Anticipating Fennesz's new album "Black Sea"

Out at the end of november according to P4K. 'Venice' is probably my favorite album of the 00's and I've been enjoying the singles he's put out lately, so I am massively excited.

What a shame it's not called "Hott Butt Action" but seriously I am looking forward to this a lot.

I know that for whatever reason, fans of Christian's solo stuff don't seem especially interested in his collaborations (and admittedly some of those are pretty dodgy), but he also has a double CD trio project with Martin Brandlmayr and Werner Dafeldecker out on Mosz on November 1, 'till the old world's blown up and a new one is created'.

http://mosz.org/

Secretly hoping it's a glitchy cover version of the whole XTC album.

not so secretly hoping

Fennesz covering "Somnambulist" would be beyond awesome.

is sylvian going to be on this one at all?

Damn, this couldn't come soon enough.

New track posted on pitchfork is sounding fantastic

excited!

That indeed is a great track on PF. Can't wait!

is the A-Ha cover on this?

http://assets1.pitchforkmedia.com/images/original/146652.fenneszcd_0.jpg

Awesome cover.

It's quite excellent, folks.

it's a lil' lacking in heaviness and rough textures, and the tracks seem subtler and more understated than previous material. it could grow though, i was anticipating a quick fix-type record. 'glide' is pretty nice

Tim Hecker has got heavier, Fennesz has got lighter.

first impression - i listened on headphones while i was drifting off to sleep last night and it was mostly pleasant, (minus the foreboding opening track) but it wasn't really affecting either. found myself wishing that the tones had more body/bulk to them - there's a lot of foamy fuzzy washiness and soapy swirls, but not very much ground to be found. even at it's fullest and densest, it was mostly airy spiderweb punch-right-through type sounds, felt like there was a lot of room for some slabs o granite, sides of beef, etc

black sea foam would be more appropriate title

black sea foam would be more appropriate title

Hmmm, you guys are worrying me

Anyway - pretty tempted to get myself the CD+LP bundle from his website

I wasn't overwhelmed by it at first, but it's power really lies in it's subtlety. Like in 'Glide' for instance, in the back you can hear a beautiful melody evolving achingly slow. It's quite a huge departure from the Venice 'pop'-style Fennesz, and not as rough as Endless Summer. But nevertheless it is, indeed, quite excellent.

It's quite a huge departure from the Venice 'pop'-style Fennesz, and not as rough as Endless Summer

Strange. I find ES more "pop" (whatever that means in thsi context) than 'Venice'

That's okay :) I hear a lot of song structure in the 'Venice' tracks, more than on the ES tracks. Perhaps it's the presence of more electric guitar on 'Venice' which makes it more 'pop' to me, I dunno.

I've not given this a proper listen yet, which is kind of bad because I asked Touch to send me a copy seeing as they're using a quote by me on all the PR bumpf I've seen. Circassian and City Of Light from venice both hit me pretty damn quick and hard so I'm inclined to think this is weaker, but I've been busy and really not given it a fair shot yet. As I said above, though, the cover (of the CD) is awesome. The vinyl has a different cover which is also good.

It looks like about 90% of Touch sleeves but if it ain't broke etc.

'Vacuum', track six, jumped out at me as being pretty lush, but I'm listening in an office so need to bring it home with me and be less distracted

it appears that the vinyl lacks two tracks that are on the cd.

yeah thats why im getting the bundle, which is pretty cheap

listened again last night and i think i must have drifted off during my first listen - there were 2 tracks in the middle that i don't remember hearing at all that were pretty incredible. among the best stuff he's ever done. looking back at the tracklisting, they are 'perfume for winter' and 'glide'. le bateau otm about 'glide', the melody takes a long time to unfold, but it's worth the wait. starts off tense, warm drones start to slide in, and then it blooms.

there is a lot of creamy foam, but i don't think its as bad as i made it out to be on first listen. it really is a beautiful album

is the bundle available for US dollars anywhere? they have the cd on forcedexposure, but not the bundle

weird the Touch website actually recommends getting the bundle from forcedexposure

there were 2 tracks in the middle that i don't remember hearing at all that were pretty incredible.

kind of a contradictory statement, but i think i know what you mean.

my problem w/'glide' is that if feels like the resolution/tonal reward unfolds too quickly, so it seems like 4/5 of the track is all tense build-up where the final 1/5 of it just peters out into a hasty lil' resolution.

i think i dozed off during my first listen and missed a few of the tracks is what i was trying to say. for me, the payoff of 'glide' comes in the middle section and the couple of minutes at the end is more like an afterthought than the resolution

weird the Touch website actually recommends getting the bundle from forcedexposure

― baaderonixx, Tuesday, November 18, 2008 5:16 PM (1 hour ago)

From Touch's website:

*** North American customers are strongly urged to purchase items from Forced Exposure... the Pound is so weak against the Dollar, it will be much cheaper ***

There you go. They care, damnit!

my problem w/'glide' is that if feels like the resolution/tonal reward unfolds too quickly, so it seems like 4/5 of the track is all tense build-up where the final 1/5 of it just peters out into a hasty lil' resolution.

