ENJ SOCIETY

The musician’s thoughts about their songs

Loibl (Michael Erian) The Loibl Pass is a high alpine mountain pass in the Karavanke chain, which links Austria with Slovenia. It is the gateway to the south, with many tourists using it every year to travel to the Adriatic Sea. But listening closely, we can also hear shadows of a dark past: The Loibl Pass tunnel was dug by concentration camp prisoners in World War II. A short trumpet solo passes over the melody, which is always repeated by the tenor saxophone. The piece ends in a collective decrescendo, only to lead into the bass intro of the next piece.

Loop(Michael Erian) Implementing loops as used in electronic music, but here with acoustic instruments. The short theme is a springboard for the saxophone and trumpet solos, breathing new life and vigor into the piece.

The Ones Before Us (Michael Erian) After the free bass introduction a rubato melody begins, reminiscent of musical traditions specific to Carinthia. We are then met with a short slow middle section, which culminates with the emergence of a waltz. This provides the basis for a collective solo between trumpet and saxophone, after which – along with a tutti from the winds – the tempo dissolves and the rubato melody emerges again. The piece comes to an end after a reiteration of the slower middle section.

Dry Tones (Hülsenfrüchte) (Michael Erian) The piece is already pretty old. It's a blues piece that stemmed from an exercise with the interval of a tritone.

Oriak (Daniel Nösig) Another blues, with repetitive phrases that keep shifting. Sounds more complicated than it really is... Thrown into the mix are slightly altered chords with a kind of “second line groove”. That’s it. By the way, reading ORIAK backwards leaves you with KAIRO, or rather Cairo in English. Don’t look into it too much as to what it might mean. It’s just a fun tune.

Something to live for (Daniel Nösig) Composed for the most important person in my life. Describes her depth and beauty, as well as the positive change she’s instilled in my life since I’ve known her. Bahar Khanshaghaghi, I love you!

Villa Kunterbunt (Daniel Nösig) Villa Kunterbunt is based on the harmony of the standard “It Could Happen to You”. The original chords were partly changed, the B-part modulated, with the addition of a few accents and rhythmic patterns. Sort of reworking a classic…

S Is For Smile (Howard Curtis) “S Is For Smile” was written for my girlfriend, who later became my wife. Two of her qualities have always stuck in my mind: 1) her laughter and 2) her unwavering opinions on various things, books, religion, politics. Musically I tried to represent those qualities, first with a melody that jumps around like her voice, especially in her laugh. Also, a constant melody line with underlying changing harmonic support. In these ways, the song is very much her.