopold Lummerstorfer
(2002) Blue Moon (Austria), written and directed by Andrea Maria Dusl

In Fenn O'Berg

(1999) The Magic Sound of Fenn O'Berg (Mego)
(2002) The Return of Fenn O'Berg (Mego)

External links

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