Berlin, Germany, October 5, 2023 – Berlin Atonal has been the front row seat for the avante-garde as progressively-minded performers in music and the visual arts have gathered to showcase mind-bending programs of performances, installations, and workshops since its inaugural event in 1982. With yearly events taking place at Kraftwerk Berlin since 2013, the festival has grown in reputation to be one of the most popular annual arts and culture events in Germany. Looking to make the event more accessible to newcomers and aspiring composers, Berlin-based sample library designers Orchestral Tools partnered with experimental composer Alexander Hacke [Einstürzende Neubauten, hackedepicciotto, Crime and the City Solution], Sennheiser, Neumann, and Your Mom’s Agency to host a free workshop that invited participants into Hacke’s unique musical universe and compositional style.
Exploring soundscapes in a collaborative atmosphere
Orchestral Tools initially paired with Hacke in 2022 for Drones, a unique sample library that tapped into his penchant for evocative, layered soundscapes using multi-sampled drones of various stringed instruments. The workshop grew organically from this collaboration with the intent of providing an accessible way for musicians and novices to learn new ways of making music based on these elements. Once announced, the free tickets were gone within thirty minutes. “Even at an international level, Berlin Atonal has become an essential event for forward thinking music,” explained Orchestral Tools Head of Marketing, Graham Ball. “A free workshop is a great format to make these concepts accessible to everyone, and who better to host it than Alexander Hacke, who performed at the very first festival?
The event boasted 50 attendees who were encouraged to break out their own laptops and begin creating layered soundscapes of their own using the concepts demonstrated by Hacke. The resulting atmosphere was creative and extremely collaborative, with the opportunity for guests to play their tracks for the workshop attendees at the end. In addition to this, attendees also had the option of being involved in a Track Clinic with producer, label owner, and DJ Mor Elian and Neumman Relationships Manager Boris Kummerer, giving them additional feedback and expertise on the music they make.
“It was a privilege for Orchestral Tools to be a part of Berlin Atonal this year and we’re eager to do another workshop next year,” said Ball. “We extend our massive thanks to Alexander, the Berlin Atonal team, and Nadia at Your Mom’s Agency for helping to curate this wonderful event with us.”
For more information about the Orchestral Tools, please visit: https://www.orchestraltools.com/
About Orchestral Tools
Orchestral Tools makes premium-quality sampled instruments for professional composers. Notable libraries include the Berlin Series, Metropolis Ark, Tallinn, Tom Holkenborg’s Brass and Percussion, created in collaboration with composer Tom Holkenborg, and Phoenix Orchestra, created in collaboration with composers Harry Gregson-Williams and Richard Harvey. Originally founded in 2005 by Hendrik Schwarzer, Orchestral Tools operates internationally from its base in Germany, with offices in Freiburg and Berlin.
