Fennesz | Christina Vantzou with John Also Bennett

Amsterdam’s FIBER Festival closes its 10-year festival edition with a double concert by Christina Vantzou with John Also Bennett and Fennesz. From hushed and minimal field recordings that mix with acoustic instruments, to glitched guitar soundscapes that manage to sound both organic and synthetic. A journey through vivid landscapes of sound.

Christina Vantzou‘s work is reminiscent of a sonic diary, in which elements from different worlds and environments combine to form a completely new reality. Field recordings of water, wind and other elements are interwoven with piano, mysterious vocals, modular synths and flute. Vantzou has released a total of five solo albums, and several projects in collaboration with composer and multi-instrumentalist John Also Bennett. Their live concerts are experienced as temporary spaces where drifting away, emerging memories and meditative slowness invite contemplative listening. Bennett works with various flutes, microtonal synthesis and field recordings.

The influential Austrian guitarist, composer and electronic musician Fennesz is a pioneer and essential voice within ambient and glitch. The last time he graced our stage on his own was in 2014. Since then, plenty has changed and a lot has remained. He still conjures expansive, densely layered soundscapes from his guitar, as heard on his breakthrough album Endless Summer (2001) or the melancholic Venice (2004). But now Fennesz presents Mosaic (2024): his most “reflective album” to date. The raw character of the guitar takes center stage again, and is fused with pop inspirations, unusual time signatures and collage-like production methods.

FIBER Festival takes place from May 29 to June 1 at various locations in Amsterdam. The program connects contemporary electronic music, audiovisual performances and sound art to cultural and social change. Based on the theme of Wildness, this special 10th anniversary edition explores the ways in which a loss of ecological and technological diversity can be fought for. How can we create wildness in our environment again, including in ourselves?

Christina Vantzou with John Also Bennett

Fennesz