Alex Buess is a musician, saxophonist, composer, producer and audio engineer who was born in Basel. He collaborates (has collaborated with) with Stephan Wittwer, Paul Schütze, Kevin Martin, Peter Brötzmann, William Parker, Raoul Björkenheim, Toshinori Kondo, Bill Laswell, Kevin Shields, Tim Hodgkinson, Michael Wertmüller and many others.
He plays in the groups ICE, GOD, Phantom City, the Bug, Sprawl and his own group 16-17. Buess has written compositions for various contemporary music ensembles and also works as a producer and sound engineer. His compositions are performed at home and abroad.
Alex Buess has received various prizes and sabbatical years including those offered by the Musikkreditkommission of Basel City in 1992 and the Robert Thyll-Dürr Foundation in 1998.
He has appeared at various festivals including Huddersfield New Music Festival (England), Rostrum for Electroacoustic Music (Austrian/Swiss contribution 1997 Radio DRS 2), Tampere Festival (Finland), Musique Action Vand?"uvres-les-Nancy (France), Taktlos 1995 (CH), Tonart Festival 2000 (CH), Festival de Musica Contemporanea in Quito (Ecuador), and the Encuentro de Compositores Bolivianos in Sucre (Bolivia).
Buess's work reflects his experience with electronic technology, written contemporary music, film music, new mixing and production techniques and computer music.
Work list
AUDIO KONSTRUCT. ARCH. II (1989-1990)
Instrumentation: for saxophone and live electronics
Duration: 9' 00" Manuscript
Mind Machine (1990-1991)
Instrumentation: for percussion trio, cassette player and live electronics
Commissioned by the "Musikkreditkommission Basel-Stadt".
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
Hyperbaton (1991)
Instrumentation: for 2 tenor and 2 baritone saxophones
For the Xasax Quartet, Paris.
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Maxwell`s Demon (1993)
Instrumentation: for trombone, small trumpet, e-bass, 3 percussion instruments, keyboards and live electronics
Commissioned by the Crossart Ensemble Mannheim.
Duration: 17' 00" Manuscript
PIDGIN IV (1993)
Instrumentation: for percussion trio, electroacoustic instruments and piano
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
MIRROR X (1993)
Instrumentation: For piano, cassete player and light
after a poem by Aleister Crowley.
Duration: 9' 00" Manuscript
Digram Probability I (1994)
Instrumentation: for darbukka, 3 percussion instruments, string quartet and live electronics
Commissioned by the "Musik der Welt in Basel" festival.
Duration: 17' 00" Manuscript
NOL (1995)
Instrumentation: for percussion trio
Commission for the "Taktlos" Festival.
Duration: 13' 00" Manuscript
N. S. (1995)
Instrumentation: for percussion solo and cassette player
Commission for the "Taktlos" Festival.
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
N. S. – Turing Machine Version (1997)
Instrumentation: for percussion duo, sound and video cassette
Video cassette by Christian Lichtenberg.
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
PARALLAXE A (1998-2001)
Instrumentation: for large ensemble (3pic.3ob.3cl.bcl.cbcl.cbn/smalltpt.tbn.tba/3perc/3cb) and 5 channel surround band
Commission for the "Europäischen Musikmonat 2001".
Duration: 23' 00" Manuscript
ATA-7 (1999)
Instrumentation: for soprano sax and electroacoustic ensemble
For the STROM ensemble.
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
ATA 9 (1999)
Instrumentation: for 4 soprano saxophones
For the Xasax Quartet.
Commission for the "Vandoeuvres Musique Action" festival.
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
ATA-5 (1999)
Instrumentation: for piano, cassette player and live electronics
Commissioned by the "Musikkreditkommission Basel-Stadt".
Duration: 13' 00" Manuscript
Schizophonie (Digram Probability II) (1999)
Instrumentation: for djembe, rhythm composer & live electronics
For Daniel Buess.
Duration: 17' 00" Manuscript
Vacuum Theory (2000)
Instrumentation: for electroacoustic duo
Duration: 30' 00" Manuscript
X_SYN_DROME_I (2002)
Instrumentation: for soprano, live electronics and percussion
Commissioned by B.E.A.M and the Robert Thyll-Dürr Foundation.
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
PARALLAXE A (Biomechanische Version) (2002)
Instrumentation: for ensemble (piccolo flute, oboe, clarinet, small trumpet, trombone, 2 double basses, 2 percussion instruments) and 5 channel surround band
Duration: 23' 00" Manuscript
SURVIVAL RESEARCH (2002)
Instrumentation: for electroacoustic duo
Commissioned by "Pro Helvetia".
Duration: 60' 00" Manuscript
KHAT (2003)
Instrumentation: for bass flute in C, percussion and live electronics
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Metenfes I&II (2003)
Instrumentation: for 5 channel surround band and 5 channel surround band and percussion
Commission for the "Taktlos Bern" festival.
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
Amalgam 90° (2003)
Instrumentation: for e-accordion, e-percussion and live electronics
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
Metatron (2004)
Instrumentation: for soprano saxophone, piano, double bass and percussion
For the X-Quartet.
Duration: 12' 00" Manuscript
Phylum (2005)
Instrumentation: for large ensemble (bfl.cl/tbn/ev.evc.egtr.ebass/perc/2db), live electronics and 2 soloists (percussion and electronics)
Commissioned by the "LUCERNE FESTIVAL" and "Pro Helvetia".
Duration: 32' 00" Manuscript
PULS_S=(1_1, 2, 3, 7) (2005)
Electroacoustic music
Instrumentation: for 16 loud speakers
Commission for the "Neue Musik Rümlingen" festival.
Duration: 20' 00" Manuscript
Y (2005)
Instrumentation: for soprano and baritone saxophones and live electronics
For the Duo Saxophonic.
Duration: 8' 00" Manuscript
Metatron's Cube (2005)
Instrumentation: for clarinet, trombone, e-violin, e-violoncello, double bass and percussion
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
ATA-11 (2005)
Instrumentation: for electric guitar solo with live elctronics
For Maurizio Grandinetti.
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
Ghosts of Schizophonia (Phylum II) (2005)
Instrumentation: for large ensemble (2cbcl[=cl].2bfl[=fl]/2perc/hp.pf/2vn.2vc) and live electronics
Commissioned by "Pro Helvetia" and LUCERNE FESTIVAL.
Duration: 16' 00" Manuscript
AXIS_CORE (2007)
Instrumentation: for acousmonium, solo, trombone, string quartet and percussion
Commissioned by "SWR2" for the Donaueschinger Musiktage 2007.
Duration: 15' 00" Manuscript
Vortex (2009)
Instrumentation: for acousmonium, flute, piano, percussion and electronics
Duration: 18' 00" Manuscript
Shattered Grid (2011)
Instrumentation: for acousmonium, saxophone, piano, percussion and electronics
Duration: 18' 00" Manuscript
APSIS (2013)
Instrumentation: for clarinet, flute, oboe, baritone saxophone, contraforte, trumpet, horn, trombone and percussion
Duration: 18' 00" Manuscript
SKUTO (2013)
Instrumentation: for sensor augmented bass clarinet (Project SABRe)
Duration: 18' 00" Manuscript
ENIGMA (2014)
Instrumentation: for soprano saxophone, violoncello, e-guitar / live electronics