Andre van Rensburg
Encyclopedia
Andre van Rensburg is a South African avant-garde composer, producer and instrumentalist. Van Rensburg is a prolific artist with dozens of credits as composer, performer and producer. He established himself in South Africa in the mid 90's and has since traveled the world, performing and recording regularly in Taiwan
, Japan
and New York City
. He is well known in South Africa as the founder of the group Supernature as well as acclaimed guitarist for the hugely successful industrial group Battery 9
from 1999 to 2004. His solo instrumental work is characterized by dissonance, non-predictable structures and the absence of traditional melodic or harmonic content. His solo guitar playing often utilizes extended techniques and string 'preparations', as in the prepared piano
works of composer John Cage
. He has been influenced by composers such as Morton Feldman
, Giancinto Scelsi, Leo Brouwer
, John Zorn
and Pierre Boulez
, and improvisors Derek Bailey, Fred Frith
and Marc Ribot.
.
In 1994 he moved to London
and Paris
, busking for a living. In 1995 he returned to South Africa, forming the group Supernature, who had a number one hit on Barney Simon's 5FM
Alternative Chart with their 1st single Devil (1997).
Supernature went on to record two albums. He then joined Brendan Jury and Warrick Sony
's Trans.sky project as guitarist, later forming the group Ohm with Jury. Ohm went on to release an album through the British label M.E.L.T. 2000 and touring England
and Holland in 2000. In 1998 he moved to Johannesburg
and joined the industrial group Battery 9
, appearing on their album Sondebok, released by BMG
in 1999. He also composed and recorded an album with Battery 9 front man Paul Riekert as Die Menere, the album Floukop was released by One F Music in 2004.
) and released the album 'Eentonig' through the Onse Plate label. He has recently scored music for award winning Thai film director Pramotz Sangsorn and creates various sound installations internationally.
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and New York City
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He is well known in South Africa as the founder of the group Supernature as well as acclaimed guitarist for the hugely successful industrial group Battery 9
Battery 9
Battery 9 , an industrial music project from Johannesburg, South Africa, is the brainchild of Paul Riekert, who writes, plays and records the music in a mixture of English and Afrikaans...
from 1999 to 2004. His solo instrumental work is characterized by dissonance, non-predictable structures and the absence of traditional melodic or harmonic content. His solo guitar playing often utilizes extended techniques and string 'preparations', as in the prepared piano
Prepared piano
A prepared piano is a piano that has had its sound altered by placing objects between or on the strings or on the hammers or dampers....
works of composer John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
. He has been influenced by composers such as Morton Feldman
Morton Feldman
Morton Feldman was an American composer, born in New York City.A major figure in 20th century music, Feldman was a pioneer of indeterminate music, a development associated with the experimental New York School of composers also including John Cage, Christian Wolff, and Earle Brown...
, Giancinto Scelsi, Leo Brouwer
Leo Brouwer
Juan Leovigildo Brouwer Mezquida is a Cuban composer, conductor and guitarist. He is the grandson of Cuban composer Ernestina Lecuona Casado.-Biography:...
, John Zorn
John Zorn
John Zorn is an American avant-garde composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist. Zorn is a prolific artist: he has hundreds of album credits as performer, composer, or producer...
and Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez
Pierre Boulez is a French composer of contemporary classical music, a pianist, and a conductor.-Early years:Boulez was born in Montbrison, Loire, France. As a child he began piano lessons and demonstrated aptitude in both music and mathematics...
, and improvisors Derek Bailey, Fred Frith
Fred Frith
Fred Frith is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew...
and Marc Ribot.
Early life
Andre van Rensburg grew up in South Africa and studied classical guitar from the age of 7. He started composing at the age of 10. After studying with various teachers he developed his own notational technique, blending traditional musical notation with abstract and graphic notationGraphic notation
Graphic notation is the representation of music through the use of visual symbols outside the realm of traditional music notation. Graphic notation evolved in the 1950s, and it is often used in combination with traditional music notation...
.
In 1994 he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, busking for a living. In 1995 he returned to South Africa, forming the group Supernature, who had a number one hit on Barney Simon's 5FM
5FM
5FM is a South African FM radio station that follows a Top 40 music format and is owned by the South African Broadcasting Corporation , South Africa's public broadcaster...
Alternative Chart with their 1st single Devil (1997).
Supernature went on to record two albums. He then joined Brendan Jury and Warrick Sony
Warrick Sony
Warrick Sony is a South African composer, producer, sonic artist, performer and sound designer, who has worked for two decades on a multitude of films, documentaries, art events, theatre, dance, and project albums...
's Trans.sky project as guitarist, later forming the group Ohm with Jury. Ohm went on to release an album through the British label M.E.L.T. 2000 and touring England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Holland in 2000. In 1998 he moved to Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
and joined the industrial group Battery 9
Battery 9
Battery 9 , an industrial music project from Johannesburg, South Africa, is the brainchild of Paul Riekert, who writes, plays and records the music in a mixture of English and Afrikaans...
, appearing on their album Sondebok, released by BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
in 1999. He also composed and recorded an album with Battery 9 front man Paul Riekert as Die Menere, the album Floukop was released by One F Music in 2004.
Recent Projects
Van Rensburg moved to Asia in 2003, forming the recording label South of the Border and released 5 solo albums, 'Concrete' (2007), chamber music performed by the Poisondwarf Esemble, 'Unfinished Cities' (2008), recorded in Japan and Taiwan with koto player Mori Chieko and 'Scopophilia (7 etudes for solo bondage guitar) (2008)', 'Kopstukke Vol. 1' (the 1st in a series of 9 albums of new compositions for classical guitar, 2011) and Game of the Voce (2011). In 2009 he collaborated with South African expats Louis Minnaar and Jean Marais (also known as MoShangMoShang
MoShang is a downtempo Musician and Music Producer originally from South Africa. He is referred to as the Sound Jeweler and has been living in Taiwan since 2003.-Early Life and Musical Background :...
) and released the album 'Eentonig' through the Onse Plate label. He has recently scored music for award winning Thai film director Pramotz Sangsorn and creates various sound installations internationally.
Discography
- Supernature – Sugar in a Hurricane (1998)
- Supernature – Spill (1999)
- Ohm – Ohm (2000) M.E.L.T. 2000
- Ohm – 2nd (2001)
- Poisondwarf – Clinical Capsule (2001)
- Battery 9 – Sondebok – “Iets om te blameer”(2003) BMG
- Die Menere – Floukop (2004) One F
- Eentonig – Eentonig (2009)
- André van Rensburg – Concrete (2007) South of the Border
- André van Rensburg – Unfinished Cities (2008) South of the Border
- André van Rensburg – Scopophilia (2008) South of the Border
- André van Rensburg – Kopstukke Vol. 1 (2011) South of the Border
- André van Rensburg – Game of the Voice (2011) South of the Border
External links
- http://www.andrevanrensburg.org/