Karlheinz Essl
fLOW
fLUX - fLIGHT - fLOOD - fLAKE - fLITTER - fLUNGER - fLAW - fLAWless - fLOCK - fLUMEN - fLOSS - fLÜSTERN - fLIP / fLAP - fLUSH - fLINK - pFLUG - flASH - fLAME - fLOWer
Realtime Generated Sound Scape and Improvisation Environment
About
fLOW is a site-specific work-in-progress that was started under ever-changing titles in October 1998. The entire project is carried out in numerous steps and takes place in various location with changing musicians from different fields like New Music, experimental jazz, free improvisation and New Electronic Music.MSP which runs on Apple Macintosh G3 machines. It fills the space with flooding sounds that resemble - metaphorically - the timbres of water, fire, earth, and air. This ambient sound scape generator has been released as a shareware Macintosh computer program which can be downloaded Playing Strategies m@ze°2
Karlheinz Essl playing his electronic instrument m@ze°2 during the live-performance of fLUX
fLOW itself - the realtime generated sound scape - also functions as a multi-channel sound installation which can be adapted to different spaces and locations. A CD-based version running on several indepedent CD-Players has also been developed.
Performances
As a work-in-progress, the piece is presented in various locations with different musicians in diverse socio-cultural contexts under ever-changing titles. The climax - named fLOWer
fLUX 7 Oct 1998: SCHÖMER-HAUS , Klosterneuburg (A)
Room exploration for flute, bass clarinet, violin, sampler, electronics and computer
Duration: 100'
fLIGHT 5 Nov 1998: echoraum , Vienna (A)
Multimedia performance for percussion, e-guitar, schreber instruments, cümbüs, theremin, computer, electronics, light installation and realtime-generated computer animation
Duration: 70'
fLOOD 25 Nov 1998: TRABANT, Vienna (A)
Gig for 3 computer players (feat. Zeitblom and David Ender)
video projection: Jack Hauser
Duration: 81'
fLAKE 14 Dec 1998: rhiz , Vienna (A)
Jam for electric guitar (feat. Martin Mandl) and live electronics
video projection by Jack Hauser
Duration: whole evening (three set between 30' and 60')
fLITTER 21 Jan 1999: Alte Schmiede , Vienna (A)
Chamber improvisation for 2 computer players (feat. Christian Fennesz )
Duration: 80' (two sets, each approx. 40')
fLUNGER 10 Mar 1999: Galerie Charim-Klocker, Vienna (A)
Room performance for percussions (feat. Elisabeth Flunger), computer and live-electronics
Duration: 70'
fLAW 15 Apr 1999: The LAB, Chicago (USA)
Solo improvisation for computer (by Karlheinz Essl)
Duration: 75'
fLAWless 17 Apr 1999: house concert at Bob Marsh's home, Chicago (USA)
Solo improvisation for computer (by Karlheinz Essl)
Duration: 35'
fLOCK 18 April 1999: Chicago Cultural Center , Chicago (USA)
Concerto for ensemble and live electronics (feat. Ensemble Noamnesia and members of the AAMC)
Duration: 45'
fLUMEN 24 April 1999: Brucknerhaus , Linz (A)
Process for bass clarinet, trombone, e-guitar, percussion, electronics, computers and spotslight (feat. Mike Svoboda et al.)
Duration: 140'
fLOSS 12 June 1999: KlangArt 99 Congress, Osnabrück (D)
Confrontation for 2 computer performers and sound scape (feat. Jochen Bohnes, Freiburg)
Duration: 40'
fLÜSTERN 16 Jun 1999: Bath of the Sargfabrik , Vienna (A)
Performance for dancers, swimmers, water, light, percussion and live electronics (feat. LUX*FLUX)
Duration: 120'
fLIP / fLAP 29 Sep 1999: Galerie MAERZ, Linz (A)
Agitation for LIP-agitated instruments and LAP-top computer (feat. Jack Hauser and David Ender)
Duration: 40'
fLUSH 14 Oct 1999: Monty Theatre, Antwerp (B)
version for 4 PowerBooks
feat. Richard Barrett, Jochen Bohnes and Christian Fennesz
Duration: 60'
fLINK 16 Oct 1999: Künstlerhaus , Vienna (A)
Vernissage "Max Weiler im Jahrhundert der Moderne - Retrospektiven"
Room exploration for percussions and electronics (feat. Elisabeth Flunger)
Duration: 30'
N.N. 23 Oct 1999: Radio 100, Amsterdam (NL)
fLOW sound scape used as an improvisational basis for
Anne La Berge (flutes and electronics), Cor Fuhler (electronics), Steve Heather (drums and electronics)
Duration: 4 hours (0:00 - 4:00 a.m.)
