Christian Fennesz (born 25 December 1962) is an Austrians producer and guitarist active in electronic music since the 1990s, often credited as Fennesz. His work utilizes guitar and laptop to blend melody with treated samples and glitch music production.
Fennesz first received widespread recognition for his 2001 album Endless Summer, released on the Austrian label Editions Mego. He has collaborated with a number of artists, including Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jim O'Rourke, Ulver, David Sylvian, and King Midas Sound.
Biography
Fennesz was born and raised in Austria and studied music formally in
art school. He started playing guitar around the age of 8 or 9.
He initially performed as a member of the Austrian experimental rock band Maische before signing to
electronic music label
Editions Mego as a solo artist. The influence of
techno led him to begin composing with a
laptop.
In 1995, he released his first EP
Instrument, which explored electro-acoustic and
ambient music stylings.
In 1997, Fennesz released his debut full-length album Hotel Paral.lel, which saw him delve more explicitly into laptop production and early glitch music aesthetics.[ In the following years, he collaborated with a variety of artists, including Peter Rehberg and Jim O'Rourke as part of Fenn O'Berg.][
]
In 2001, Fennesz released his third studio album Endless Summer to widespread critical praise and recognition.[
]
In 2009, Fennesz teamed up with Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse) to create In the Fishtank 15. The following year, Fennesz released Szampler,[ He released a collaborative album with Jim O'Rourke, It's Hard for Me to Say I'm Sorry (2016).]
Recording techniques
Since the 1990s, Fennesz has worked with the programming software Max/MSP and the free patch Ppooll, which he runs in conjunction with the workstation Logic Pro.
Discography
Studio albums
-
Hotel Paral.lel (Editions Mego, 1997)
-
Plus Forty Seven Degrees 56' 37" Minus Sixteen Degrees 51' 08" (Touch Music, 1999)
-
Endless Summer (Mego, 2001)
-
Venice (Touch, 2004)
-
Black Sea (Touch, 2008)
-
Bécs (Editions Mego, 2014)
-
Agora (Touch, 2019)
-
Mosaic (Touch, 2024)
Collaboration albums
-
Afternoon Tea with Oren Ambarchi, Pimmon, Peter Rehberg & Keith Rowe; Ritornell, 2000)
-
GRM Experience (with Mika Vainio and Christian Zanési; Signature, 2004)
-
Cloud (with Keith Rowe, Toshimaru Nakamura, and Oren Ambarchi; Erstwhile, 2005)
-
Cendre (with Ryuichi Sakamoto; Touch Music, 2007)
-
Til the Old World's Blown Up and a New One Is Created (with Martin Brandlmayr and Werner Dafeldecker; Mosz, 2008)
-
In the Fishtank 15 (with Sparklehorse; Konkurrent, 2009)
-
Knoxville (with David Daniell and Tony Buck; Thrill Jockey, 2010)
-
Remiksz (with Stefan Goldmann; Tapeworm, 2010)
-
Flumina (with Sakamoto; Commmons/Touch, 2011)
-
Edition 1 (with King Midas Sound; Ninja Tune, 2015)
-
AirEffect (with OZmotic; Folk Wisdom, 2015)
-
It's Hard for Me to Say I'm Sorry (with Jim O'Rourke; Editions Mego, 2016)
-
Senzatempo (with OZmotic; Touch, 2023)
Compilation albums
-
Field Recordings: 1995–2002 (Touch Music, 2002)
-
Szampler (Tapeworm, 2010)
Live recordings
-
Live at Revolver, Melbourne (EP; Touch Music, 2000)
-
Live at the LU (with Keith Rowe; Erstwhile, 2004)
-
Sala Santa Cecilia (EP with Ryuichi Sakamoto; Touch, 2005)
-
Live in Japan (CD; Headz/Touch, 2003) (LP; Autofact/Touch, 2005)
-
Live @ The V. Sessions (streaming video recording; The V. Sessions, 2009)
-
Mahler Remixed (vinyl; Touch, 2014)
Studio EPs
-
Instrument (12" vinyl; Editions Mego, 1995)
-
Il Libro Mio (EP; Tanz Hotel, 1998)
-
Plays (7" vinyl; Mego, 1998)
-
Plays (CD EP; Moikai, 1999)
-
Plays (10" vinyl; Editions Mego, 2006)
-
Seven Stars (CD EP/10" vinyl; Touch Music, 2011)
-
The Last Days of May (CD EP; Longform Editions, 2025)
Singles, tracks, guest collaborations, etc.
-
"Wrapped Islands" (with Polwechsel; Erstwhile, 2002)
-
"Erstlive 004" (with Peter Rehberg, Sachiko M, and Otomo Yoshihide; Erstwhile, 2005)
-
"On a Desolate Shore a Shadow Passes By" (download only; Touch Music, 2007)
-
"Transition" (Touch, 2008)
-
"Saffron Revolution" (download only; Touch, 2008)
-
"Future Back" and "Impassive Skies" (with Patrick Pulsinger, on Pulsinger's album Impassive Skies; Disko B, 2010)
-
"Fearless" (contribution for the Benefit for the Recovery in Japan compilation; Thrill Jockey, 2011)
Remixes
-
"IVEND 00", based on material from Attention: Cats by Various Artists (on rkk13cd; Reckankreuzungsklankewerkzeuge, 2001)
-
Remixed "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "The Future Sound of Music" (titled "Only the Poor Have to Travel") by Ulver (on 1993–2003: A Decade in the Machines; Jester Records, 2003)
-
Remixed "Weight" by Isis (on Oceanic Remixes Vol. 4; Ipecac, 2005)
-
Remixed "In This Twilight" by Nine Inch Nails (on Year Zero Remixed; Interscope, 2007)
-
Remixed "Returnal" by Oneohtrix Point Never (on Returnal maxi single 7" vinyl; Editions Mego, 2010)
-
Remixed "The Visitor" by Miracle (on Fluid Window; 2011)
-
Remixed "Shikaku Kakumei" (titled "QSMJAF") by Sōtaisei Riron (on Tadashii Sōtaisei Riron; Commmons/Mirai Records, 2011)
Soundtracks
-
Beyond the Ocean (USA, 1999)
-
Gelbe Kirschen (directed by Leopold Lummerstorfer; Austria, 2000)
-
Blue Moon (written and directed by Andrea Maria Dusl; Austria, 2002)
-
Platform#09 Chicago (directed by Cedrick Eymenier; France, 2005)
-
Film ist. a girl & a gun (directed by Gustav Deutsch, with Lucía Pulido, Martin Siewert, Burkhard Stangl; Austria, 2009) (7" vinyl; Interstellar Records, Austria, 2009)
-
AUN: The Beginning and the End of All Things (Ash International, 2012)
In Fenn O'Berg
-
The Magic Sound of Fenn O'Berg (Mego, 1999)
-
The Return of Fenn O'Berg (Mego, 2002)
-
Magic & Return (double CD reissue; Editions Mego, 2009)
-
In Stereo (Editions Mego, 2010)
Tribute to Fennesz
-
Tim Hecker "Mirages" (incurably optimistic; Alien8 Recordings, 2004)
-
Lcoma "Fennesz" (musical influence; Unsigned, 2012)
With Food
-
Quiet Inlet (ECM, 2010)
-
Mercurial Balm (ECM, 2012)
-
This Is Not a Miracle (ECM, 2015)
See also
-
List of ambient music artists
-
List of Austrians in music
Further reading
External links
