Kriton Beyer – daxophone, harmonium
In 2004 he moved to Berlin, where he got heavily involved in the improvised music scene of the city.
Since then he has worked with many musicians like Phil Minton, Audrey Chen, Steve Noble, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Axel Dörner, Liz Kosack, Kresten Osgood, Tristan Honsinger, Tomomi Adachi, Richard Scott, Willi Kellers, Matthias Bauer, Antonis Anissegos, Olaf Rupp, Alexei Borisov, Els Vandeweyer, Harri Sjöström, Nicola Hein and Liz Allbee, dancers like Yuko Kaseki and visual artists like Akiko Nakayama. Kriton Beyer founded the “FRAGMENTATION ORCHESTRA“, is a member of the electroacoustic trio “uproot” and the ensembles “Redox Reaction” and FDBK EXPT.
In his work with the harmonium, Kriton Beyer uses both the natural sound of his instrument and “traditional” playing techniques as well as preparations, objects and extended techniques, while his daxophone play is characterized by a very personal musical and sonic aesthetic, and an unconventional technique, sometimes also supported by the subtle use of electronics. As an improvising musician, he has performed throughout Europe. His compositions are usually characterized by conceptualism.
Kriton Beyer has also conceived and commissioned the music software CinePrompt®, which was specially developed for the use for live musical performance and live recording to films.
Kriton Beyer also curates and manages the concert series and record label “THE PROCRUSTEAN BED”, dedicated to Experimental & Improvised Music.
Richard Scott – modular synthesiser
He has performed with many great improvising musicians like Derek Bailey, Phil Minton, John Russell, Axel Dörner, Thomas Lehn, Audrey Chen, Clive Bell, Richard Barrett, Kazuhisa Uchihashi, Michael Vorfeld, Jon Rose, Ute Wassermann, Shelley Hirsch, Evan Parker, Frank Gratkowski, Stock, Hausen and Walkman, Bark! and the Lightning Ensemble.
Initially inspired to play electronic music by Cabaret Voltaire, Lee Scratch Perry and Stockhausen in the early 1980s he was later introduced to free improvisation by John Stevens (Spontaneous Music Ensemble) and studied saxophone under the guidance of Elton Dean and Steve Lacy. He studied Indian classical and West African music and later acousmatic and electroacoustic composition with professors David Berezan and Ricardo Climent.
He has released many recordings, for example with Grutronic and Evan Parker for PSI records and a solo double LP, Several Circles, and an album with Twinkle3 and Sidsel Endreson for Cusp Editions. In recent years he co-founded and co-curated several notable concert series in Berlin: Basic Electricity, AUXXX and Sound Anatomy. From his Berlin studio he also works as a mastering engineer for various artists and labels, for example his own Sound Anatomy label, PSI Records and Huddersfield Contemporary Records (HCR).
His work has been featured on BBC Radio 3 and 4, International Computer Music Conference (Athens, Utrecht and Huddersfield) SARC Sonorities Belfast, International Festival for Artistic Innovation, Leeds, MANTIS Electroacoustic Music Festival, Manchester, Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville, Quebec, Berliner Festspiele Immersion, Next Festival of Advanced Music Bratislava, London Jazz Festival, Konfrontationen, Nickelsdorf, SMC (Sound Music Computing) Athens and Ulrichsberg Kaleidophon.
He holds a PhD in Sociology/Musicology, and a master’s degree in Electroacoustic Composition, an HND in Jazz Theory and Musicianship and is currently working on a second PhD, this time in Composition. He is author of several articles on the subject of Free Improvisation, Modular Synthesis and post-acousmatic music and he recently edited an issue of eContact! journal dedicated to Analogue and Modular Synthesis. He wrote extensively for Wire magazine, was administrator at the LMC (London Musician’s Collective) and has been an active member of the improvising and electroacoustic communities in London, Manchester and Berlin. He initiated the Sines&Squares Festival for Analogue and Modular Synthesis in Manchester in 2014 and 2016.
Scott has been described as, “a singular virtuoso”, and “a master of the analogue synthesizer”. His 2016 electroacoustic suite Several Circles was described as, “fantastically colourful and abstract”, “brilliant and confounding” and as “a universe all of its own”. His music has been compared to the one of Morton Subotnick, Derek Bailey, Mouse on Mars, Todd Dockstader and Autechre.
Antonis Anissegos – piano
Anissegos attended Eleni Xenariou’s piano class at the Thessaloniki State Conservatory until 1991 and was then a student of György Orbán at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest until 1992. He then studied at the Music Academy in Vienna with Kurt Schwertsik and at the Music Academy in Cologne with Krzysztof Meyer and jazz piano with John Taylor. From 1998 to 2001 he was a master student of Walter Zimmermann at the Berlin University of the Arts.
