Improvisation in Electronic Music—The Case of Vienna Electronica

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to establish what improvisation means and how it is used by electronic musicians operating in Vienna from the late 1980s till the present day: Peter Rehberg, Peter Kruder, Rupert Huber, Patrick Pulsinger, and the members of the band Sofa Surfers. It attempts to find out whether they believe that their choice of electronic instruments enhanced or impeded their ability to improvise and their sense of artistic agency; what type of improvisation they favour and what are their views on the changing role of improvisation in producing electronic music. It also examines the difference between old and new style electronic instruments in improvisation and music production at large. Finally, it asks a question whether the musicians had any views about the link (or the lack thereof) between the cultural milieu in which they operate and their willingness and ability to improvise.

Keywords

• improvisation
• electronic music
• idiomatic and non-idiomatic improvisation
• rupert huber
• peter kruder
• patrick pulsinger
• peter rehberg
• sofa surfers