P.A. Hülsenbeck & Michael Schönheit: Reaping From The Conflux on 2 LPs

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Philipp Hülsenbeck and Michael Schönheit entered their collaborative space, the Great Hall of Gewandhaus Leipzig, in spring 2019, in order to explore the sonic potential of the Schuke organ juxtaposed with unrestrained electronic synthesis and otherworldy digital processing. With ease, clarity and fruitful respect towards the others craft, they composed Reaping From The Conflux, an hour long work of music, condensed in a synergy of opposing musical aesthetics, teetering between acoustic instrumentation and digital manipulation - a push and pull between discordance and tranquility.

Intermingling the organic with the inorganic in an unbiased exchange, Hülsenbeck and Schönheit created a dense work shifting from sombre to celestial, leaving enough space in the room to allow sound to breathe. In order to interweave digital and material realms, Hülsenbeck's software synthesizers blasting into the concert hall were given the same attention as the 6.845 pipes making up the gigantic organ, an instrument often referred to as the queen of instruments. The sharp, synth-driven Peak Independence is counterpointed by the serenity that inhabits the repeating Basso Ostinato in Entities as well as HuÌêlsenbeck's piano playing on Now Smile. The latter two pieces feature contributions by SchoÌênheit's wife Katharina Dargel (Gewandhausorchester Leipzig) on viola, Tsepo Kolitsoe Pooe (The Miagi Orchestra, The String Archestra) on cello and Johannes Weber (Unguarded, JungstoÌêtter) on double bass.