New Music by Karlheinz Essl

Binaural production - listen with headphones! A tribute to Edvard Munch, the inventive Norwegian painter. This generative soundscape is based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes recorded in Oslo, Norway, between 31 August and 1 September 2026: 1) A virtual visit to Munch's villa in Ekely. 2) A museum room displaying Munch's monumental works. 3) People working at the Munch museum's woodcut workshop. 4) The Badstuforening sauna near the museum, where you can swim in the sea.

Live recording, performed by Karlheinz Essl at Museum Liaunig on June 20th, 2026. https://www.essl.at/works/zuschreibung Using synthesisers he has developed himself, composer Karlheinz Essl explores the sculpture gallery at the Museum Liaunig and the art work by Robert Tauber on display there. Using sounds never heard before, he makes his mark on this gigantic space with its extraordinary acoustics and sets it vibrating. In doing so, the gallery becomes an integral part of a hybrid instrument that combines analogue electronics with acoustic resonators. Instead of the usual mixing desks, amplifiers and loudspeakers, Essl uses equipment stripped down to the bare essentials, with which he embarks on a tentative and exploratory journey through space and time.

Binaural production - listen with headphones! An acoustic portrait of Krakow, a vibrant and energetic city in Poland. This generative soundscape is based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, recorded in Krakow, Poland on June 7th, 2026. Released: 10 Jun 2026 1) Cleaning up Rynek Square on Sunday morning. 2) Roadworks with an excavator. 3) Florianska Street with bells and trumpets. 4) In the Adam Mickiewicz Park.

Binaural production - listen with headphones! An acoustic portrait of the Cistercian Abbey of Heiligenkreuz, founded in 1133 and world-renowned for its Gregorian choral school. As well as nourishing the soul, the body should not be neglected either – a shaded outdoor dining area is available for this purpose. A generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, recorded in Heiligenkreuz between 2020 and 2026. Released: 25 May 2026 (Pentecost) 1) The monks’ noon prayer 2) A requiem for a deceased brother 3) The gravedigger and mourners 4) In the monastery’s outdoor restaurant

Electronic music based on a recording of a self-developed modular synth called L0P7OP, performed on 18 May 2026 at Studio khz. Produced with REAPER. L0P7OP is another addition to my ongoing work in progress, 'My Daily Wobble': minimalist modular system comprising a phase-locked loop, a random generator, a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) and a resonating voltage-controlled filter (VCF), with lots of feedbacks and cross-modulations.

Gerhard Eckel: electro-dynamic feedback system Karlheinz Essl: modular electronics Recorded live at Studio kHz on May 1, 2026. Mastered by Gerhard Eckel. https://www.essl.at/div/rhibozom.html YouTube video: https://youtu.be/JKOG74rIdNs rhibozom is a duo of Karlheinz Essl and Gerhard Eckel working at the intersection of electrodynamic feedback, analog synthesis, and shared physical instrument-making. Gerhard Eckel performs on an electrodynamic instrument played with ferromagnetic objects that act as resonators, modulators, and sound sources within the instrument's pickup and speaker field. Karlheinz Essl performs on a compact modular synthesizer, its sounds projected through a separate loudspeaker on the shared table. Both performers place, move, dampen, and excite the resonating objects — the handling of physical material is a joint practice, not divided by instrument.

