Karlheinz Essl

Born 1960 in Vienna. Austrian composer, improviser and performer. He studied composition with Friedrich Cerha and musicology in Vienna. Besides writing experimental instrumental music, he performs on his own electronic instrument m@ze°2, develops software environments for computer-aided composition and creates generative sound and video environments. Since 2007 professor of composition for electro-acoustic and experimental music at the University of Music in Vienna.

Karlheinz Essl performs on a laptop computer that he has transformed into a live electronic musical instrument. The result is exciting and musical. You just won't hear these sounds anywhere else. He performs solo and in duets and trios, responding with sensitivity to fellow musicians, producing fascinating sound transformations, creating spontaneous surprises, and moving quickly from loops to cacophony to tiny clips of vocal sounds to all kinds of textures and ideas. He does all this with his m@ze°2(Modular Algorithmic Zound Environment) performance software. (Joel Chadabe, CDeMusic, Januar 2002)

Karlheinz Essl’s tracks

• SEELEWASCHEN(2004-2018)- generative sound environment - BINAURAL by Karlheinz Essl
• X.M.A.S. (Xerox My Adventurous Sounds!) - BINAURAL by Karlheinz Essl
• Miles to go (2012) for four prepared and amplified toy pianos - BINAURAL by Karlheinz Essl
• T.E.C.H. (Teaching Electronic Composition Helps) - BINAURAL by Karlheinz Essl
• C.A.G.E. (Casino Atmosphere Generating Empathy) - BINAURAL by Karlheinz Essl
• B.U.R.G. (Best Unifications Require Generosity)- BINAURAL by Karlheinz Essl
• S.I.L.L. (Sounds Intercept Little Lovers) - BINAURAL by Karlheinz Essl
• Natura naturans (2018) for kalimba & live-electronics - BINAURAL by Karlheinz Essl
• O.S.L.O. (Obvious Sounds Linger Obviously) - BINAURAL by Karlheinz Essl
• L.I.F.E. (Looking Into Four Environments) - BINAURAL by Karlheinz Essl