When Francesco Tristano presented his new album in Berlin a few weeks ago, he invited him to great broadcasting of decommissioned Radio house Nalepastrasse. The atmosphere resembled that of a classical concert and yet here, where once broadcasting of GDR was based, was different to, for example, in Berliner Philharmonie. Casual. Tristano wore T-shirt and people in audience, who were on average younger than himself, looked like Berliners, who also like to go to Berghain.
The new album by Luxembourger is called Piano Circle songs. Tristano, a trained classical pianist, who has recently noticed his foray into game worlds of techno and electronic music, is now concentrating on his actual instrument. The 36-year-old plays gently-beaded piano pieces, very harmoniously, without large corners and edges, simply and in part also poignantly, audience celebrates him as a pop star.
Horst Weiden Müller, operator of Berliner Elektronik-label! K7, which was especially known by its series of DJ Kicks, is sure that se kinds of concerts, as Tristano gives you, are an expression of a new, independent culture. More than just an attempt to present classical music with means of pop, or vice versa. Neo – A genre that is also preferred to Tristanos music – is a "global movement" whose development is most exciting thing he has witnessed in recent years, says Weiden Müller. Until recently he had flown regularly to London to better hearing what was going on. But now he can save himself. "Much of Neo comes from Germany," he says, "and I even know people who pull extra close to Nalepastrasse outside in Treptow-Köpenick, because it's most happening re."
He had been socialized with punk and with techno, he reported in conversation, and in both musical directions he experienced how se were first rejected with great vehemence. "And that happens again. The classical scene says about neo that one cannot even really call it music. " Of course, proximity to Philip Glass and John Cage is greater than to Mozart and Beethoven, Na and? Perhaps this headwind Müller – once punk, always punk – has also induced, now quite rightly, a separate Neo label: too! K7 joins now 7K!. Just turn sign, from or side, subversion. If a certain music is capable of triggering so much misunderstanding, re must be something to it.
Looking at Neo from perspective of pop music, it does not stand for shallow banter, but rar opposite. This music demands attention from listener, it is not easy to consume by way, you have to be serious about it. For example on meditative piano miniatures of Dutchman Joep Beving, who with his current album even landed in domestic charts. Or on intoxicating, cinematic chamber music of Italian Luca Alberto, an artist who now represents Horst Weiden Müller on his label.
"In last 25 years we have only celebrated hedonistic parties," says Horst Weiden Müller, who has strongly influenced Berlin techno scene. In increasing tendency of young people in particular to Neo, he now recognizes a "need for sustainability" and thus, so to speak, a counter-movement to fast-paced world.
Date Of Update: 17 October 2017, 12:03