Recorded live on 14 Mar 1989 at Konzerthaus Vienna by Klangforum Wien. Als Goethe einmal vom Streichquartett sagte, er "höre hier vier vernünftige Leute sich miteinander unterhalten", drückte er eine Auffassung aus, die bis in die Musik unseres Jahrhunderts reicht: Musik sei Klangrede, eine Art von Sprache, die auf Grund einer verbindlichen Grammatik verstanden werden kann. Gekoppelt daran war die Vorstellung eines musikalischen Wettkampfes zwischen gleichwertigen Partnern: die Dialektik zwischen Individuum und Kollektiv wurde hier musikalisch ausformuliert. Im Streichquartett 1985 versuchte ich einen anderen Weg zu beschreiten. Den Klangkörper eines Streichquartetts dachte ich mir nicht mehr aus vier miteinander konkurrierenden Stimmen zusammengesetzt. Ich wollte ihn als Einheit - etwas völlig Verschmolzenes - sehen. Die Individualität der Einzelstimme ist hier tendenziell abgeschafft und kaum mehr hörbar. An ihre Stelle tritt das Aufgehen in einen übergeordneten, kollektiven Zustand: das Auflösen des Einzelnen, Ereignishaften in einen völlig entmaterialisierten, kaum mehr instrumental zu nennenden Klang. Anstatt einen musikalischen Wettstreit miteinander auszutragen, reagieren die Musiker in subtilster Weise aufeinander, um völlig im Bereich des Klanges zu verschmelzen. Dieser Prozeß wird jedoch immer wieder von Störungen unterbrochen: wenn eines der Instrumente sich müht, seiner Individualität hörbar Ausdruck zu verleihen. Diese Anstrengung gerät dann zum Paradox, wenn sie von allen Spielern gleichzeitig unternommen wird - gegen Schluß des Quartetts. Als dessen Resultat erscheint nämlich der Anfangszustand des Werkes: der völlig aufgelöste, verschmolzene, gleichsam gläserne Klang. Info: http://www.essl.at/works/strqu-85.html

An acoustic portrait of Belfast where I visited the famous Sonorities Festival at the Queen's University where my composition VIRIBVS VNITIS for harpsichord and toy piano was performed by Yonit Kosovske and Xenia Pestova Bennett. Binaural production - please listen with headphones! A generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, which were recorded in Belfast (Northern Ireland) from 16-17 April, 2026. 1) Post-concert talks in the Harty Room at Queen's University after a performance by Xenia Pestova Bennett and Yonit Kosovske during the Sonorities Festival. 2) A visit to the Botanical Gardens in Belfast. 3) A walk through the Palm House in the Botanical Gardens. 4) Waiting for the bus at Grand Central Station in Belfast.

Gerhard Eckel: electro-dynamic feedback system Karlheinz Essl: modular electronics with resonators Recorded live at Studio kHz on March 31, 2026 https://www.essl.at/div/rhibozom.html YouTube video: https://youtu.be/EhgA_eu_92E rhibozom is a duo of Karlheinz Essl and Gerhard Eckel working at the intersection of electrodynamic feedback, analog synthesis, and shared physical instrument-making. Gerhard Eckel performs on an electrodynamic instrument played with ferromagnetic objects that act as resonators, modulators, and sound sources within the instrument's pickup and speaker field. Karlheinz Essl performs on a compact modular synthesizer, its sounds projected through a separate loudspeaker on the shared table. Both performers place, move, dampen, and excite the resonating objects — the handling of physical material is a joint practice, not divided by instrument.

Soundtrack for a dance performance by Andrea Nagl. Recorded live by Karlheinz Essl on custom-built modular electronics at Studio kHz on March 12, 2023. https://essl.at/works/geology-of-thought.html

My first experiment with the Music Thing Modular Workshop System, a powerful compact modular desktop system. In this patch, I was creating a chaotic system using two ring-modulated oscillators with frequency modulation from two slope generators and a self-resonating bandpass filter. Part of the work-in-progress "My Daily Wobble" (2025 ff.) https://www.essl.at/works/my-daily-wobble.html Performed live at Studio Ölberg (25 Jan 2026)

Free improvisation on a MakeNoise 0-COAST in two parts, using the two generators of a KORG NTS-2 oscilloscope as modulation sources. A passive Doepfer A-183-1 dual attenuator is used to attenuate certain signals. Performed live at Studio kHz on 30 December 2025. Recorded with an iPhone. https://www.essl.at/works/coastlines.html

Nava Hemyari (voice) & Karlheinz Essl (electronics). Part of the album "Karanava" (2025). Two composers, differing in terms of gender, age, cultural background and instrument, leave their writing desks and venture into the unknown. Despite — or perhaps because of — these differences, they create something genuinely new together: songs composed instantly, without any prior planning, in the moment. https://www.essl.at/div/karanava.html

