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At the beginning, a mandatory question in the times of Corona: How much did you receive?
Clemens Wenger: We’re doing relatively well as a band, but like everyone else, Corona was a huge shock to us. The new album was ready and a release tour had already been planned. Unfortunately we are now at a distance.
The album was released yesterday despite the crisis. Was the launch initially on edge?
Wenger: The question of whether we postpone everything until autumn was already at the beginning of the crisis. But we decided that we want to release the album. After all, culture has to keep happening and not everything can sit still. As soon as we are allowed to start normal operations again. When he is currently the great unknown. Still, we worked on the album release for two years.
Are digital appearances a sensible distraction right now?
Wenger: For musicians who can work alone, it is an opportunity to create a platform for more attention. This gives courage and ensures distraction. With us that is not possible, we are a band, our music lives on interaction, on small details. Even if we try to cheat technically here, that would no longer be the music we want to make. Furthermore, such measures are occupational therapy rather than a continuation of the profession, after all there is no money. For us, we need the audience, the direct contact. We prefer to speak directly.
On the current album “Yeah Yeah Yeah” you surprise the listener several times. Right at the beginning with an art song.
Wenger: The beginning of the album is actually very romantic. A slow-developing 19th century art song was the greatest contrast to the song’s theme. “Oe24” is about the boulevard, which shortens and simplifies as much as possible. And to attract so many people. Unfortunately But as always with us, “Oe24” is not an anti-hymn, but our way of artistically processing a subject.
Smiling experiments
Ehr’n’s sixth 5 / 8erl album shows how colorful acoustic sound can be: an art song (“Oe24”) has room, as well as the funky “Jessica” or casual “Vaporizer”. Listening carefully pays off, technical precision meets Schmäh. Guaranteed smiles! You will not miss the serious message. (colorful)
Jazz, world music 5 / 8erl at Ehr’n: Yeah Yeah Yeah Viennese Soulfood Records.
“This is a political message” is a song without a message. 5/8 people in Ehr remain political, right?
Wenger: We are often referred to as a political gang. And we are the five political subjects because we participate in the musical culture. In this regard, our sound remains political. However, we do not stick to it. Even if you don’t want to sing Austrians in the anthem, deliberately don’t act politically, you’re even more political. Only in a different direction.
The new album was first created in my own studio.
Wenger: I would not say calm, each sample is highly concentrated with us. But yes, you are more relaxed if you don’t have to think about the clock that works in professional studios. Every minute costs. This time we could work in peace. So I would call the album more experimental, you can hear that we could try more, with song ideas or instruments. The album is more playful, perhaps more youthful.
There were also experiments with style. Does your gender name “Wiener Soul” still apply?
Wenger: I would say After all, it is still music that is played and sung with a lot of soul, in Viennese dialect or in a kind of artificial language. Diversity arises because we do not have a master mind, each one exercises his own interests. With us it is like in parliament, you have to recover. And I think we work together a little better.
The interview was conducted by Barbara Unterthurner
