Editing Fennesz

{{short description|Austrian electronic musician and guitarist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name        = Christian Fennesz
| image        = Fennesz in Bethesda, Maryland, on September 21, 2010 (5027816082).jpg
| image_size     = 
| landscape      = yes
| caption       = Fennesz performing in [[Bethesda, Maryland]] in 2010
| background     = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| birth_name     = Christian Fennesz
| alias        = Fennesz
| birth_date     = {{Birth date and age|1962|12|25|df=y}}
| birth_place     = [[Austria]]
| origin       = [[Neusiedl am See]], Austria
| death_date     =
| death_place     =
| genre        = {{hlist|[[Electronica]]|[[Ambient music|ambient]]<ref name=allmusic/>|[[glitch music|glitch]]<ref name="Wsj"/>|[[noise music|noise]]<ref name="villagevoice.com">{{cite web |last1=Hawkins |first1=Kristal |title=Living: Moving Sounds Festival Presents Fennesz |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2010/08/25/moving-sounds-festival-presents-fennesz/ |website=[[The Village Voice]] |date=25 August 2010 |access-date=30 December 2019}}</ref>}} 
| instrument     = {{hlist|[[Guitar]]|[[laptop]]|[[Max/MSP]]}} 
| occupation     =
| years_active    =
| label        = {{hlist|[[Mego Records|Mego]]|[[Touch Music|Touch]]}} 
| associated_acts   = [[Fenn O'Berg]]
| website       = {{URL|www.fennesz.com}}
| current_members   =
| past_members    =
}}

'''Christian Fennesz''' (born 25 December 1962) is an [[Austrians|Austrian]] producer and guitarist active in [[electronic music]] since the 1990s, often credited [[mononym]]ously as '''Fennesz'''. His work utilizes [[guitar]] and [[laptop|laptop computers]] to blend melody with treated [[sample (music)|sample]]s and [[glitch music|glitch]] production.<ref name="Wsj">{{cite news |last1=Sharma |first1=Paul |title=Mixing Melody With Noise |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123326473444130269 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=31 January 2009 |access-date=23 December 2019}}</ref> He lives and works in [[Vienna]], and currently records on the UK label [[Touch Music|Touch]].

Fennesz first received widespread recognition for his 2001 album ''[[Endless Summer (Fennesz album)|Endless Summer]]'', released on the Austrian label [[Mego Records|Mego]]. He has collaborated with a number of artists, including [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]], [[Jim O'Rourke (musician)|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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.semtexinc.com/interviews/interview.php?ID=32 |title=fastsearchfinder.com |publisher=Semtexinc.com |access-date=2014-07-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303184847/http://www.semtexinc.com/interviews/interview.php?ID=32 |archive-date=2016-03-03 }}</ref> He initially performed as a member of the Austrian [[experimental rock]] band Maische before signing to [[electronic music]] label [[Mego Records|Mego]] as a solo artist. The influence of [[techno]] led him to begin composing with a [[laptop]].<ref name="villagevoice.com">{{cite web |last1=Hawkins |first1=Kristal |title=Living: Moving Sounds Festival Presents Fennesz |url=https://www.villagevoice.com/2010/08/25/moving-sounds-festival-presents-fennesz/ |website=[[The Village Voice]] |date=25 August 2010 |access-date=30 December 2019}}</ref> In 1995 he released his first EP ''Instrument'', which explored [[Electro-acoustic music|electro-acoustic]] and [[ambient music|ambient]] stylings.<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web |author=Sean Cooper |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/fennesz-mn0000169568/biography |title=Fennesz &#124; Biography |publisher=AllMusic |date=1962-12-25 |access-date=2014-07-16}}</ref>

