Echtzeit@30: Introduction

Berlin, through the trees. (c) Paul Acquaro

echtzeit musik - Day 1

When the question was posed to the folks in the Free Jazz Collective, who would like to join in on a tribute to the echtzeit musik scene in Berlin, the main question was "what is the echtzeit scene"? Funnily, that was a similar answer to some that we received from several of the musicians who comprise the scene itself. It turns out, it is not the worst description of it either, as putting one's finger on it and tracing its contours has not been a straightforward endeavor. Yet it exists ... right? 

Well, we say na klar!, we think it does! "Real-time music", the English translation of "echtzeit musik" seems to have a trail of evidence. For example, we have the invaluable echtzeit musik web site, which is the go-to site to know what is happening with avant and experimental music and where in Berlin it can be found. Then, there are the venues, like the mainstays Ausland, Soweiso, Petersburg Art Space, Au Topsi, KM28, Kuehlspot, and several others. Plus, there is the history, going back, as electronics artist and saxophonist Iganz Schick points out in his interview here, to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1991.

Anyway, as elusive or as present as it is ... in real time ... the next few days on the Free Jazz Blog we pay a tribute, on its 30th anniversary, to the ever changing and evolving experimental music emanating from the ever changing and evolving city that it has sprung from.

Today, we offer a link to some very recent video discussions that were held at the non-profit art-space exploratorium berlin commemorating, discussing, defining the scene, and we have culled an overview of recent reviews that have been posted on the Free Jazz Blog that are from musicians connected to it. We are also presenting Q&A's that we have conducted over the past month with artists from across the scenes lifespan, starting with founding members Burkhard Beins, Robin Hayward, Ignaz Schick, and Olaf Rupp. 

It is important to acknowledge that this is not a comprehensive list or feature. We would not really know where to start - or more importantly - end with getting to everyone involved. We do have many more folks that we would love to reach out to and hear back from, and maybe we can. If you have suggestions, people we should talk to, suggestions and ideas, let us know. Also, a couple of words of thanks: Keith Prosk was instrumental in developing and shaping the feature, as well as making connections and reviewing albums. Martin Schray and Eyal Hareuveni assisted with Q&As and reviews, and Cristina Marx lent us her fantastic photography.

- Paul Acquaro

And so it begins ... 

echtzeitmusik-related recordings previously reviewed by The Free Jazz Collective in 2021

Lucio Capece & Ben Vida - Unwelt (Bocian, 2020)
Read our review here .
https://bocian.bandcamp.com/album/umwelt

Cranes - Formation < Deviation (Relative Pitch Records, 2021)
Read our review here .
https://matthiasmueller.bandcamp.com/album/formation-deviation

Achim Kaufmann & Ignaz Schick - Altered Alchemy (Zarek, 2021)
Read our review here .
https://zarekberlin.bandcamp.com/album/altered-alchemy

Daniel Lercher, Sabine Vogel - Bogong Dam (self-released, 2021)
Read our review here .
https://sabinevogel.bandcamp.com/track/bogong-dam

Magda Mayas - Confluence (Relative Pitch Records, 2021)
Read our review here .
https://magdamayas.bandcamp.com/album/magda-mayas-filamental-confluence

Microtub - Sonic Drift (Sofa, 2021)
Read our review here .
https://robinhayward2.bandcamp.com/album/sonic-drift

Olaf Rupp - NOBEACH (Audiosemantics, 2020)
Read our review here .
https://audiosemantics.bandcamp.com/album/nobeach

Olaf Rupp - Nowhere Near (Audiosemantics, 2021)
Read our review here .
https://audiosemantics.bandcamp.com/album/nowhere-near

Schick/Steidle - ILOG2 (Zarek, 2021)
Read our review here .
https://zarekberlin.bandcamp.com/album/ilog2

Schmoliner/Melbye/Gordoa - GRIFF (Inexhaustible Editions, 2020)
Read our review here .
https://inexhaustibleeditions.bandcamp.com/album/griff

Superimpose - With (Inexhaustible Editions, 2021)
Read our review here .
https://inexhaustibleeditions.bandcamp.com/album/with-john-butcher-sofia-jernberg-nate-wooley

Biliana Voutchkova - Seeds of Songs (Takuroku, 2021)
Read our review here .
https://bilianavoutchkova.bandcamp.com/album/seeds-of-songs

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Video: 

In this video, moderated by Mathias Maschat, Alexander Markvart, Rieko Okuda, Ignaz Schick und Alexander von Schlippenbach discuss the generations of experimental musicians in Berlin. It serves as  a nice introduction to the echtzeit musik scene. More can be found on the exploratorium's YouTube channel.

   

Please check out the Q&A's off the site's main page, or by clicking on the "echtzeit@30" tag.