pFLUG 4 + 5 Nov 1999: Opening of the Essl Collection , Klosterneuburg (A)
Ambience for sound scape, live electronics, and live-generated video
Feat. Christian Fennesz, Peter Rehberg, Zeitblom, Karlheinz Essl
Video: pReview
Duration: 200'
flASH 13 Dec 1999: rhiz , Vienna (A)
Interference between live electronic sounds and spatial sound projection
Festival "fluctuated rooms"
feat. dynamo (sound projection) and Karlheinz Essl (electronics)
Duration: approx. 60'
fLAME 4 Feb 2000: Pumpenhaus, Münster (D)
Crossfade for two computer performers
feat. Richard Barrett (computer and keyboard) and Karlheinz Essl (computer and electronics)
Duration: 36'
fLOWer 13 May 2000: KUNST.HALLE.KREMS / Minoritenkirche Stein (A)
Showdown for sound scape, voice, live musicians, live electronics, and light installation
Duration: 130'
5 May 2004: Cardiff (UK)
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama , Weston Gallery
Helen Drury: oboe
James R. Dooley: computer
29 Mar 2007: Dublin (IE)
Project Arts Centre
EAR New Music Collective
Maeve O'Hara: percussion
Fergal Dowling: computer
27 Aug 2018: Rome (I)
Stazione Trastevere
MUSICA IN ORARIO Francesco Cuoghi : electric guitar, electronics
Maurizio Barbetti : viola
fLOW per Sandro 21 Jun 2019: Rome (I)
Biblioteca Sandro Onofrio
MUSICA SU DUE DIMENSIONI Francesco Cuoghi : electric guitar, electronics
Maurizio Barbetti : viola
Nazarena Recchia: harp
fLOW per Roma 18 Dec 2021: Rome (I)
Chiesa di San Paolo entro le Mura
de natura sonorum Francesco Cuoghi : electric guitar, electronics
Maurizio Barbetti : viola
Nazarena Recchia: harp
Installations
Besides being performed in public performances, fLOW has also been presented in various site-specific room installations:
4 Nov 1999 - 1 April 2000: Klosterneuburg (A)
Sammlung Essl , Klosterneuburg (A)
4-channel room and light installation
Part of the sound art exhibition "Klangwelten"
Duration: 5 months
15 + 16 Nov 1999: Barcelona (E)
Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona
EN RED 0 - VII. Symposium of Electroacoustic and Electronic Music
2-channel version
Duration: 60' (played in a chill out zone)
1 - 3 Dec 1999: Melbourne (AUS)
First Iteration - Conference on Generative Systems in the Electronic Arts
4-channel version with 2 CD players
Duration: 3 days (played in an outdoor courtyard)
21 März 2000: Vienna (A)
Galerie Charim-Klocker
Galerienfrühling - Exhibition Anna und Bernhard Blume
Room installation with 3 CD players
Duration: 2 hours
8 - 9 April 2000: Villa Bosch, Heidelberg (D)
Heidelberger Frühling / Musikwerkstatt 2000
4-channel version with 2 CD players
Duration: 2 days
19 June - 8 July 2000: Garden of the Austrian Cultural Institute in Rome (I)
Festival Fuori di qui 4-channel outdoor sound scape with 2 CD players
Duration: 3 weeks
25 - 26 August 2001: Montpellier, Vermont (USA)
Bethany Chruch, Dreamroom
K & D Ought-One Festival
4-channel version with 2 CD players
Duration: 2 days
20 Oct 2002: Salo (FI)
Salo Art Museum
Duration: 30'
23 Aug 2005: Zürich (CH)
Flussbad Untere Letten
Stefan Laurens Müller - Kunstfluss
Duration: 1 night
16 Feb 2006: Ankara (TR)
Cankaya Municipiality Contemporary Arts Center (Cagdas Sanatlar Merkezi)
concert series Electroacoustic Capital - Capital Electroacoustic
presented by Mehmet Can Özer
Duration: 15 minutes
Reflections
Andrea Zschunke
web@art - Akustische Kunst im Netz radio feature (Südwestfunk Baden-Baden, 14 Jun 1999)
Hanno Ehrler
www.essl.at - Der Wiener Komponist Karlheinz Essl radio feature (Bayerischer Rundfunk, 13 Sep 1999)
Carsten Fastner
Flirt mit dem Raum Parnass, Heft 5/99
Updated: 3 Sep 2023
