about kj
Double bass player, composer and researcher from Bolzano/Italy, moved to Berlin in the mid-90s. His solo and collaborative works was released on the LP edition consisting of 5 albums called almenrauschen 2019.
Janek is known for his musical approach of combining the compositional and performative act on his double bass and electronic set. In his work, he seeks to balance aesthetics and discourse. His artistic idiom finds concert and festival performances in EU, USA, CAN, J, CH, Russia, China, Malaysia, Brazil and Rwanda, as well as co-creations in movement, theatre, sound and radio art and album formats. Results presented on stage or acousmatically are preceded by research phases on socio-political, aesthetic or music-philosophical questions. Following the characteristics of the double bass as an instrument and function, Klaus Janek’s music supports the access of the co-authors and the audience to a finely tuned and sensitive complex world of perception.
He is a founding member of Sounding Situations with Milena Kipfmüller and Jens Dietrich, member of Sandeep Bhagwati’s Sabdagatitara Network, regular collaborator of Meg Stuart/Damaged Goods. Engagements and commissions bring him to compose and perform at the Louvre, Berghain, transmediale, Transart, white night (Montreal, Tel Aviv), Casino Impulstanz Vienna, Vision Festival NYC, Merzmusik, Immersion Festival – Gropius Bau, Das neue Alphabet – HKW, arte Concert and many others. He gives guest lectures at various universities worldwide. Artist residencies have taken him to Brazil (Vila Sul), Belgium (Q-02), Israel (Musrara Art School), NYC. He is a recipient of the Robert Bosch Stiftung Scholarship and scholarships from the Musikfonds, the German Music Council, the German Federal Cultural Foundation, the Berlin Cultural Exchange, the Goethe Institute and the Bolzano Cultural Office. The work Musraropera was the winning piece of “Music Theatre Now 2018”.
Performances (selection) with Bill Dixon, Valerio Tricoli, Cedrik Fermont, Johannes Bauer, Borah Bergmann, Yan Jun, Clayton Thomas, Brendan Dougherty, Sofia Borges, Axel Dörner, Biliana Voutchkova, Michael Vorfeld, Claudio Rocchetti, Ulrich Müller, Robin Hayward, Peter Kowald, Butch Morris, Hilary Jeffery, Ingo Reulecke, Meg Stuart, Frank Willens, Hauke Heumann, Thierry Niang/Patrice Chereau, Nils “Storm” Robitzky, Keith Hennessy and many more. v.m.
Albumreleases for (selection) Creative Source, the Tapeworm, Linear Obsessional, Coherent States, Room40 (2025)
>Janek’s playing deserves to be heard. Strongly recommended. – Francois Couture [All Music Guide]
>This elaborate, highly visual piece [Caspar] is a milestone in the doublebass repertoire. Comes with our highest recommendation. – Diarmala Records
It is clear that Klaus Janek is a prime force on the avant-garde double bass scene. – Matt Shimmer [indieville]
