Alexander Schubert

Alexander Schubert (born 13 July 1979) is a German composer. Much of his music is experimental, involving multimedia, improvisatory, and interactive elements.^[1] He draws upon free jazz, techno, and pop styles.^[2][3]

Biography

Alexander Schubert was born in Bremen. He studied Bioinformatics in Leipzig, then spent a year at the Center for Art and Media Technology in Karlsruhe at the Institute of Music and Acoustics.^[4] He received a doctorate in multimedia composition at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, studying under Georg Hajdu and Manfred Stahnke.^[5] He teaches at the Musikhochschule Hamburg,^[6] directs the electronic studio at Musikhochschule Lübeck^[7] and has been a visiting lecturer at Darmstadt International Summer Courses.^[8] A founding member of ensembles Decoder, Trnn, Schubert-Kettlitz-Schwerdt, and Ember, he has also pursued an experimental pop music solo project under the name Sinebag.^[9]

Schubert's pieces have been performed at several international institutions, including Wien Modern,^[10][11][12] ICMC,^[13] SMC,^[14] Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival,^[15] DLF Forum neuer Musik,^[16][17] IRCAM,^[18][19][20] ZKM Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe, Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival,^[21][22] and Blurred Edges in Hamburg.^[23]

Music

Jennifer Walshe, Matthew Shlomowitz and Zubin Kanga have situated Schubert within what Walshe terms "The New Discipline" of contemporary music, alongside such composers as James Saunders and François Sarhan.^[24][25] Shlomowitz writes,

The remit of New Music has moved on and broadened out in the twenty-first century. Composers such as Joanna Bailie, Michael Beil, Johannes Kreidler and Jennifer Walshe have created work that: engages popular and everyday culture; develops historical ideas from the visual arts (e.g. conceptualism); utilises technology to create new musical instruments; combines field recordings with music to form new relationships between music and the world; and establishes a music-led interdisciplinary practice with multimedia and theatricalised works. Whilst evidently connected to each of these trends, Alexander Schubert's work is a distinctive voice within this milieu.^[26]

Schubert's music makes extensive use of multimedia, including live video, internet-sourced content, lighting, and motion sensors.^[27][28] Praised by some commentators for its fusion of avant-garde and pop styles,^[29][30] immersive qualities,^[31][32] and distinctive engagement with the internet,^[33][34] Schubert's critics have found his work excessively confrontational^[35] or conceptual.^[36]

In 2024, Schubert releases the album Angel Death Traps in collaboration with Copenhagen-based contemporary music ensemble NEKO3.^[37]

Accolades

In 2009, Schubert won the Bourges Residency Prize, and his piece Nachtschatten (Nightshade) placed in the Canadian Electroacoustic Community "Jeu de temps" competition.^[38] He won the European Conference of Promoters of New Music competition in 2012^[39] and a Giga-Hertz Production Award in 2013.^[40] Wiki-Piano.Net received an honorary mention in the 2019 Prix Ars Electronica.^[41]

Writings

Schubert has published articles on virtuality, post-digitality and multimedia composition. A collection of texts can be found in his book Switching Worlds.

Compositions

Pieces with live electronics and visuals

• Coryllus Avellana (2007), for 49-channel tape, clarinet and electronics^[42] (named after Corylus avellana, common hazel)
• Bifurcation Fury (2012), for electric bass guitar, live electronics and lighting
• Lucky Dip (2013), for midi-drumkit, keyboard, and electric guitar
• Sensate Focus (2014), for electric guitar, bass clarinet, violin, percussion, live electronics and animated light
• HELLO (2014), for any number of instruments, live-electronics, and video
• Supramodal Parser (2015), four pieces for singer, electric guitar, saxophone, percussion, piano and electronics (with haze and lighting)
• Star Me Kitten (2015), for singer, flexible ensemble, video, and electronics
• SCANNERS (2013, rev. 2016), for string quintet, choreography and electronics
• f1 (2016), for variable group of musicians and video
• Codec Error (2017), for double bass, two percussionists, and lighting
• Asterism (2020), for dancers, live-electronics, and lighting
• Angel Death Traps (2024), for ensemble, live-electronics, and lighting

Interactive sensor pieces

• Laplace Tiger (2009), for drum kit, arm-sensor, live electronics and live video
• Weapon of Choice (2009), for violin, sensor, live electronics and live video
• Bureau Del Sol (2011), for drumkit, saxophone/piano/e-guitar/clarinet and timecode-vinyl
• Your Fox's A Dirty Gold (2011), for solo performer with voice, motion sensors, electric guitar and live electronics
• Point Ones (2012), for small ensemble and augmented conductor
• Serious Smile (2014), for sensor-equipped ensemble (piano, percussion, cello, conductor) and live electronics

Instrumental pieces with live electronics

• Sugar, Maths and Whips (2011), for violin, double bass, piano, drum kit, and electronics
• Bird Snapper (2012), for singer, saxophone, e-bass, e-guitar, percussion, and keyboard
• Grinder (2015), for saxophone, percussion, keyboard, e-guitar, and electronics
• Wavelet A (2017), for 4 electric guitars and electronics
• Black Out BRD (2017), for any combination of instruments

Superimpose cycle

• Superimpose I (2009), for jazz quartet and electronics
• Superimpose II – Night of the Living Dead (2009), for jazz quartet and electronics
• Superimpose III – Infinite Jest: (2010), for e-guitar, drum kit, saxophone, and live electronics

Community pieces

• Public Domain (2017), for one or more performers and/or electronics and/or video
• Silent Post (2018), for any number of instruments and/or electronics and/or video
• Black Out Software (2018), for any combination of instruments
• Wiki-Piano.Net (2018), for piano and internet
• Behind the Scenes (2019), for any combination of instruments

Tape pieces

• Nachtschatten (2008)
• Semaphores (2011)
• Mimicry (2015)
• The Password Disco (2017)

Installations

• A Set of Dots (2007), interactive audiovisual installation
• Some forgotten patterns (2009), audiovisual installation
• Unit Cycle (2013), audiovisual installation
• Solid State (2016), sound- and light-installation
• Black Mirror (2016), hour-long participatory concert installation
• Control (2018), 90-minute participatory concert installation
• A Perfect Circle (2019), participatory "therapy session" for audience, 2 speakers, 2 assistants, and supervisor
• Unity Swtich (2019), interactive virtual performance installation

Video pieces

• It Was not an Easy Situation (2018), video and sound
• Acceptance (2018), documentary piece for solo performer

Select discography

CD

• 2005: Milchwolken in Teein (Ahornfelder: AH01) as Sinebag.
• 2005: Près de la lisière (Ahornfelder: AH02) as Sinebag.
• 2006: Oullh d'baham (Euphorium: EUPH 010) with Urs Leimgruber, Christian Lillinger and Oliver Schwerdt.
• 2010: Aurona Arona (Creative Sources/Abhornfelder: AH18) with Urs Leimgruber, Christian Lillinger and Oliver Schwerdt.
• 2011: plays Sinebag (Ahornfelder: AH16, 2011).

DVD

• 2008: Live Scenes (Euphorium Films: EUPH 011) with Urs Leimgruber, Christian Lillinger and Oliver Schwerdt.
• 2011:Weapon of Choice (Ahornfelder: AH21).