Yann Tiersen

Announces European tour in Feb/March – feat. exclusive performance of music from Martin Zeichnete.

YANN TIERSEN brings his critically acclaimed Infinity Tour back to Europe this year with a series of dates in February and March 2015. During the tour Yann Tiersen and his band will be playing a mixture of tracks from his new album alongside older live favourites and, for the first time ever, Tiersen will play a short selection of music from Martin Zeichnete, author of the recently unearthed ‘Kosmischer Laufer – The Secret Cosmic Music of the East German Olympic Program 1972-83’.

Recorded secretly in East Germany from 1972 to 1983, this is the first time the music of Martin Zeichnete will be played before a live audience. Working for the more ‘esoteric’ branch of the DDR’s State Olympic Program, Zeichnete recorded a catalogue of kosmische music heavily influenced by the sounds he surreptitiously heard drifting across the wall from the West. His work included pieces for running and accompaniments for gymnastic and ice skating routines.  His only audiences were the Olympians who used the music for training, as he was not allowed to play this ‘western’ music live. This wonderful cosmic cache was only unearthed in 2013 by Edinburgh based Unknown Capability Recordings who persuaded the publicity shy Zeichnete to begin a series of releases under the name ‘Kosmischer Läufer’.

As part of his set Yann Tiersen and his band will be joined by musicians from Unknown Capability Recordings to present a short selection of Zeichnete’s work and finally bring the Kosmischer Läufer’s pulsing, motorik visions to life.

Watch a short video about Tiersen’s tribute to Kosmischer Läufer here:

Yann Tiersen’s latest album, ∞ (Infinity), was conceived in Iceland, where work began on the album, and in Ushant Island, Brittany. The album was produced by Yann Tiersen and mixed by Gareth Jones with Yann Tiersen and Daniel Miller. Watch a playback of the album with Yann Tiersen in the Ushant Island Lighthouse Museum here:

Layering of textures formed thematic threads that bind the album: the stones, the minerals, their infinite nature… Language too is integral to this album. ‘Ar Maen Bihan’, a story written by Emilie Quinquis in the Breton language, was translated by amiina to Icelandic (‘Steinn’). Elsewhere on the album Aidan Moffat (Arab Strap) and Ólavur Jákupsson (a member of Tiersen’s live band) both contributed tracks on the same theme – stones – Moffat’s in English and Jákupsson’s in Faroese. Watch the video for Meteorites featuring Aidan Moffat and Clémence Poésy here:

Hailing from Brittany, Yann Tiersen is one of the most revered artists of his generation with a reputation first established by his studio albums (which included 1997 Cascade Street 1998’s The Lighthouse and to 2005’s Les Retrouvailles). The early albums were combined and used for the Amelie soundtrack (2001), earning him global recognition. Recent albums on Mute, Dust Lane (2010) and Skyline (2011) have seen his prominence build, along with projects such as the recent live score to the Fantômas series which he curated at the Théâtre de Châtelet with guests Tim Hecker, James Blackshaw, Loney Dear and Amiina.

YANN TIERSEN EUROPEAN 2015 TOUR DATES

7 Feb – A2 Club, Saint Petersburg, Russia

8 Feb – GlavClub, Moscow, Russian Federation

16 Feb – Rotterdamse Schouwburg, Rotterdam, Netherlands*

17 Feb – De Vereeniging, Nijmegen, Netherlands*

18 Feb – De Oosterpoort, Groningen, Netherlands*

19 Feb – Werk 2, Leipzig, Germany*

20 Feb – Posthof, Linz, Austria*

21 Feb – Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, Slovenia*

23 Feb – Atelier Babylon, Bratislava, Slovakia*

24 Feb – Akvarium, Budapest, Hungary*

25 Feb – Orpheum, Graz, Austria*

26 Feb – Roxy, Prague, Czech Republic*

1 March – Rockefeller, Sankt Hanshaugen, Norway*

2 March – Cirkus, Stockholm, Sweden*

4 March – Helsinki Hall, Kulttuuritalo    Helsinki, Finland*

5 March – Rockcafe, Tallinn, Estonia*

6 March – Palladium, Riga, Latvia*

7 March – Compensa Concert Hall, Vilnius, Lithuania*

* dates featuring Tiersen’s tribute to Kosmischer Läufer

Tickets available from http://yanntiersen.com/

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