Klangforum Wien:
You are an avant-garde pop band. A collaboration with a Ensemble is perhaps a bit unusual - how did the cooperation with the Klangforum Wien come about ?
Manu Mayr, 5K HD:
- Christoph Walder approached us with the idea.
From my perspective, the Klangforum has had the idea of cooperating with Viennese artists from other scenes at least once a season for several years. I think that thinking outside the box and dealing with completely different forms of composition and music production in general is very exciting. Of course, this can also go wrong, but that's exactly what makes it so exciting. There is something going on maybe only superficially at first but something like that takes time!
Klangforum Wien:
How exactly was "collisions and momentum" created? Was someone from Ensemble involved or did you compose the piece completely by yourselves?
Manu Mayr, 5K HD:
- I collected ideas for almost 2 years. Then I chose the most promising ones in terms of implementation and started notating them. Martin Eberle supported me in the notation and arrangement process and then we also took 2 existing 5K HD songs and arranged them for the Ensemble .
For me it was the very first time to compose for such a large instrumentation. Up until now, I've tended to bring loose scores or small ideas to band rehearsals. What runs through all my musical projects is a collaborative arrangement process. But now there are 15 musicians involved and such a collaborative process would be beyond the scope.
Presenting sheet music ready to play was a huge challenge for me, which I was fortunately half aware of. Originally, there were many more rehearsals planned, which unfortunately fell victim to the pandemic and the resulting postponements.
So it was now possible to hold the first rehearsals a month before the premiere and then make corrections.
Klangforum Wien:
Manu, you have played concerts with the Klangforum Wien many times before - how was the new role as a composer for you?
Manu Mayr, 5K HD:
- Before the first rehearsal I was really nervous.
But as soon as the first notes are played together everything loosens up and it's all about one thing:
getting the best out of the music and that's what I appreciate so much about Klangforum: an incredibly friendly and supportive basic attitude towards music and making music together.
Klangforum Wien:
How was it for you to play with a professional Ensemble ? Were you excited, even awestruck? Did it change your approach to music?
Manu Mayr, 5K HD:
- As I said: extremely nervous at the beginning but finally very very happy about the result. My goal was to process sounds and rhythmic structures that interest me. And in the end to create an independent musical work. So not 5K HD with Ensemble, or Klangforum plays 5K HD or whatever, but to combine as many individual strengths as possible and make a collective thing out of it.
Klangforum Wien:
What do you take away from the collaboration?
Manu Mayr, 5K HD:
- I have to say that I'm a bit proud to have risen to this challenge and would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to Klangforum for giving me and us this opportunity!
