"This is How we Fly"

When playing, they seem to hover a few centimeters above the ground. As is often the case with ensembles that approach traditional music in an innovative way, a paradox applies here: weightlessness is made possible by deep-rootedness. Above the grounding groove, the music glides through the space. Speaking of space: in 2018, the quartet enchanted us at the Winzers Krems. Now, as This is How we Fly opens the 30th festival in the Klangraum Krems Minoritenkirche, this magical place may be even better suited to let their ideas take flight.

Caoimhín Ò Raghallaigh and Seán Mac Erlaine from Dublin reflect on and expand Irish folk music with special instruments and sounds. Seán is also one of the most sought-after mastering engineers in the UK, while Caoimhín has not only recorded 17 CDs but also holds a Bachelor’s degree in theoretical physics. Petter Berndalen, the first drummer with a diploma in Swedish folk music, brings almost lyrical contributions to the mix. The sound concept becomes truly extraordinary through Nic Gareiss from Michigan. What he generates with his feet in terms of percussive energy is as virtuosic as it is brilliant, with an almost chamber music-like, communicative quality – and certainly breathtaking.