Martin Kohlstedt

Martin Kohlstedt (born 1988) is a German composer, movie soundtrack composer, pianist and record producer with a contemporary approach of mixing classical and avantgarde music styles.

Martin Kohlstedt
Martin Kohlstedt 2019, portrait by J. Konrad Schmidt
Background information
Born (1988-01-24) 24 January 1988
Breitenworbis, Germany
GenresModern classical, ambient, electronic
Occupation(s)Composer and producer
InstrumentsPiano, synthesizer
LabelsEdition Kohlstedt
WebsiteOfficial website

Solo works

Martin Kohlstedt studied media art at the Bauhaus University Weimar, was trained in jazz piano and produced electronic dance music before focussing on his solo works.[1] He initially released two corresponding solo piano albums: 'Tag' (2012) & 'Nacht' (2014). In 2017, a third record followed, called 'Strom', which also features electronic instrumentation. 2020 saw his fourth solo release called 'Flur'.

In a live setting Kohlstedt mostly uses grand and upright pianos in combination with a Fender Rhodes and several synthesizers. The Daily Telegraph said in review of his London live debut that "the music’s repetitive patterns and modal harmonies sometimes reminded one of other music often described as hypnotic, from Ryuichi Sakamoto to Einaudi. What sets Kohlstedt apart is the undercurrent of anxiety, and the occasional moments of grandeur".[2]

He frequently plays concerts at international festivals and concert halls, such as the Russian State Library in Moscow,[3] where he also played a television concert for the Russian TV station Дождь,[4] or the Talar-e Rudaki in Teheran.[5] In December 2017, Kohlstedt played a sold-out show in the main hall of the newly build Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg.[6] He also plays contemporary pop and electronic music festivals like SXSW Festival.[7]

Modular compositions
Martin Kohlstedt with grand piano, Fender Rhodes and several synthesizers, live at Theaterhaus Jena, Germany, 2016
Martin Kohlstedt, Gamma Festival 2017, Russia

Kohlstedts approach to modular composing, in which a cohesive 'piece' does not exist but is rather always changing, was laid out by him in a 2017 TEDx-Talk.[8] He also demonstrated the principle with the release of a single called 'OMBLEH', which is derived from the corresponding modules 'OMB' and 'LEH' from two different albums.[9] (Another example live at the Elbphilharmonie [10])

According to Kohlstedt, pieces - or modules - serve as a base vocabulary that can be combined and put into different contexts, like other instrumentations, connotations or tempi. His first two records 'Tag' and 'Nacht' are a collection of such modules, as is the 2020 record 'Flur' which serves as “new vocabulary and a fertile ground to build something anew”.[11]

The production of these core records is often very close and intimate to underscore the context and point of time of the recording. The "inner mechanics of the instrument itself"[12] can often be heard and field recordings too: "You can hear the rain falling on his roof (AJA), birds singing on front of the flat (LUN), and sometimes it feels like there is a little breeze coming up."[13]

An acclaimed example of the improvisation and reworking of modules through context was the 'Ströme' project, commissioned by the classical concert hall Gewandhaus, Leipzig. Here a full choir had to coordinate with Kohlstedts' dynamic play and the pianist himself had to react to the interpretations of the 70 singers and their conductor. Kohlstedts foundational compositions were treated as "recombinant parts of connected musical ideas".[14]

In 2017, the German newspaper Die Zeit published the first part of a filmed documentation about his work[15] followed by the second part.[16]

Collaborations

Next to his solo albums Martin Kohlstedt released several collaborations: 2013 saw the remix album "Tag Remixes" and 2015 the so-called "Nacht Reworks", which are close collaborations with Pop- and electronic artists like FM Belfast, Christian Löffler and Douglas Dare.[17][18][19] He also did an improvised live session in 2017 with Peter Broderick.[20]

After 2017 saw the release 'Strom', which no longer contained purely acoustic piano pieces but multi-layered compositions with piano and electronic components, another major collaboration used this set of modules: The full 70 people choir of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and its musical director Gregor Meyer performed several public working sessions, during which Kohlstedt's modular play merged with the vocal corpus of the choir into "one completely new instrument".[21] The performance stayed somewhat flexible, with Meyer steering the choir close to Kohlstedts improvisations and vice versa. In 2019, they recorded a version of that performance at the Gewandhaus Leipzig and released it as the album "Ströme". The compositional modules it featured were both new and from the previous albums brought together.[22] The choir and Martin Kohlstedt also went on tour with this performance that year.[23]

In 2020 several reworks of 'Ströme' were released as the digital 'RECURRENTS', reshaping the already morphed compositions. Among the collaborators were Sudan Archives,[24] Robag Wruhme (one of the Wighnomy Brothers), Henrik Schwarz, and Hannah Epperson.

Musical & Sound Installations
  • In 2017, Martin Kohlstedt created a visual-acoustic performance called "Currents" in collaboration with Reeperbahn Festival and the design groups 'Bloodbrothers' and 'Elektropastete'. In "Currents" generatively generated visualizations were projected in a specially built 360° dome. Kohlstedt played live in this dome and his play responded actively to the visuals.[25]
  • Martin Kohlstedt composed the score for a 'fireworks musical' commissioned by the 'Feria Nacional de la Pirotecnia' fireworks festival[26] in Tultepec, Mexico, the largest of its kind in Latin America.
  • In 2019 Kohlstedt composed an interactive sound installation titled "KIUMAKO" for the Burning Man Festival, Nevada, in collaboration with 'Kunst-Technik-Einheit'.[27] Several algorithms work tohgether and generate different dramaturgies, melodies, bars and instrumentation under the influence of the visitors and their behavior.[28]