A composition for melodica and live-electronics by Karlheinz Essl. It was commissioned by the Non-Piano/Toy Piano Weekend and premiered by Steven Tanoto on November 22, 2025 at Resonanzraum St. Pauli in Hamburg. Recorded and produced by Karlheinz Essl. If we think of the organ as a giant mountain, then we can think of the melodica as a kind of shrunken-down version of that - a tump. In my piece, this weak and humble instrument is given a powerful voice so that it can match with her great ancestor, the organ. The play on a melodica is manipulated by a sophisticated computer program (written in Max) that expands the sound in many dimensions. It is controlled by the player while performing the meticulously notated score. However, the musical result is not just an "orgified" version of the melodica. It is full of microtonal deviations, harmonic shifts and glissandi that are difficult to achieve on an organ. In a mesmerising interaction between the melodica, the performer and the computer software, we can listen to the mysteries of the reeds... In a certain sense, the piece can be heard as a parable, telling the story of weakness and strength through the language of sound.

Binaural production - listen with headphones for full immersion! I embarked on a dreamlike journey through Cologne when I visited the Museum Ludwig that presented collaborative works by John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Jasper Johns, Cy Twombly and Robert Rauschenberg. An interactive installation by the latter encouraged visitors to engage in unusual activities such as clapping, shouting, singing and whistling. Occasionally, you would also hear the gentle voice of John Cage. Afterwards, I immersed myself in the cathedral, which resonated with the sounds of its visitors. A generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, which were recorded in Cologne (Germany) on 2 Nov 2025. Released: 10 Nov 2025 1) The gallery rooms at the Museum Ludwig, which feature videos of John Cage and Merce Cunningham. 2) An interactive installation by Robert Rauschenberg that responds to visitors' sounds. 3) Inside Cologne Cathedral. 4) The cathedral's crypt.

Binaural production - listen with headphones! Mixed impressions of Dortmund, an industrial town in the German Ruhr area where a ten-hour concert took place at the Petrikirche. While Wolfgang Kogert was rehearsing my organ piece, 'Partikel-Bewegung', the city was celebrating Halloween. A generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, which were recorded in Dortmund (Germany) on 31 Oct and 1 Nov 2025. Released: 7 Nov 2025 1) Wolfgang Kogert rehearses my organ piece, "Partikel-Bewegungen," at Saint Petri Church. 2) The minutes before Mass starts at the Probstei Church with the evening bells. 3) A Christmas market in the town center. 4) Midnight in the pedestrian zone on Halloween Eve

I spent the last weeks in Apulia, a beautiful landscape in Southern Italy, charged with history and stories. The symbol of this region is the Pumo - a traditional ceramic figurine which depicts a stylized flower bud. This gave the title of a new piece for my H.E.A.D. cycle: a immersive sound portrait of this landscape. When listening, you will visit a street market in Ostuni, witness a procession with a marching band in Cisternino, hearing the organ of the Basilica of Lecce and some school girls in the historic center of Grottaglie. Put on your headphones and dive in! A generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, which were recorded in Apulia (Italy), in September and October 2025. 1) A procession of a marching band in Cisternino. 2) Schoolgirls in the historic centre of Grottaglie. 3) An organ rehearsal in Lecce's Basilica. 4) A street market in Ostuni.

Free improvisation on a MakeNoise 0-COAST modular synthesizer, patched as a chaotic feedback system. Recorded during rehearsals for the MAPPER conference on live electronics at the Klangtheater of the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) on 2 July 2025.

Binaural production - listen with headphones! A generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes, which were recorded in Pécs, Hungary, between 27 and 28 June 2025: 1) A performance on a broken electronic organ in Toplje Church. 2) Walking through Pécs city centre at noon. 3) A restaurant with a nice view of Pécs at night. 4) A bottle return machine at a supermarket in Pécs.

