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CD
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MORR 103CD
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This is the third album by Bernhard Fleischmann and Herbert Weixelbaum aka Duo505. Forget about lyrics to convey feelings or moods: it's all in the music, in the melodies and harmonies. After all, these tracks don't need words to say a whole lot. The same is true of their genesis: Bernhard Fleischmann and Herbert Weixelbaum hardly discussed any ideas or musical concepts while in the studio. Instead, these tracks simply emerged while they were playing together; the melodies grew out of a wordless conversation, an exchange of sounds and notes. This newfound collaborative spirit lies at the heart of Walzer Oder Nicht: the various tracks and layers intertwine and complement each other on a whole new level. That's how a song like "No Mail" came about, a track whose inner logic and intricate composition manages to captivate the listener entirely. Yet, it's not just the interlocking density that's new, as Duo505 present a whole new set of arrangements: above all, Fleischmann and Weixelbaum added guitars to the mix, which in turn means that the Roland MC-505 is no longer the predominant element of their sound. Case in point: On the opening track "Facing It 2010," a re-recording of a song they wrote for their debut full-length Late (MORR 046CD/LP), they hardly use electronic elements at all. This, however, doesn't affect the fundamental nature of Duo505's music: Walzer Oder Nicht ultimately shows that their tracks work both as acoustic and electronic versions. These recordings are somewhat reminiscent of The Velvet Underground (at their catchiest), of Yo La Tengo's sense of melody, or the kind of ballads Brian Eno or Zach Condon are known for. Make no mistake: even though Walzer Oder Nicht certainly has its noisier moments, some Tall Dwarfs-style clank and clatter even, this album is even more thoughtful, quiet and warm-hearted than its predecessors. Walzer Oder Nicht is an album that evokes child-like enthusiasm, ease, swing, and elegance.
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LP
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MORR 103LP
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LP version. This is the third album by Bernhard Fleischmann and Herbert Weixelbaum aka Duo505. Forget about lyrics to convey feelings or moods: it's all in the music, in the melodies and harmonies. After all, these tracks don't need words to say a whole lot. The same is true of their genesis: Bernhard Fleischmann and Herbert Weixelbaum hardly discussed any ideas or musical concepts while in the studio. Instead, these tracks simply emerged while they were playing together; the melodies grew out of a wordless conversation, an exchange of sounds and notes. This newfound collaborative spirit lies at the heart of Walzer Oder Nicht: the various tracks and layers intertwine and complement each other on a whole new level. That's how a song like "No Mail" came about, a track whose inner logic and intricate composition manages to captivate the listener entirely. Yet, it's not just the interlocking density that's new, as Duo505 present a whole new set of arrangements: above all, Fleischmann and Weixelbaum added guitars to the mix, which in turn means that the Roland MC-505 is no longer the predominant element of their sound. Case in point: On the opening track "Facing It 2010," a re-recording of a song they wrote for their debut full-length Late (MORR 046CD/LP), they hardly use electronic elements at all. This, however, doesn't affect the fundamental nature of Duo505's music: Walzer Oder Nicht ultimately shows that their tracks work both as acoustic and electronic versions. These recordings are somewhat reminiscent of The Velvet Underground (at their catchiest), of Yo La Tengo's sense of melody, or the kind of ballads Brian Eno or Zach Condon are known for. Make no mistake: even though Walzer Oder Nicht certainly has its noisier moments, some Tall Dwarfs-style clank and clatter even, this album is even more thoughtful, quiet and warm-hearted than its predecessors. Walzer Oder Nicht is an album that evokes child-like enthusiasm, ease, swing, and elegance. Includes a free download code.
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CD
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MORR 046CD
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The Duo505 is the brainchild of Wolfgang Kopper and he is a regular face on the Gurtel, an area in Vienna, where lots of clubs, venues, musicians and artists settled down over the last decade. It was here that he noticed two completely different musicians who had one thing in common: their hate/love for Roland's MC-505, better known as simply the Groovebox. One of the musicians is Morr Music's first-ever recording artist B. Fleischmann, who, at that point, was still completely ignorant of his future partner in Duo505, Herbert Weixelbaum. Herbert is a classically trained guitar player who at first didn't want to play anything else but classical music from the Baroque and Renaissance period. Somewhere on his way to adolescence, Weixelbaum changed his mind and started to spend uncountable hours with friends in a dark rehearsal room, he rarely even left for concerts. After all he made it out of there to move to Finland, where he lived quite a while without doing any music at all. Returning to Vienna, Weixelbaum tried to reanimate his basement band, but quickly had to learn that Herbert and his mates were talking about music much more than they were producing it. He took this as a hint to go solo. A guy at the shop where Weixelbaum used to buy his guitar strings, introduced him to the Groovebox shortly after and even made him apply to a Groovebox competition. For the annual street festival Gurtel Nightwalk in Vienna, Wolfgang suggested that Bernhard and Herbert get themselves and their boxes together for a one-off show. He introduced the musicians to each other and they clicked right away. The show was an instant success, and the two decided to work together. They quickly developed an approach where one produced an entire track, and the other picked up on it later in order to add his own perspective. Thus, a Duo505 track is always two tracks, which mix and blend in a very sophisticated manner. B. Fleischmann's level-headedness and his tendencies towards ambient soundscapes from earlier days takes a huge step back in order to make room for a more expressive delivery. Both Herbert and Fleischmann want to rock, but in a pop way and within the technical limitations of their Grooveboxes. During the recording process, Herbert and Bernhard had to rely on at least a minimal amount of verbal communication. While performing live, on the other hand, mouth and even eyes are replaced by heart and guts. They don't have to talk or look at each other to coordinate their actions, they just "feel" each other. So what was the sound of understanding each other blindly again? This record holds the answer!
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