Mira Lu Kovacs & Clemens Wenger “SAD SONGS TO CRY TO”
VINYL / CD / DIGITAL – to be released December 2, 2022
Preorder VINYL
Preorder CD
Live-Dates: Dec 20 ARGE Salzburg | Dec 21 Treibhaus Innsbruck | Dec 22 Orpheum Extra Graz | Dec 28 Porgy & Bess, Wien
-> DATES for Ticket Links
As I compose for my bands or do commissioned work, a lot of other music comes out of … I don´t know. Most of the time, I am indecisive what to do with these pieces. Audio files & sheet music pile up in my studio and since I don´t have a practical use for that music, I disregard my own work.
That´s gonna stop now.
I´m happy to announce the foundation of my “Clemens Wenger Lab“.
Basically, it´s a Bandcamp page for now. Time and again, I´ll fill it up with recent inventions. I won´t “dress” the music to fit a style or any expectations -just let it loose.
You can listen and download for free; also pay if you want. In exchange: share your feedback with me, please! What do you like, what annoys you and why?
The lab shall be my platform to experiment with form and content.
So let´s get it started: HERE—->
(photo credit: Astrid Knie)
Hello World!
Let´s start this blog entry with looking into the near future. JazzWerkstatt´s “Vienna Roomservice” festival is just around the corner. Save the date – September 22 – 25, at Vienna´s Porgy&Bess music club. I will take part in the opening concert of the festival, a new project called “Control Voltage“. We´re four musicians on analogue synthesizers – Elektro Guzzis Bernie Hammer & Jakob Schneidewind, Affine Records´ all-rounder Sixtus Preiss and myself. Here´s our fabulous selfie:
We also filmed a short clip during one of our rehearsals, check it out:
Guess what, I´d like to invite you to our concert! Sept 22, 8:30pm @ Porgy&Bess
—Of course, my band 5/8erl in Ehr´n also plays quite a lot concerts this autumn – check out my Concert Dates page.
Once more, Jazzseminar Schönbach was a very nice experience. For the workshop´s 10-year-anniversary, I came up with some special ideas for my ensemble project. We composed and performed our own version of John Cage´s Water Walk, then we remixed found sounds and samples according to Pierre Schaeffer´s concepts of Musique Concrete, produced smashing hip-hop tracks and beautifully strange pop songs. My ensemble players and composers were just phenomenal, working relentlessly for a week to ensure we get everything together for our performance. Thank you!!! Here we are partying after the show:
And that´s how I look like during rehearsals;)
Back in June, Studio Dan Strings & myself performed Neapel at Vienna´s beautiful sight Strudlhofstiege. Again, JazzWerkstatt Wien curated this festival, and I´m sure it was one of those days people will remember years from now. Approximately 1000 people came out all day long to listen to 13 intimate concerts on this public outdoor staircase. Luckily, we filmed one song of our performance and here it is for you to watch:
Other random happenings of the last months:
– MORPHING II premiere (picture above) with JOV and dance choreography was very nice, we recorded one track and hopefully I´ll be able to share it with you soon.
– I finished my master studies at DUK “Music for Film&Media”, and finally earned my Master of Arts degree 🙂
– I was also invited to teach a class at the pop!-songwriting workshop at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. It was very intense, we composed 2 new songs together in just three days! Here´s my class and me after our live presentation:
Puh, enough for now. Stay strong! Best, Clemens
Today marks the official release of my first solo album “Neapel”. Needless to say, I´m very happy to present my music to the world! Feel free to order the CD here:
Label – JazzWerkstatt Records
Distributor – HOANZL
Digital – iTunes
The last weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster ride – from feeling pressurized and nervous to the wonderful and moving live-release concert last Tuesday at Vienna´s Porgy & Bess music club. Here are some impressions by photographer Rania Moslam:
Thank you everybody for coming out to the concert and partying with me and the fabulous Studio Dan Strings.
So far, the album received very positive feedback from the press. I´ve collected some of the press clippings online; if you happen to read German – enjoy the read:
Falter / review
APA / TT Popnews / review
Ö1 / ORF cultural radio / article
MICA – music magazine / review
The Gap / album stream & review
Red Bull Music / interview & video premiere
Please support and buy my music – Thank you!
All the best, Clemens
Clemens Wenger 