Binaural production - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes recorded at the Conservatorio di Milano on May 27th, 2025: 1) Inside the conservatory yard 2) Walking through the conservatory 3) In the cafeteria of the conservatory 4) On the roof terrace of Babila Hostel, next to the conservatory Info: https://essl.at/works/HEAD.html

Karlheinz Essl's last piece for toy piano. Performed live by himself during his farewell concert on May 5th, 2025 at the Klangtheater of the Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien. https://www.essl.at/works/ bricolage.html https://www.essl.at/concerts/2025.html#mdw

Im Gespräch mit der trans-Art Künstlerin Astrid Rieder spricht Karlheinz Essl über die Zeit, „Zufall und Notwendigkeit“ (Jacques Monod), über die Dialektik von Gemütlichkeit und Unbequemlichkeit in der kollektiven Performance und die Improvisation als Rettung. Nach langjähriger Erfahrung mit digitalen Werkzeugen experimentiert Karlheinz Essl seit einiger Zeit mit einem hochempfindlichen analogen modularen Synthesizer namens 0-COAST, den er in Interaktion mit der Zeichnerin und trans-Art Performerin Astrid Rieder allein aus den Schwingungen des Geräts zum Klingen bringt. Hier die Transkription dieses Interviews: https://essl.at/bibliogr/essl-rieder_3.html

Binaural production - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes recorded in Brno, Czech Republic on Feb 6th, 2025: 1) A walk through Brno's main station 2) Garbage collection in the morning 3) Soundcheck on the stage of Divadlo na Orli with Karlheinz playing the toy piano 4) Listening to cars and trams from above Info: https://essl.at/works/HEAD.html

Free improvisation on a MakeNoise 0-COAST modular synthesizer in three parts: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar. Performed live at Studio kHz on Dec 20th, 2024. No overdubs, no edits. https://essl.at/works/coastlines.html

Free improvisation on a MakeNoise 0-COAST modular synthesizer in four parts, dedicated to the four seasons. Performed live at Studio kHz on Dec 19th, 2024. No overdubs, no MIDI, no sequencer, no arpeggiator - just manual control in real time! Watch: https://youtu.be/Htd_AuqimMk https://www.essl.at/works/coastlines.html

Binaural production - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes recorded in Rome, Italy between November 29-30, 2024: 1) A street demonstration during the general strike 2) At the bar of a popular café near S. Maria Maggiore 3) In the archives of the Isabella Scelsi Foundation 4) A nun decorating the altar of the Basilica Quattro Coronati Released: 14 Dec 2024

Generative sound environment for an art installation by Beat Zoder, written in MaxMSP. 6-channel live performance with Max9 at Studio kHz on 12 Dec 2024. Binaural rendering with REAPER and dearVR. Listen with headphones! https://essl.at/works/hirsch-roehren.html In 2006, Swiss artist Beat Zoderer and Austrian composer Karlheinz Essl were commissioned to create a collaborative work for the music festival Stanser Musiktage. In an abandoned repository situated in the heart of the Swiss alps, both artists were setting up a room installation made of sewer pipes. Those plastic parts of different lengths were equipped with funnel speakers driven by a customized computer program written in MaxMSP by Karlheinz Essl. Utilizing realtime composition algorithms which the composers develops since 1985, his software created an ever-changing sonic environment which never repeated itself. Seen from outside, the structure resembled a giant jackstraw heap which invited the public to explore the space. Sounds that were projected from the loudspeakers through the pipes commuted through the air, creating a mysterious atmosphere as if some hidden creatures were talking to each other in an incomprehensible, yet compelling language.