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|glitch]] aesthetics.<ref name="Wsj"/> He followed with the 1998 single ''Plays'', which contained near-unrecognizable covers of [[the Rolling Stones]]' "[[Paint It Black]]" and [[the Beach Boys]]' "[[Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)]]".<ref name=allmusic/> In the following years, he collaborated with a variety of artists, including [[Peter Rehberg|Peter "Pita" Rehberg]] and [[Jim O'Rourke (musician)|Jim O'Rourke]] as part of [[Fenn O'Berg]].<ref name=allmusic/> In 2001, he released his third studio album ''[[Endless Summer (Fennesz album)|Endless Summer]]'' to widespread critical praise and recognition.<ref name="igloo">{{cite web|last1=Fruitman|first1=Stephen|title=Christian Fennesz :: Aun: The Beginning And The End Of All Things (Ash International)|url=http://igloomag.com/reviews/christian-fennesz-aun-the-beginning-and-the-end-of-all-things-ash-international|website=Igloo Magazine|date=21 November 2012 |access-date=12 August 2016}}</ref> He collaborated with figures such as [[David Sylvian]], [[Keith Rowe]], [[eRikm]], [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]] in the following years, and released the albums ''[[Venice (Fennesz album)|Venice]]'' (2004) and ''[[Black Sea (Christian Fennesz album)|Black Sea]]'' (2007) to further critical praise.<ref name=allmusic/>

In 2009 Fennesz teamed up with [[Mark Linkous]] ([[Sparklehorse]]) to create [[In the Fishtank 15]]. The following year Fennesz released ''Szampler'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tapeworm.org.uk/ttw16.html |title=The Tapeworm presents... TTW#16 – Fennesz – Szampler |publisher=Tapeworm.org.uk |date=2010-01-07 |access-date=2014-07-16}}</ref> a cassette containing his sample collection on the Tapeworm label. This release was later remixed by [[Stefan Goldmann]] and released as ''Goldmann vs. Fennesz: Remiksz''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tapeworm.org.uk/ttw26.html |title=The Tapeworm presents... TTW#26 – Goldmann vs Fennesz – Remiksz |publisher=Tapeworm.org.uk |access-date=2014-07-16}}</ref> In 2011, he appeared on the live [[Ulver]] release ''[[The Norwegian National Opera]]'', contributing guitar and effects to "Not Saved." In November 2013, Fennesz played the final holiday camp edition of the [[All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)|All Tomorrow's Parties]] festival in Camber Sands, England.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.atpfestival.com/events/endofanerapart2.php |title=End Of An Era Part 2 curated by ATP & Loop – All Tomorrow's Parties |publisher=Atpfestival.com |access-date=2014-07-16}}</ref> In 2014, he released the studio album ''Bécs''. In 2015, he collaborated with UK group [[King Midas Sound]] on the album ''Editions 1''.<ref name=allmusic/> He then released ''Agora'' (2019)<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/agora/fennesz |title=Agora by Fennesz |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=10 May 2025}}</ref> and ''[[Mosaic (Fennesz album)|Mosaic]]'' (2024).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/mosaic/fennesz |title=Mosaic by Fennesz |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=10 May 2025}}</ref>

==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|Logic 9]].<ref name="Cycling">{{cite web |last1=Martin |first1=Christopher Reid |title=An Interview with Christian Fennesz |url=https://cycling74.com/articles/an-interview-with-christian-fennesz |website=Cycling '74 |access-date=20 December 2019}}</ref> In both studio and live settings, he routes his guitar through [[effects pedal]]s (including a custom [[distortion (music)|distortion box]]) and into his computer.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ross |first1=Michael |title=Spotlight: Fennesz |url=https://www.guitarmoderne.com/artists/spotlight-fennesz |website=Guitar Moderne |date=17 December 2015 |access-date=20 December 2019}}</ref> There, it is processed and combined with Ppooll software [[plug-in (computing)|plugins]] and tools such as [[sampler (musical instrument)|sampler]]s, [[synthesizer]]s, effects, and [[MIDI controllers]].<ref name="Cycling"/>

== Discography ==
; Studio albums
* (1997) ''Hotel Paral.lel'' (Mego)
* (1999) ''Plus Forty Seven Degrees 56' 37" Minus Sixteen Degrees 51' 08"'' ([[Touch Music|Touch]])
* (2001) [[Endless Summer (Fennesz album)|''Endless Summer'']] (Mego)
* (2004) [[Venice (Fennesz album)|''Venice'']] (Touch)
* (2008) [[Black Sea (Fennesz album)|''Black Sea'']] (Touch)
* (2014) ''[[Bécs (album)|Bécs]]'' (Editions Mego)
* (2019) ''Agora'' (Touch)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fennesz to release Agora, his first solo album in five years |work=Resident Advisor |url=https://www.residentadvisor.net/news/43095 |language=en |access-date=2019-01-20 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>
* (2024) ''[[Mosaic (Fennesz album)|Mosaic]]'' (Touch)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fennesz {{!}} Fennesz in 2024 |url=https://www.fennesz.com/news/fennesz-in-2024 |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=www.fennesz.com}}</ref>