Already in the early 1990s, Anissegos was promoted by Manos Hadjidakis, who performed his works and ordered compositions. He received several composition grants like the Franz Liszt scholarship of the Hochschule für Musik Franz Liszt Weimar in 1998. In 2000 he won first prize in the composition competition of the Neukölln Opera with the chamber opera Hundeherz. In 2002 he received the composition prize of the Berlin Senate for Stirrings Still (after Samuel Beckett). In 2003 he took part in the Tongyeong International Music Festival in South Korea with the band Aboe. In 2005 he performed with video artist Erika Matsunami at Kyoto Art Center. There he met the dancer Yuko Kaseki, with whom he has been working ever since.
His compositions have been performed by ensembles like Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Piandaemonium, Ensemble Mosaik, Ensemble Cornucopia, Ensemble DissonArt, Thessaloniki State Orchestra, Athens Orchestra of Colours and Young Philharmonic of Thuringia.
Anissegos works on several projects including Amoebas (with Christian Weidner, Chris Dahlgren and John Schröder), the trio IAMA (with Jannis Anissegos and Maria Anissegou), Succulent Trash (later Spoke 2, with Brad Fox, Chris Dahlgren and Maurice de Martin) , 3 Spirits (with Sirone and Samuel Rohrer) and Lynx (with Kalle Kalima, Danny Schröteler and Samuel Rohrer), Grix (with Floros Floridis and Yorgos Dimitriadis), Lynx (with Kalle Kalima, Danny Schröteler and Samuel Rohrer), ΣΩΜΑ (with Thymios Atzakas), ddaA (with Oliver Steidle), KAYA (with Butoh dancer Yuko Kaseki), Card Castle (with Mike Majkowski and Christian Marien) and oneone (with Rainer Jancis).
In 2009 Anissegos performed at the Creative Arts and Music Project (CAMP) initiated by Friedemann Dähn and Thomas Maos.
He is a member of the European Music Project, founded by Jürgen Grözinger, and the Ensemble Junge Musik.
Anissegos has performed concerts in Europe, Asia & America. He has released records of music by John Cage (“Time-Length Pieces”, Gligg records, 2012 & “Time-Length Pieces” on Wergo, 2014) and appears on over 60 recordings mainly in the field of contemporary creative music.
Anissegos is based in Berlin since 1998.
Beat Keller – feedbacker electric guitar
Beat Keller is amongst the important Swiss musicians in the field of experimental and improvised music. Through the exploration of extended playing techniques, guitar tunings and the use of an electric feedbacker guitar, he has developed a unique musical language.
Beat Keller has played together with many major exponents of the Swiss and international scenes and performs regularly around the world at festivals and renowned concert venues. Concert tours have taken him several times across the whole of Europe, to the USA, Asia and Southern Africa.
Beat Keller is currently a member of the groups TWO DOGS (Joke Lanz & Beat Keller, CH), Saadet Türköz & Beat Keller (CH), Tom Arthurs-Christian Wallumrød-Beat Keller-Tilo Weber (UK, NO, CH, DE), Axel Dörner & Beat Keller (DE, CH), Cao-Keller-Siedl (VN, CH, AT), Ciao Ciao Cello (ESP, CH, UK), Izquierdo-Dörner-Keller (ESP, DE, CH) Werner Puntigam & Beat Keller (AT/CH), Cara Stacey’s Like The Grass (SA), Weiss-Keller-Domeniconi (CH), Gunfire Orchestra (SA, NO, CH) and Jason Kahn/Beat Keller (US, CH).
As a composer, Beat Keller has, so far, mainly achieved recognition with Keller’s 10, the Haiku String Trio and the NDR Big Band. The releases by Keller’s 10 as well as by the Haiku String Trio were enthusiastically received by international press and critically acclaimed as excellent (among others in Concerto, Jazz‘n’more and Cadence Magazine). Keller’s 10’s debut album won “Best Debut Release 2008 (worldwide)” awarded by the American magazine All About Jazz. Keller holds a teaching diploma for jazz guitar from Zurich University of the Arts, CH, and a Master of Arts in Composition from the Lucerne School of Music, Jazz Department, CH.
He has released on labels like B-Boim, Edition Wandelweiser, Everest Records, Kit Records, zOaR Records, Chinabot Asia, Silken Tofu, Attenuation Circuit, Plus Timbre, Alpine chic, Unit, Full Body Massage and many more.
