"New Electronix" concert, as part of the festival “Europäischen Musikmonats 2001” at the concert factory Z7, Pratteln, 09.2.2001

«Parallaxe A» (premiere), «Maxwell's Demon» from Alex Buess
«Den Müllfahrern von San Francisco» from Dror Feiler
«Sparagmos» from Gerhard Stäbler
Tape music from Ana-Maria Avram and Iancu Dumitrescu
Live remix from "Parallaxe A" and electronic sound with internationally known DJs

Performers:
Marc Ullrich, trumpet; Dirk Amrein, trombone; Patricia Kopatchinskaja, violin
Ensemble Phœnix Basel; Jürg Henneberger, Conductor
DJ Scud (London, labels: Ambush / Position Chrome / Full Watts), Hecate (Detroit, label: Zhark), Christoph Fringeli (Berlin/Basel, label: Praxis)

”Experimental poetic terrorism”

... The “classic” part of the concert conducted by Jürg Henneberger and performed by the Ensemble Phœnix Basel consisted of Alex Buess’s compositions «Maxwell's Demon» and «Parallaxe A», Gerhard Stäbler’s «Den Müllfahrern von San Francisco» and Dror Feiler’s «Spargamos», as well as tape music from Iancu Dumitrescu and Ana-Maria Avram.
All of the works, despite their differences had one in common - high stress potential. This music is meant to be a physical experience. Its loudness, noises, irritating repetitions and extreme registers make it border on the limit of the supportable. Protest and provocation are however not the primary goal, which seemed to be a rather playful, maybe even politically understood experiment with one’s physical limits…
... Christoph Fringeli together with DJs Scud and Rachael Kozak, alias Hecate took care of the DJ part of the evening. Fringeli introduced the term “experimental poetic terrorism” as being the drive behind his music whose goal is “the sovereignty of our physical bodies and the independency of our souls”. There were esthetical and musically recognisable connections to the “classical” part of the concert. The three DJs working in the wide realm of “Techno” used the loud, noisy and stress intensive music, known as “Hardcore” or “Breakcore” which has its roots in “Punk” and “Industrial”…
... Alex Buess' work «Parallaxe A» for ensemble and five channels surround tape, previously played for the first time was used again by the DJs, as a sample connecting and reminiscing to his composition. The extreme complexity of the many layers forming the polymetric of Buess’ music were therefore magnified and it was soon not clear anymore, what the citation is, what the distortion and what new material is added. Exactly this is the philosophy of the emphatically understood “Techno” as it clearly managed to “take over the hierarchic structures of the music market”. This is not only applicable to the “star” which like the stage disappears but also to the copyright (ownership of ideas), the structure of the music and its components, as being the credo of Fringeli’s label “Praxis Records”
Elisabeth Schwind, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, 19.2.2001 ... Climax of the evening was the premiere of Alex Buess's composition «Parallaxe A», performed by the Ensemble Phoenix Basel. This achievement of the Basel based composer and electronic musician can be seen, as the quintessence of his work. Again, as in the most intense years of his work with the Basel free electronic label "Vision" Buess sat behind the mixing desk. Each of the 24 instruments had a microphone channel and the listeners were immersed in a five channel surround pool of brilliant glass clear like quality. The conductor Jürg Henneberger enhanced the performance with costume changes…
... Especially impressive was the careful handling of multiple blow instrument sections flowing in organic units. Shrill effects were foreign to this music. Live electronics fitted very "harmoniously", diverse bass instruments weaved groove lines…
... Rachael Kozak "Hecate" from Detroit went furthers in a live performance. Her own interpretations of the previously played for the first time composition by Alex Buess «Parallaxe A» were subtle and well fitted into her musical performance. Hecate concentrated on organic musical tension, strictly avoiding obvious beat strategies.

Urs Grether, Basellandschaftliche Zeitung, 12.2.2001