; Collaboration albums
* (2004) ''GRM Experience'' with [[Mika Vainio]] & [[Christian Zanési]] (Signature)
* (2005) ''Cloud'' with [[Keith Rowe]], [[Toshimaru Nakamura]] and [[Oren Ambarchi]] (Erstwhile)
* (2007) ''[[Cendre]]'' with [[Ryuichi Sakamoto|Sakamoto]] ([[Touch Music|Touch]])
* (2008) ''Til the Old World's Blown Up and a New One Is Created'' with  Martin Brandlmayr & Werner Dafeldecker (Mosz)
* (2009) ''[[In the Fishtank 15]]'' with [[Sparklehorse]] ([[Konkurrent]])
* (2010) ''Knoxville'' with [[David Daniell (musician)|David Daniell]] and [[Tony Buck (musician)|Tony Buck]] ([[Thrill Jockey]])
* (2010) ''Remiksz'' with [[Stefan Goldmann]] (Tapeworm)
* (2011) ''[[Flumina (album)|Flumina]]'' with [[Ryuichi Sakamoto|Sakamoto]] (Commmons/[[Touch Music|Touch]])
* (2015) ''[[Edition 1]]'' with [[King Midas Sound]] ([[Ninja Tune]])
* (2015) ''AirEffect'' with OZmotic ([[Folk Wisdom]])
* (2016) ''It's Hard For Me To Say I'm Sorry'' with [[Jim O'Rourke (musician)|Jim O'Rourke]] (Editions Mego)
* (2023) ''Senzatempo'' with OZmotic ([[Touch Music|Touch]])

; Compilations
* (2002) ''Field Recordings: 1995–2002'' ([[Touch Music|Touch]])
* (2010) ''Szampler'' (Tapeworm)

; Live recordings
* (2000) ''Live at Revolver, Melbourne'' live EP ([[Touch Music|Touch]])
* (2004) ''Live at the LU'' with [[Keith Rowe]] (Erstwhile)
* (2005) [[Sala Santa Cecilia (album)|''Sala Santa Cecilia'']] live EP with [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]] ([[Touch Music|Touch]])
* (2005) ''Live in Japan'' CD (Headz/Touch, 2003) and LP (Autofact/[[Touch Music|Touch]])
* (2009) ''Live @ The V. Sessions'' streaming video recording ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110302145014/http://soundcloud.com/zoyd/fennesz-live-at-the-v-sessions The V. Sessions]), 2009
* (2014) ''Mahler Remixed'' vinyl ([[Touch Music|Touch]])

; Studio EPs
* (1995) ''Instrument'' 12" vinyl ([[Mego Records|Mego]])
* (1998) ''Il Libro Mio'' EP (Tanz Hotel)
* (1998) ''Plays'' 7" ([[Mego Records|Mego]])
* (1999) ''Plays'' CDEP (Moikai)
* (2006) ''Plays'' 10" vinyl ([[Editions Mego]])
* (2011) ''Seven Stars'' CDEP/10" vinyl ([[Touch Music|Touch]])
* (2025) ''The Last Days of May'' CDEP (Longform Editions)

; Singles, tracks, guest collaborations, etc.
* (2002) "Wrapped Islands" with [[Polwechsel]] ([[Erstwhile Records|Erstwhile]])
* (2005) "Erstlive 004" with [[Peter Rehberg]], [[Sachiko M]] and [[Otomo Yoshihide]] (Erstwhile)
* (2007) "On a desolate shore a shadow passes by" ([[Touch Music|Touch]]) – download only
* (2008) "Transition" ([[Touch Music|Touch]])
* (2008) "Saffron Revolution" ([[Touch Music|Touch]]) – download only
* (2010) "Future Back" and "Impassive Skies" with Patrick Pulsinger, on Pulsinger's album ''Impassive Skies'' (Disko B)
* (2011) "Fearless" (Thrill Jockey) – contribution for the ''Benefit for the Recovery in Japan'' compilation