Keller has won the following sponsorship prizes and awards: Best Debut Release 2008 (worldwide) for Keller’s 10 awarded by All About Jazz, New York, Sponsorship Award of the City of Winterthur, 2010, Artist-in-Residence, Pro Helvetia, Cape Town/South Africa, 2012 & 2016, Moods Jazz & Blues Award 2013: second prize for Keller’s 10, Artist-in-Residence, canton of Zurich, Berlin/Germany, 2014/2015, “Förderbeitrag 2018” from the Canton of Thurgau and the Research Scholarship 2020 & 2022 from the Canton of Thurgau.
Elena Kakaliagou – french horn
Elena’s field of specialization is free improvised and contemporary music, next to classic chamber music. She has performed premiers with ensembles like Ensemble Linea, Schallfeld and KNM Berlin in Festivals like Ultraschall Berlin/DE, Maerz Music/DE, Randspiele/DE, Musica Nova/FI, Lá-bas/FI, Musica/FR, Warsaw Autumn/PL, New Adits/AT, Ultima/NY, Kaleidophon/AT, newadits/AT, Tour de Babel/FR, Sound Live Tokyo/JA ao. She has worked with individual artists as Riikka Innanen, Phill Niblock, James Andean, Ingrid Schmoliner, Katharina Klement, CC Hennix, Robin Hayward, Simon Martin, Matias Guerra, Thomas Noll, to name but a few.
Elena is the co-founder of the Helsinki-based ‘Rank Ensemble’, the Austrian trio ‘PARA’, the Duo Kakaliagou/Schmoliner, the Duo Guerra/Kakaliagou and is a member of Zinc & Copper, Zeitkratzer and the ensemble of CC Hennix.
Matthias Müller – trombone
Dietrich Petzold – tenor violin
Since 1980, Petzold has been composing for theater, radio plays and film (including works for DEFA, Deutsches Theater Berlin, Landestheater Schwerin, Landestheater Greifswald/Stralsund, Kleist Theater Frankfurt, Hackesches Hoftheater, Neues Theater Halle, Junges Theater Zurich, University of Film and Television “Konrad Wolf”, Teatret Vart, Molde/Norway and the State Theatre Cottbus.
Petzold has been working as a guest musician and composer in the drama department at the Cottbus State Theatre for many years.
In his own recording studio, tonus arcus, he created numerous productions for radio and other publishers and as a sound engineer, he has a special focus on live recordings from festivals of classical and contemporary chamber music.
Marie Takahashi – viola
She has worked with many international musicians including Tristan Honsinger, Axel Dörner, Hui-Chun Lin, Shuichi Chino, Joel Grip, Antonio Borghini, Cedrik Fermont, Michel Doneda, Sylvia Hinz, Burkhard Beins, Tadahiko Yokogawa and Toshimaru Nakamura.
Her curiosity has led her to collaborate with artists from various disciplines such as live video, film, animation, theatre, break dance, butoh dance, tattooing, poetry and prose writing.
One of her special interests is working with visual artists. Takahashi has worked with James Devlin, Éric Fourmestraux, Tea Mäkipää, Laure Catugier, Akane Kimbara and Riccardo Buck e.g. In 2018 she began experimental composition using calligraphy techniques, colours, shapes and numbers.
Her works have been presented in Berlin, Sapporo and Tokyo.
Hui-Chun Lin – cello
Hui-Chun Lin is a musician who moves fluidly among work in avantgarde music, world music, jazz, improvisation and also performance. Her repertoire encompasses traditional, experimental and classical music in equal measure. Her musical work is concerned above all with sounding out the intersections, boundaries and connections among genres, eras and cultures.
Lin moved to Berlin in 2011 and is an active member of the local improvised music scene.
In 2015, she started producing her own music, working with the Berlin Music Label „Maybee Records“.
Meinrad Kneer – double bass
He studied double bass and music in the Netherlands (conservatories of Hilversum and Amsterdam), where he quickly entered the Dutch jazz- and subsequently the international scene of free improvisation.
In 2002 he receives one of the most prestigious Dutch music awards: the ‚Jur Naessens Music Award‘ for the project ‚New Anatomy‘, realized with his band ‚Dalgoo‘ and inspired by the work of the Russian writer Daniil Kharms.
His compositional work has been supported between 2001-2011 by the Dutch ‚Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst‘ (today ‚Fonds Podiumkunsten‘) and in 2013 he recieved a grant from the Berlin senate to compose music for his Phosphoros Ensemble. In 2020, 2021 and 2022 he won solo stipendia from the Berlin Senate and Musikfonds.