First encounter between the organist Jeremy Joseph and the composer Karlheinz Essl on his 0-COAST modular synth on 2 December 2024. We met in St. Ursula, a beautiful baroque church in Vienna which houses three fine organs, one of which - a sublime 7-rank Italian instrument from the 18th century - is used on this track. There were no preconceived musical ideas or any kind of preparatory sketches for the improvisation. It is simply an atmospheric late-night ‘jam session’ recorded in the darkness of the sanctuary. It captures us getting to know each other, finding one another and it illustrates the process of musical consolidation through improvisation. https://essl.at/div/becoming-one.html

Soundtrack for a stop-motion movie by Hervé Bacquet, performed on a 0-COAST modular synthesizer. Produced at Studio kHz 2024. Watch the film: https://youtu.be/1kp6zm9oWSY

V.A.N.N. (Viewing A Nasty Neigbourhood) - BINAURAL by Karlheinz Essl

In dieser Folge des Podcasts "Warum Klassik?" porträtiert Leonard Eröd den Composer/Performer Karlheinz Essl, der nicht nur die Grenzen zwischen den Kunstdisziplinen, sondern auch die Grenze zwischen Komponist und Interpret aufhebt. Veröffentlicht am 23.10.2024. Der vollständige Beitrag kann hier abgerufen werden: https://sound.orf.at/podcast/oe1/warum-klassik/punk-und-sprayer Webfassung: https://essl.at/bibliogr/essl_warum-klassik.html

Binaural production - listen with headphones! In tempore belli... Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes recorded in Mantua, Italy between September 10-14, 2024: 1) A walk through the historical center of Mantua 2) A gelataria with the best ice cream in town 3) Inside the Basilica di Sant'Andrea 4) A rehearsal of the ensemble "nova ars cantandi" in the Basilica Palatina di Santa Barbara, singing "Dona Nobis Pacem" from an unknown mass by Antonio Nola (1642-1715). Released: Sep 23rd, 2024 Info: https://essl.at/works/HEAD.html

Binaural production - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes recorded in Krems, Horn and Gars/Kamp between August 31st and September 1st, 2024. Dedicated to my friend Gerhard Eckel: 1) At the Taffa creek near Horn 2) Gerhard Eckel and Jack Hauser performing under a resonant bridge 3) A train ride along the river Kamp 4) Sound from MONOCOLOR's audio-visual installation SCREEN—SPACE at the NÖ Landesgalerie Krems Released: Sep 2nd, 2024 https://essl.at/works/HEAD.html

Binaural production - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes recorded at various locations of Salzburg in July 2024: 1) Mirabell Garden with church bells ringing at noon 2) On the shore of the lake St. Wolfgang 3) In the pedestrian zone of the city center of Salzburg 4) The main train station of Salzburg Released: August 4th, 2024 Info: https://essl.at/works/HEAD.html

Sound performance with a MakeNoise MATH function generator controlling the VCO and VCF of a Doepfer DARK ENERGY synthesizer. Performed live at Studio kHz on July 25th, 2024. Have a look at at the video: https://youtu.be/M-QavH4j5xk

Binaural production - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes recorded in Gars/Kamp between July 5th and 6th, 2024: 1) the audience at the opening of the "Temple of Sound" in Gars, the first museum for electroacoustic music 2) Karlheinz Essl's "Gesualdo-Fragmente", performed there 3) forest next to a country road 4) the river Kamp flowing through the city of Gars Released: July 7th, 2024 Info: https://essl.at/works/HEAD.html

Excerpt of a live performance on Wed 12 June 2024 at the Jesuit Church in Vienna during a rehearsal for the world première of "Verkündigung" on June 26th, 2024. Performed on an 0-COAST modular synth played through a BOSE L1 speaker. https://essl.at/works/verkuendigung.html

Binaural production - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes recorded at the Volkskundemuseum Vienna (the former Schönborn Palace) on June 4, 2024 during the Vienna Festival project "Haus der Republik": 1) in the garden 2) Cider bar in the courtyard 3) Walking through the exhibition 4) People walking up the main staircase Released: June 5th, 2024 Info: https://essl.at/works/HEAD.html

Binaural production - listen with headphones! Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes recorded at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw) on 24 May 2024 before and during a concert of Luigi Nono's last compositions: 1) setup in the library 2) sound check 3) excerpts from "Lontananza" for violin and tape feat. Youngseo Kim and Karlheinz Essl 4) excerpts from "Hay que caminar soñando" for two violins feat. Youngseo Kim and Reina Yoshioka

