Reinhold Friedl är konstnärlig ledare för ensemblen zeitkratzer som under årets festival bland annat framför Lou Reeds verk Metal Machine Music. Ja, vi tjatar, men det kommer att bli så j**la bra och vi vill inte att någon av er ska missa det här tillfället och se sura för att ni missade det. Hursomhelst, vi slängde iväg några frågor till Reinhold och fick tillbaka några ganska luddiga men väldigt underhållande svar. Och just det, den är på engelska, men det ser ni ju själva…

For those who don’t know, what is zeitkratzer?
A new definition of a music group: no ensemble, no band. An ensemble, a band. Acoustic instruments, amplified, open, sensual and some of the best musicians from this planet. Ready to play together. Meanwhile a role model for newer groups.

During Göteborg Art Sounds 2016 you will perform Lou Reeds seminal work Metal Machine Music in its entirety. Can you tell us a bit more about the process behind this and why you choose to work with this piece?
Because only a few people realized so far, that Lou Reed was one of the great composers for the 20th century. So it was necessary to enrich this tape music piece by transcribing is for amplified traditional instruments played with extended techniques. A hilarious orgiastic sound adventure. Unique.

You will also be hosting a masterclass during the festival. Can you tell us a bit more about this?
I will flesh out with the participants exactly the program zeitkratzer is going to perform in the festival: James Tenney, John Cage, Lou Reed. Pure Tuning, interpreter’s decision, notation, etc… The participants will then be able to compare their own results of the workshop directly with zeitkratzer’s concert version.

In connection with the concert on October 29, you will take part in a conversation with Swedish journalist Mats Almegård about music that has influenced you. But what are you listening to right now?
Franz Schubert’s first mess, that just has been performed around the corner here in Vienna in the same little church – the Lichtentaler Pfarrkirche – where it was also premiered, when Schubert was 17 years old. An incredible experience, a great orchestra, a great choir, historically informed performance, elegant string sound, sharp winds and volume up to probably 120 db. If ever you come to Vienna, don’t miss to go to the mass Sunday morning!

And what influences you, besides music?
I go swimming, preferably every day: a fluent influence turning influences fluent…

Finally, what do you hope the audience takes with them from the concert in Gothenburg?
The memory of getting out of time by getting in time with the music for a moment or two.