From 2007 to 2011 he organized the concert series ‚U-Ex(perimental)‘ devoted to free improvisation, in cooperation with flutist Mark Alban Lotz, the Centraal Museum and the SJU Jazz Podium in Utrecht (NL).
Since 2011/2012 he lives in Berlin.
He currently leads the Meinrad Kneer Quintet, the Trio Baars / Kneer / Elgart, the Phosphoros Ensemble, and works as a co-leader in the groups Dalgoo, Rose/ Kneer/ Barrett and Sequoia.
He also plays a.o. with the following ensembles: Julie Sassoon Quartet, Andreas Willers Septet, Rupp/ Kneer/ Fischerlehner, Büyükberber/ Kneer/ Dimitriadis, Massaria/ Kneer/ Hertenstein and Bite the Gnatze, and worked with musicians as Najma Akhtar, Richard Barrett, Johannes Bauer, Han Bennink, Iva Bittová, Axel Dörner, Bill Elgart, Ceylan Ertem, Fred Frith, Tristan Honsinger, Paul Lovens, Roscoe Mitchell and Jon Rose, and ensembles as different Baraná formations, the Ab Baars Quartet, House of Mirrors, the Gravitones, Play Station 6, the Astronotes, the Joost Buis tentet, the AXYZ-Ensemble, the bigtet Tetzepi, the Ig Henneman String Quartet, the Marc Sinan Company, the KNM Ensemble and realized, with his own bands and as a side man, about 40 records.
During the last years he has been touring extensively in most countries of Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Turkey, North Africa and Mexico.
His internationally renowned label Evil Rabbit Records is dedicated to contemporary improvised music rooted in the European culture.
Emilio Gordoa – vibraphone, percussion
He’s involved in numerous projects including his work as a soloist and in collaboration with theater, dance, performance and other interdisciplinary frameworks. Emilio’s special focus is on on experimental music, sound art, noise, free jazz, improvisation and contemporary music. He is redefining the vibraphone as a source, treating it with preparations and extended techniques and is a busy composer as well, writing graphic scores for a variety of ensembles, large and small, for theater, documentary films and audio-visual performances. In recent years his work has also been presented in the form of sound installations and in 2016 he founded the platform WildSonico. In 2019 Emilio was the Improviser in Residence of the Moers Festival and he received an honorary mention by the Prix Ars Electronica in 2021.
Gordoa has collaborated with many international artists such as: Jérôme Noetinger, Ingrid Schomliner, Nate Wooley, John Edwards, Chikako Kaido, Ken Vandermark, German Bringas, John Butcher, Fred Frith, Hamid Drake, Misha Marks, Evan Parker, Axel Dörner, Yuko Kaseki, Tobias Delius, Otomo Yoshihide, Ignaz Schick, Harri Sjöströjm, Lena Czerniawska, Jaap Blonk, Burkhard Beins and Ute Wassermann, among others… He’s a current member of Splitter Orchester, Gordoa-Malfon-Edwards-Narvesen, Circuit Training, RadiationiX, Para.keets, Corso, Dörner-Thieke-Vorfeld-Gordoa, and M0VE.
Rudi Fischerlehner – drums
Rudi Fischerlehner is an Austrian drummer that works in various musical projects in the fields of improvised and experimental music, jazz and post-rock. He also composes and produces music for bands, film and performances.
Born in 1977 in Austria he was introduced to the drums at an early age and started performing with bands as a teenager around Linz, Austria. Following a brief period studying classical percussion he moved to Vienna, travelled to Africa and China, spent a few months in New York and now resides in Berlin.
His current projects include the drum solo project 15 8 SLUM, Xenofox with Olaf Rupp and Ohlmeier / Khroustaliov / Fischerlehner. He also plays or has played with Gorilla Mask, Matthias Müller, Mia Dyberg, Joke Lanz, Zsolt Sőrés, Julie Sassoon, Fiium Shaarrk, Tonia Reeh, Tristan Honsinger, Matthias Schubert, Andreas Willers, Frank Paul Schubert, Erste Stufe Haifisch and many more.
Projects in which he features have been regularly invited to festivals and clubs internationally and featured on radio stations as Ö1, BBC Radio 3, SWR and Deutschlandfunk.
As a producer and composer for film soundtracks he contributed to movies by Ella Raidel, Johanna Kirsch and Katharina Lampert and was involved in the art, video or performance work of Alterazioni Video, Tarek Atoui (Berlin Biennale), Katrin Plavcak, Wilhelm Groener, Rainer Kohlberger and Haroon Mirza.