SXSWorld
Issue link: https://sxsw.uberflip.com/i/842067
3 4 SXS W O R L D | M A R C H 2 0 1 7 I N T E R ACT I V E / F I L M | SXSW.COM My primal sources of inspiration are paintings, poetry and films. On the other hand, we're all children of the musical heritage of Debussy, Satie and so on, so at the end, it is classical music indeed. "I'm looking forward to being at SXSW, and I'm happy for the chance to bring my music," Albanese continues. "And I'm very much looking forward to being around at the festival as well, meeting people, discovering new stuff … I'm not yet sure what my showcase will be like, but it will certainly fully represent my work." German composer and producer Sven Helbig, who has won acclaim for his orchestral pieces, electronica and film music, reveals that his SXSW set will feature his recent choral work, I Eat the Sun and Drink the Rain. The work, which comprises a full concept album, combines electronics with a live choir (in this case, made up of Austinites), as well as Icelandic visual artist Máni M. Sigfússon. "I guess 'modern classical' could describe my music," Helbig offers. "But during the last 15 years, I have been much more into Boards of Canada, Swans, Mogwai and Godspeed You! Black Emperor, than into contemporary orchestra music. I see a growing scene of com- posers who get their inspiration not just from classical music. "In my audience," he continues, "I've noticed that there are many young people from the ambient, indie and electronica scenes. But there is also interest from the pure classical world. It all comes from a universal inspiration, and I like to share this. The lack of profound communication and interaction is a major problem nowadays. We don't need more isolation. We need rich and detailed talks, face-to-face. I like to trigger that through music." "SXSW presents: Modern Composers" is on Wednesday, March 15, at St. David's Episcopal Church (301 E 8th St) in both the Historic Sanctuary and Bethell Hall. Federico Albanese will also do a DJ set tomorrow (Monday) at Barracuda (611 E 7th St) at 8pm. A Life in Waves screens on Tuesday at ZACH Theatre (1510 Toomey Rd) at 6:15pm. S XSW Music has a long history of spotlighting non-main- stream music, often from around the world. This year, the festival's curation of unexpected and unconventional sounds includes a two-stage "Modern Composers" showcase, which will feature an eclectic assortment of nine prominent composers, repre- senting a variety of musical disciplines. The most enduring act on the bill is pioneering American electronic artist and keyboardist Suzanne Ciani, who will also be in town for the world premiere of filmmaker Brett Whitcomb's documentary A Life in Waves, screening as part of SXSW Film. The film celebrates the unique four-and-a-half-decade career that has established Ciani as an influential pioneer in the world of elec- tronic music. She also has been a force in the world of commercial jingles, creating music and sound effects for a series of high-profile '70s ad campaigns, including Coca-Cola, Merrill Lynch, AT&T and General Electric. In the '80s, she became a star in the burgeoning new age market, with a series of albums that combined electronics with piano and other traditional instruments. A Life in Waves comes at a time when the veteran artist is expe- riencing a career rebirth sparked by her rediscovery by the vintage electronica archivists at England's Finders Keepers label, whose reissues of Ciani's '70s recordings have won her a new audience and new level of notoriety. "The Finders Keepers thing was completely unexpected," says Ciani. "I was a little skeptical at first, because I'd just spent 20 years performing with piano and orchestra, so I felt like I had a different identity. But in the period in which they've completed this film, I've turned back towards the technology. I had to come out from under a rock, because I wasn't really aware that this retro revolution was going on. Now I'm starting to connect with this new electronic community, because I've been playing a lot and doing a lot of touring around the world." At SXSW, Ciani will be performing on a Buchla 200e, a descen- dant of the analog synthesizer that she used in much of her '70s work. The Buchla is named after its creator, Don Buchla, a noted synthesizer designer and early Ciani mentor, whose passing was a factor in Ciani's current return to electronic music. "I felt some compulsion to pass on Don's legacy, and to make the effort to go out and perform on his instrument," Ciani notes, adding, "I don't use a computer, I don't use any samples or anything prerecorded. It's a very fragile instrument, so I never really know if it's going to work. But so far it's traveled around the world with me a couple of times, and it's always arrived safely." Berlin-based Italian composer and pianist Federico Albanese, whose SXSW performance will mark his first American stage performance, has won a reputation for his distinctive merging of classical, pop and ambient styles, as heard on several film soundtracks and in a variety of TV commercials. "I think that descriptions like 'modern classical' or 'neo-classical' are fine," Albanese says. "It might help the audience to classify instrumental music that comes from the piano, which is, by defi- nition, a classical instrument. In my opinion, though, my music is more related to films and images rather than to the classical world. Modern Composers Taking Classical Music Into the Future By Scott SchinDer Suzanne Ciani, photo by Nick Sangiamo