― Lowell N. Behold'n, Tuesday, November 18, 2008 5:23 PM

I dunno, the first time the grand melody breaks through like the sun is when the song is 4 minutes from the end. It seems to duck away quickly because of the harsh clicky wash soon after, which takes the song into quite blissful territory; a nearly silent, but not quite, subdued aftermath. I like this a lot.

I feel a small urge getting the bundle but then again the cd has more tracks, and this sort of thing really works out better on cd anyway right? Haven't heard it yet but my expects are probably too HIGH, played Venice til it broke almost

i also had ridiculously high expectations and while i was slightly let down on first listen, the 2nd listen made me realize that i was being silly and that this album is def worth owning on both formats

yeah, my recollection of 'glide' was inaccurate. it does remind me a lot of some of the tracks on polmo polpo's like hearts swelling, in its structure and sound qualities.

This album is much better than "Venice" ... Fennesz is 1000X better when he goes full-out drone than when he tries to be cute and pop-ish.

Shit, I never received my bundle. I fear it got solen in the mail :-(

i'm really still in 2 minds about this record. been waiting a long time for this and seen the man 4 or 5 times in the last few years and wasn't really expecting this. Picked it up on the release day and couldnt wait to get my teeth into it then went on a session all night till the sun came up showing the state of wonderful winter decay my garden ahd gone into and thought, 'right, this is it, perfect time the last little garden party of the year, dragged the speakers out and was...underwhelmed. Seemed pretty static on the first listen, quite similar to the sakamoto collab but after another play on headphones the melodies are beginning to show themselves. A few of the tracks on venice did that to me at first but when I listened in anticipation of BS I knew every little fleck and grain. Just put it on my girlfriends pink shiny 4gb ipod ive been using since my other one pegged out so hopefully i can spend the time it deserves.

And I'd nearly splash out on the vinyl just to have a big copy of Jon Wozencroft's artwork. Anyone know if theres a book of his work?

re. Jon Wozencroft's artwork, check this out: http://www.frieze.com/comment/article/face_off/

oh and here you can find some Wozencroft goodies for your cpu or your phone:
http://touchmusic.org.uk/about/

i take it back, ive spent the time on this wonderful frosty clear morning with a stupid pair of studio headphones making the most of this wandering about, its full on bliss. Definitely superior to venice which i always felt floundered a bit after the sylvain track

Shit, I never received my bundle. I fear it got solen in the mail :-(

Same here, suppose it's still on its way..

i like this already.

willem - yeah I mailed Touch and they said the vinyl pressings had been delayed

the vinyl pressing just arrived with them today so should be with you all shortly.

yesterday's mail

Date Ordered: Tuesday, November 18, 2008 02:38:21

Your order has been updated to the following status:
New status: Shipped

instead of pixellated guitar texturing, that is

Great interview with Fennesz on Tiny Mix Tapes http://tinymixtapes.com/Christian-Fennesz

He covers gear, collaborations, workflow, and basically touches upon everything I wanted to know

i've done most of my 'black sea' listening on (good) headphones and i do agree that it's more affecting that way. my first reaction to this album was that there's not enough varied tones on this album and i think i've come back around to it. wish there were more sounds along the lines of the prepared piano clangs on 'the colour of three', for example.

this feels like eating a cake that's 90% frosting. which is ok sometimes, i s'pose i was just hoping for something a little more filling.

i need to hear that jeck album again, what i've heard of it sounded pretty good.

Also, 'ha' at Itunes listing this as New Age under Genre.

Great interview with Fennesz on Tiny Mix Tapes http://tinymixtapes.com/Christian-Fennesz

He covers gear, collaborations, workflow, and basically touches upon everything I wanted to know

Beat me to it.

fwiw this album is pretty good for walking around the city, riding subways, etc. set at the right volume level it sort of swells out of the city sounds and recedes back into them. "glide" made for a nicely meditative ride to work today.

in that interview:

What I do is experimental, but there are memories of pop songs in it.

that's the most succint explanation of fennesz i've ever read.

Hearing this on good headphones has been revelatory.

This album is just glorious, really getting into it over the last couple of weeks. I can't imagine how powerful it would be to hear live.

I heard it live last night, it was powerful. And I haven't even got round to hearing it on CD yet. Some of the more jarring stuff was a little too much for me, but the waves of guitar noise with subtle melodies down in the bass - <3 <3. It was accompanied with a film of night driving around south England A roads in the rain, close ups of trees and water, and beach and cliff scenes.

Where was that? I really did try but I never manged to properly get into this album.