Trivia
  • In 2019 Kohlstedt bought 1.2 hectar land in the Thuringian Forest to reforest it. Over 100 volunteers helped this project which is financed by concert ticket sales. In the first phase 10.000 trees are to be planted. The project is an effort to integrate actions on climate change into the music industry..[29]

Discography

Solo albums
  • 2012: Tag
  • 2014: Nacht
  • 2015: Nacht Reworks
  • 2017: Strom
  • 2019: Ströme [30]
  • 2020: FLUR [31]

Singles & EPs
  • 2013: Tag Remixes (EP - Edition Kohlstedt)
  • 2017: OMBLEH (Single - Edition Kohlstedt)
  • 2020: JINGOL (Henrik Schwarz Recurrent) (Single - Warner Classics)
  • 2020: THIPHY (Peter Broderick Reimagining) (Single - Warner Classics)
  • 2020: SENIMB (Robag Wruhme Marowk Rehand) (Single - Warner Classics)
  • 2020: KSYCHA (ÄTNA Who Are You Rework) (Single - Warner Classics)
  • 2020: AMSOMB (Marlow Re-Mood) (Single - Warner Classics)
  • 2020: TARLEH (Hannah Epperson Recurrent) (Single - Warner Classics)
  • 2020: NIODOM (Panthera Krause Recurrent) (Single - Warner Classics)
  • 2020: AUHEJA (Sudan Archives Recurrent) (Single - Warner Classics)

Movie Scores & Soundtracks
  • 2010: Margot (Clemens Beier)
  • 2011: Lo Vedo (Rafael Vogel)
  • 2011: Ausgeträumt (Konstantin Egerndorfer)
  • 2015: Hexenmilch (Martin Jehle)
  • 2016: Anna (Martin Jehle)
  • 2016: Farewell Halong (No Fairway to Halong Bay) (Duc Ngo Ngoc)
  • 2016: Ein Haufen Liebe (Alina Cyranek)
  • 2017: Monju Hunters of Sofugan Island (Karim Eich and Dirk Wachsmuth)
  • 2018: Das Leben in mir (Konstantin Egerndorfer)
  • 2018: MOJSŁOŃIK - My Little Elephant (Silke Meya)
  • 2019: Uferfrauen – Lesbisches L(i)eben in der DDR (Barbara Wallbraun)
  • 2020: The Man with the Camera (B.K. Wunder)
  • 2020: Grace (Konstantin Egerndorfer)

References
  1. "#4281: With Martin Kohlstedt". New Sounds - New York Public Radio. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  2. Ivan Hewett (2018-03-17). "Martin Kohlstedt turns anguish into an art form at Servant Jazz Quarters". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 2018-04-12. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  3. "Martin Kohlstedt : SOUND UP". SoundUp. Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  4. "Пронзительное выступление немецкого виртуоза на Дожде". YouTube. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  5. "German pianist Martin Kohlstedt performs in Tehran". TehranTimes. 2017-02-24. Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  6. "Do, 21.12.2017 - Martin Kohlstedt". Elbphilharmonie Hamburg. Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  7. "SXSW 2017 Schedule". SXSW. Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
  8. "Modular compositions and musical conversations : Martin Kohlstedt : TEDxRWTHAachen". YouTube. 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2018-03-30.
  9. "Witness Martin Kohlstedt morphing two of his songs into a brand new one called OMBLEH". Nothing But Hope And Passion. 2017-04-06. Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  10. "Martin Kohlstedt - HARNAO (Live at Elbphilharmonie Hamburg)". YouTube. 2018-03-22. Archived from the original on 2019-02-13. Retrieved 2018-04-12.
  11. "VIDEO PREMIERE: Martin Kohlstedt - XEO (live from the North Sea)". pianoandcoffee. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  12. "#4434: Homespun Piano". New Sounds - New York Public Radio. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  13. "Five New Releases 04/12/20: Sigur Rós, Son Lux, Khruangbin, Martin Kohlstedt". Nothing But Hope And Passion. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  14. "#4281: With Martin Kohlstedt". New Sounds - New York Public Radio. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  15. "Musikdoku Martin Kohlstedt". ZEIT Online. 2017-11-20. Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  16. "Martin Kohlstedt - Strom (Chapter II)". YouTube. 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  17. "Premiere: Martin Kohlstedt - 'GOL' (FM Belfast Rework)". Clash Music. Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  18. "Videopremiere: Martin Kohlstedt - ELL (Christian Loeffler Rework)". Groove. 2015-11-17. Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  19. "Live-Perfomance in der Videopremiere: Martin Kohlstedt "EXA" (Douglas Dare Rework)". INTRO. Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  20. "NDR Kultur Neo - Peter Broderick & Martin Kohlstedt". NDR Kultur. Archived from the original on 2018-03-30. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  21. "Neo-Classic, What Now? A Conversation With Martin Kohlstedt and Ólafur Arnalds". Nothing But Hope And Passion. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  22. "Martin Kohlstedt w/GewandhausChor - Ströme Documentary". Martin Kohlstedt. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  23. "Gewandhaus Orchestra - Choirs". Gewandhaus Orchestra. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  24. "Sudan Archives Remixes Martin Kohlstedt's "AUHEJA": Listen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2021-01-27.
  25. "Martin Kohlstedt "Currents" at the Festival Village/Dome, Reeperbahn Festival 2017, Hamburg, Germany". YouTube. Retrieved 2018-03-29.
  26. "Träumen von Tultepec". Locolor. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  27. "Burning Man: 2019 Art Installation - kiumako". Burning Man. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  28. "kiumaki - art project". Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  29. "This pianist is planting one tree for every concert ticket sold". Classic FM. Retrieved 2021-01-25.
  30. Erato, Warner Classics /. "Martin Kohlstedt // STRÖME". Warner Classics.
  31. https://martinkohlstedt.com/flur/
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