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, Klangforum has had the idea for several years now of cooperating with Viennese artists from other scenes at least once a season. I think this "thinking outside the box" and engaging with completely different forms of composition or music production in general is fundamentally very exciting. Of course, it can also go wrong, but that's what makes it so exciting. Something goes on - maybe only superficially at first, but something like that takes time!
Klangforum Wien:
How exactly did "collisions and momentum" come about? Was someone from the Ensemble involved or did you compose the piece independently?
Manu Mayr, 5K HD:
- I collected ideas for almost 2 years. Then I selected the most promising ones in terms of realization and started notating them. Martin Eberle gave me a lot of support with the "notation and arrangement" process and then we also took 2 existing 5K HD songs and arranged them for the Ensemble .
It was a first for me to compose for such a large ensemble. So far I've tended to bring loose scores or small ideas to band rehearsals. What runs through all my musical projects is a joint "arrangement process". But there are now 15 musicians involved here and such a joint process would go beyond the scope.
Presenting sheet music ready to play was a huge challenge for me, which I was fortunately halfway aware of. Originally, there were also a lot more pre-rehearsals planned for testing, which unfortunately fell victim to the pandemic and the resulting postponements.
So it was still possible to hold the first rehearsals a month before the premiere and then make corrections.
Klangforum Wien:
Manu, you have often played concerts with Klangforum Wien - how was the new role as a composer for you?
Manu Mayr, 5K HD:
- I was really very nervous before the first rehearsal.
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 something I really appreciate about Klangforum Wien : an incredibly friendly and supportive 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, I was extremely nervous at first but ultimately very, very happy with the result. My aim was to process sounds and rhythmic structures that interested me in order to create an independent musical work in the end. 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 I'd like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to Klangforum Wien for giving me and us this opportunity!