Story of my life re: all Fennesz ever. Will try again after this show. Was at Queen Elizabeth Hall, south bank. London. Always amusing/annoying to go to gigs at the 'high art' venues, the first whole goddamn hour is spent watching the n00bs trickle in who don't realise that 7.30 on the ticket means, yup, it starts at 7.30.

new album with Sparklehorse is out and streaming

where?

http://3voor12.vpro.nl/luisterpaal/

thanks, i will give it a try later. the combination of sparklehorse and fennesz sounds very exciting to me.

http://touchshop.org/product_info.php?products_id=386

"A collection of samples I made for my old Ensoniq EPS-16 Plus and ASR-10 samplers that I used between 1989 and 1996." – Fennesz, 7 Jan 2010.

yessssss

N. American Dates:

Sat. 09/04 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge (w/ Soap & Skin)

Sun. 09/05 – Philadelphia, PA – The International House

Mon. 09/20 – Cambridge, MA – The Middle East

Tues. 09/21 – Washington, D.C. – Sonic Circuits Festival

Wed. 09/22 – Brooklyn, NY – Littlefield

Thurs. 09/23 – Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle

Sat. 09/25 – Seattle, WA – Decibel Festival

Sun. 09/26 – Vancouver, BC, CA – Western Front

Tues. 09/28 – San Francisco, CA – Swedish American Hall

Wed. 09/29 – Los Angeles, CA – Center of the Arts

Thurs. 09/30 – Austin, TX – Emo’s

!!!!fuck the chicago shows on the same night as Ed Kowalczyk of Live

thxu

I am going to see Fennesz tonight in Austin. Really excited. Anyone seen him on a previous 2010 tour date?

Saw him in Chicago, it was very good, though I hadn't seen him before.

skipped it but listened to Plays a couple times. got "into" "it"

Show was beautiful -- pretty much a single, hour-long piece that flowed and pulsed around a recurring guitar motif.

True volume achieved in Brooklyn last week.

good??? couldn't get any of my friends to go ... "i don't know, $15 man?" fuck y'all

THAT SHIT WAS VERY LOUD

saw em in Brooklyn. didn;t think it was especially loud or long (35 minutes!), but i certainly loved it

Austin show was short 'n' sweet also, bordering on maybe 50-55 minutes.

THE WALLS OF THE MARYLAND MANSION I SAW HIM IN WERE VERY CLOSE TO COLLAPSING VERY SHORT THOUGH YOU ARE CORRECT

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NOTICE KIDS WITH FINGERS IN THEIR EARS

WAIT HOW DO I POST THIS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ed9f3F0WYT4

s@m ch!nt#a in the bottom right!

Clip from the Austin show:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FH3tBBVbENA

"we are glad to announce you the upcoming new release of Fennesz, release date first or second week of June.
formats: CD (EP), 10" vinyl

Fennesz - Seven Stars [Touch # Tone 44]

Recorded at Studio b at Amannstudios in Vienna.
Acoustic and electric guitars, bass, synths, computers.

Track listing:

1. Liminal 3:07
2. July 5:06
3. Shift 6:47
4. Seven Stars 3:01

Recorded at Studio b at Amannstudios in Vienna.
Christian Fennesz: acoustic and electric guitars, bass, synths, computers.

Seven Stars features Steven Hess on drums, recorded at Amannstudios by Christoph Amann."

there is also the new film 'AUN' for which he did the soundtrack. he did a gig here in Vienna the other night after the premiere.

plus a double album w/ Sakamoto coming out in the summer and various remixes including one of a Mahler lieder?

I hear Venice is getting a long overdue vinyl pressing too.

Very excited, as usual. Also: drums (!)

Never managed to fall in love with Black Sea which always felt cold and distant.

seven stars is great! so far at least.

is that the new 10"?

^ that's what she said

New Christian Fennesz, in the form of a Touch label podcast. It's absolutely lovely from beginning to end.

http://www.touchradio.org.uk/

had no idea, thanks!

I'll put this here.
http://www.touchmusic.org.uk/news/ash_95_christian_fennesz_aun_t.html

Ash 9.5 | Christian Fennesz "AUN - The Beginning and the End of All Things" [OST]
*** Pre-order - shipping w/c 25th June 2012 ***

An original soundtrack [OST]
CD jewel case - 28pp full colour - 15 tracks - 50 mins approx

This CD is the soundtrack to the film AUN, directed by Edgar Honetschläger. With stills from the film in the full colour 28 page booklet, the artwork is designed by Philip Marshall. You can see a clip here: www.aun-film.com

Track Listing:
1. Kae
2. Aware*
3. Haru*
4. Sekai
5. Euclides
6. Sasazuka
7. Trace*
8. Mori
9. AUN40
10. Nemuru
11. Himitsu
12. AUN80
13. Nympha
14. Shinu
15. Hikari

* These titles also appear on the fennesz sakamoto album, 'Cendre' [Touch # Tone 32, 2007]

A bit odd maybe to see those Cendre tracks being reused but if the rest of the OST is in similar vein this'll be good.

Saw the premiere of the film in Vienna, a turgid slice of mystical hogwash. He was there but rather than playing the soundtrack live to the film (as you might have expected) he played it afterwards as a gig.

Don't really care for the film, going by the blurbs on the Touch site, but how was the gig?

I am not really game for non traditional media formats, but this thing is very tempting, anyone heard it?
http://www.fennesz.com/discography/rgb01_fennesz_wozencroft_liqui_1.html

yeah it was great, seemed unusually aggressive for him. xp