Free improvisation on a MakeNoise 0-COAST modular synthesizer controlled by a Doepfer A-174-4 joystick. Performed live at Studio kHz on May 9th, 2024. No edits, no overdubs, no MIDI, no sequencer, no arpeggiator - just manual control in real time! https://www.essl.at/works/coastlines.html

Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes recorded in Dresden (Germany) in April 2024: 1) People inside the Frauenkirche 2) Café Algarotti of the famous Gemäldegalerie 3) The main station of Dresden 4) At the Albertinum art museum where refugees meet and kids play table tennis Released: April 24, 2024 Info: https://essl.at/works/HEAD.html

The Maelstrom is a gigantic vortex in the North Sea, described by Edgar Allan Poe in his short story "A Descent into the Maelstrom" (published in 1841). Its power is so great that it can suck in even large ships and crush them to pulp. For my piece, I constructed a kind of Maelstrom mechanism with Granular Synthesis, written in MaxMSP. It pulverizes sounds and recombines them into new sonic structures that can be controlled during a live performance. The underlying sound material comes from an improvisation on my MakeNoise 0-COAST modular synth, which is also used as a sound device in this piece. https://essl.at/works/maelstrom.html The premiere took place on March 22, 2024 during my portrait concert at Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, performed by myself.

Generative soundscape based on a two-dimensional random walk between four binaural soundscapes recorded in Monte (Madeira) on February 20th, 2024: 1) Kids playing Futebol 2) Monte Toboggan sleigh ride 3) Japanese pond in the Monte Palace Tropical Garden 4) Gardener at work in the park Info: https://essl.at/works/HEAD.html

Free improvisation on a Make Noise 0-coast analog synth, patched as a generative non-linear system. No edits, no overdubs, no MIDI, no sequencer, no arpeggiator - only manual control in real time! Recorded live at Studio kHz on 7 Mar 2024 in preparation to my solo performance at Alte Schmiede the next day.

Free improvisation on a MakeNoise 0-COAST. Performed live at Studio kHz on Feb 27, 2024. No MIDI, no sequencer, no overdubs, no edits. Part of the work-in-progress "Coastlines" (2020 ff.): https://essl.at/works/coastlines.html

Im Gespräch mit der transArt Künstlerin Astrid Rieder - aufgenommen am 11.11.2023 im Kunstraum Ewigkeitsgasse in Wien - spreche ich über einige zentrale Themen in meinem künstlerischen Schaffen: • Wie mich die deutsche Krautrocktruppe CAN zu Karlheinz Stockhausen und zur elektronischen Musik geführt hat. • Über die Dialektik von Ordnung und Zufall. • Die Faszination chaotischer Systeme, die sich mit modularen Analogsynthesizern so herrlich modellieren lassen. • Warum Improvisation und Komposition zwei unterschiedliche Paar Schuhe sind. Transkript: https://essl.at/bibliogr/essl-rieder_2.html

A new addition to my no-input mixer project that I started in 2023. Performed live with a MACKIE 802 mixing desk on Feb 8th, 2024 at Studio kHz. No edits, no overdubs. https://www.essl.at/works/studies-NIM.html

Der Komponist Karlheinz Essl über seine Erfahrungen mit analogen Modularsynthesizern und No-Input-Mixern nach Jahrzehnten digitalen Musikmachens mit Computern und selbstgeschriebener Software. Veröffentlicht Januar 2024 auf der Plattform SoundingFuture. https://www.soundingfuture.com/de/artikel/von-digital-nach-analog

Composer Karlheinz Essl on his recent experiences and experiments with analog modular synthesizers and no-input mixer after decades of digital music making. Published in January 2024 on the platform SoundingFuture. https://www.soundingfuture.com/en/article/digital-analog

Free improvisation on a MakeNoise 0-COAST modular synthesizer connected to a Doepfer ring modulator with two MATH function generators and a MakeNoise WobbleBug using frequency, amplitude and ring modulation. Performed live at Studio kHz on Jan 16, 2024.