OJP056: Alfred 23 Harth - Nicola Hein - Joshua Weitzel / Schraubensuche in Tokio
In the summer of 2017, the three German musicians Nicola Hein (back then based in New York) and Joshua Weitzel (back then based in Japan) were on a small tour in Japan. For a few concerts and sessions they were joined by Alfred 23 Harth, who came over from South Korea. The days they spent together are filled with quirky anecdotes about searching and finding, which themselves find their way into the music. The first day Nicola and Joshua were late, and supposed to meet Alfred at Tower records, but while searching Joshua lost Nicola and found Jim O’Rourke instead. Later and re-united the trio played in a brutally loud venue full of Aquariums, accompanied by a European colleague who went on a journey across town to find a g-string. Alfred and Nicola also went on a discovery expedition in Shibuya with Ken Ikeda. The next day the trio came together, it had trouble finding each other due to problems with the communication infrastructure. The resulting late start in Studio Pit Inn was compensated by the next discovery in the form of a time-extension. While playing, Alfred lost a tiny screw from his bass clarinet and as a result three people searched the small studio room but without success. Luckily in the same building, there was a Yanagisawa Workshop that provided instant help. It was there, where the three also found Ned Rothenberg who happened to be around too.
Schraubensuche in Tokio (German for „searching for a screw in Tokyo”) is a musical document of this time.
Alfred 23 Harth is a musician and multi-media artist who has been active since the 1960s in well-known groups such as Just Music, Duo Goebbels/Harth,, Cassiber, Vladimir Estragon, Otomo Yoshihide New Jazz Orchestra or his duo with Carl Stone. Originally from Frankfurt/M, he is based in Seoul for the last decades, which awarded him honorary citizenship.
Nicola L. Hein is a guitarist, sound artist, composer and researcher in music and aesthetics. He plays the guitar with physical and electronic extensions, aiming to transcend existing sonic paradigms. As a sound artist, composer and media artist he works with sound installations, instrument building, conceptual composition and integrates philosophical theories into his artistic practice. Inter-media works with video art, dance, literature and other art forms constitute another focus of his practice.
Joshua Weitzel is mostly active in the field of experimental music, jazz and the grey areas in-between. His instruments of choice are guitar (acoustic and electric) and shamisen, which he plays both employing traditional and extended/invented playing techniques such as using circular breathing on stringed instruments, preparations and scordatura. His music is primarily concerned with spaces, contrast, harmony, timbre and interaction between players.
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