; Remixes
* (2001) "IVEND 00", based on material from ''Attention: Cats'' by Various Artists, on ''rkk13cd'' (Reckankreuzungsklankewerkzeuge)
* (2003) 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]])
* (2005) Remixed "Weight" by [[Isis (band)|Isis]] on ''Oceanic Remixes Vol. 4'' ([[Ipecac Recordings|Ipecac]])
* (2007) Remixed "In This Twilight" by [[Nine Inch Nails]] on ''[[Year Zero Remixed]]'' ([[Interscope Records|Interscope]])
* (2010) Remixed "Returnal" by [[Oneohtrix Point Never]] on ''[[Returnal Maxi Single 7"]]'' (Editions Mego)
* (2011) Remixed "The Visitor" by Miracle on ''Fluid Window''
* (2011) Remixed "Shikaku Kakumei" (titled "QSMJAF") by [[Sōtaisei Riron]] on ''Tadashii Sōtaisei Riron'' ([[Commmons]]/Mirai Records)

; Soundtracks
* (1999) ''Beyond the Ocean'' (USA)
* (2000) ''Gelbe Kirschen'' (Austria), directed by [[Leopold Lummerstorfer]]
* (2002) ''[[Blue Moon (2002 film)|Blue Moon]]'' (Austria), written and directed by [[Andrea Maria Dusl]]
* (2005) ''Platform#09 Chicago'' (France) directed by Cedrick Eymenier<ref>[http://www.cedrickeymenier.com/index.php/platform/p09-chicago/ Cedrick Eymenier website]</ref>
* (2009) ''Film ist. a girl & a gun'' (Austria), directed by Gustav Deutsch, with [[Lucía Pulido]], Martin Siewert, [[Burkhard Stangl]] (7", Interstellar Records, Austria 2009)
* (2012) ''AUN: The Beginning and the End of All Things'' (Ash International)

; In Fenn O'Berg:
* (1999) ''The Magic Sound of Fenn O'Berg'' (Mego)
* (2002) ''The Return of Fenn O'Berg'' (Mego)
* (2009) ''Magic & Return'' Double CD reissue (Editions Mego)
* (2010) ''In Stereo'' (Mego)

; Tribute to Fennesz:
* (2004) Tim Hecker "Mirages" (Alien8 Recordings) – Incurably optimistic
* (2012) Lcoma "Fennesz" (Unsigned) – Musical influence

; With [[Food (band)|Food]]
*''Quiet Inlet'' (ECM, 2010)
*''Mercurial Balm'' (ECM, 2012)
*''[[This Is Not a Miracle]]'' (ECM, 2015)

== See also ==
* [[List of ambient music artists]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090808014733/http://www.exclaim.ca/articles/multiarticlesub.aspx?csid1=129&csid2=4&fid1=35903 Exclaim interview (02/2009)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160303184847/http://www.semtexinc.com/interviews/interview.php?ID=32 ''Semtex Magazine'' interview (02/2006)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080408114922/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/31381-interview-fennesz Pitchfork interview (03/2002)]
* [http://www.redbullmusicacademy.com/lectures/fennesz-hunting-high-and-low Fennesz RBMA lecture]

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Fennesz}}
* [http://www.fennesz.com/ Fennesz.com] – Official website
* {{Discogs artist|Fennesz}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050205091242/http://www.touchmusic.org.uk/Biographies/christianfennesz.html Fennesz] biography at [[Touch Music]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20030605093528/http://www.mego.at/fennesz.html Fennesz] at [[Mego Records|Mego]]

{{Fennesz}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fennesz}}
[[Category:1962 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Austrian electronic musicians]]
[[Category:Austrian guitarists]]
[[Category:Electroacoustic improvisation]]
[[Category:Experimental musicians]]
[[Category:Free improvisation]]
[[Category:Drag City (record label) artists]]