is a new musical project who‘s roots go back in history for over 25 years. The starting point is the reflection upon live-projects concerning instrumental music, which was mainly performed between the years of 1977-1986 under the name of FUSION. The group FUSION was foremost active in the DDR (East Germany) and throughout the rest of Eastern Europe. Their most important characteristic was the blending of various musical styles ranging from Free Jazz to Pop. The arrangements written for the large ensemble were complex and yet left a lot of space for improvisation.

After a 17 year pause this concept has found its continuation in ~TEMP. Radio Stations repeatedly have shown a keen interest in doing some collaborative work and are offering their full support. As the name ~TEMP suggests - this is not simply a Revival Band but the expansion upon various musical developments, which have taken place over the years, along with the growth and experiences of the musicians.

In March 2001 in Berlin, nine musicians, well-known on the scene, acknowledged their already advanced Polkaholism.

These POLKAHOLIX admit, after the first introductory drugs – Rock, Ska, Balkan music, Folk, Comedy, Salsa and Klezmer – they are now totally addicted to 2/4 time.

This drug is produced from hits and standards which are checked for Polka-suitability by the addicts, and, if necessary, forced
sadistically into a Polkaholistic form.

POLKAHOLIX have re-animated the Polka tradition of Berlin, understandably in their own way.

2/4 time and off you go – this is Berlin-Speed-Polka.

Transylvaniana / Absurdistan Suite
Music for large ensemble

The Berlin based musician and composer Maurice de Martin presents his new work, a concert suite for modern ensemble. The music is inspired by the time that he spent in Romania from `98 to `99. Here he was doing intensive research on the musical heritage of the Transylvanian Highlands.

He collected material which he found in archives around the city of Sibiu and the old village churches, transcribed pieces from the famous collection of songs: the Codex Caioni as well as creating original pieces in style of the old tradition.

The music goes back until the early Renaissance and reaches contemporary transylvanian composers like W.G. Berger. But instead of only transcribing and arranging for a new setting, de Martin turned the entire suite into something very personal, melting old music into an atmosphere of modern Electro and Ambient idioms mixed with moments of improvisation and free spontaneous invention involving each player in  the ensemble.

The suite lives from the extreme confrontation of mostly very simple and beautiful traditional melodies with contemporary urban pulse, crazy sounds and strong atmospheres created by live electronics in interaction with acoustic instruments.

The music is reflecting the sometimes absurd seeming sensual shock of industrial destruction and modern debris in the middle of old and historical important landscapes: The clash between tradition and new developments that change everything. It speaks also about the artistic manifestation of a possible and necessary coexistence and mutual co-influence of the past and presence.

The creation of this work was supported by the Senate of Berlin, it’s premiere performance was taking place December 8^th 2001 at the Berlin Jazzfokus Festival with the following cast:

Fo(u)r Bones 

east German trombone quartet with Conny Bauer, Johannes Bauer and Jörg Huke

Bonehenge 

quintet with Jan von Klewitz, Stefan Lottermann, Pepe Berns and John Schröder 

Kairos

with Markus Stockhausen, Simon Stockhausen, Fabricio Ottaviucci, Zoro Babel 

Simone Weissenfels (piano) - Iven Hausmann Duo