great news
new double album out on October 20, 2025
Kai Fagaschinki: Aerodynamics
2-LP set, 180 g vinyl, 45 rpm, glossy gatefold cover, 8 page booklet
stream & purchase at: https://nivuniconnu.bandcamp.com/album/aerodynamics-2
LP1: Welcome to the 20th Century [28:44] - clarinet octet composition
performed by The Paranormal Clarinet Society (Laurent Bruttin, clarinet; Lucio Capece, bass clarinet; Sam Dunscombe, clarinet; Kai Fagaschinski, clarinet; Chris Heenan, contrabass clarinet; Theo Nabicht, clarinet; Michiko Ogawa, clarinet; Michael Thieke, clarinet)
LP2: Surrounded by Idiots [35:18] - clarinet nonet conception
performed by 9 x Kai Fagaschinski, clarinet
all music composed, recorded and mixed by Kai Fagaschinski | mastering and vinyl cut by Andreas Lupo Lubich | cover and portrait photo by Nathalie Snel | live photos by Jann Wilken | liner notes and diagrams by Kai Fagaschinski | graphic design by Teresa Iten | supported by SKE/austro mechana
Excerpt from Kai's extended liner notes:
This release comes with a little bit of extra excitement on my end. As an autodidact, I picked up the clarinet at age 22, and for about half of my life I’ve been working semi-professionally in psycho-acoustic show business. Having released a fair number of records with different bands and collaborations over the years, Aerodynamics is my first solo album. I’m certainly (at least partially) not alone here, but nobody other than myself should be blamed for the content of this album.
Neither a culmination nor a departure, the two pieces on this album can be considered a curious detour from previous works. The subtleties of exploring my own personal language took a back seat or, arguably, got left behind at the station. The focus on this album is on orchestration, approached in very basic ways. I took out the big brushes for the occasion and at times I used the axe, without forgetting about the little fine lines here and there. While both works were built with a big chunk of clarinets, they turned out to be quite contrasting in their method of construction and sonic character. The composition Welcome to the 20th Century choreographs the clarinets in a study of swarm behavior. Surrounded by Idiots runs on two interweaving layers of improvisation and chance that collide into one strange sonic habitat. The pieces are two independent works, but for me they seem to somehow go well together as complementary counterparts.
upcoming concerts
Oct. 1, 2025 | km28 | Berlin
Yan Jun & Kai Fagaschinski
Oct. 5 & 6, 2025 | Morphine Raum | Berlin
Breathing Gaza - Two Nights of Solidarity with "Breathing" Solos by Liz Allbee, Lucio Capece, Kai Fagaschinski (on the 5th), Racha Gharbieh, Lorena Izquierdo, Mazen Kerbaj, Carina Khorkhordina and Michael Thieke (all benefits will be donated to Palestine Children's Relief Fund)
Oct. 11, 2025 | Kleiner Wasserspeicher | Berlin
Splitter Orchester & Sonoscopia
Oct. 16, 2025 | shut up and listen! Festival @ echoraum | Vienna
Zimt (Angelica Castello, Kai Fagaschinski, Barbara Romen, Gunter Schneider, Burkhard Stangl and special guest Franz Hautzinger)
Oct. 20, 2025 | Sp_ce | Vienna
premiere live performance of "The Evil of Banality (clarinet quartet)" - incl. album presentation "Aerodynamics"
The Evil of Banality runs as a quadraphonic sound installation daily until Oct. 24, 2025
Oct. 28, 2025 | echoraum | Vienna
The Magic I.D. (Margareth Kammerer/Christof Kurzmann/Kai Fagaschinski/Michael Thieke)
Nov. 11, 2025 | Rchtn25 | Berlin
Susanna Gartmayer with Liz Allbee, Laure Boer, Christian Marien, Chris Heenan and Kai Fagaschinski
Dec. 4, 2025 | km28 | Berlin
album presentation "Aerodynamics" (Ni Vu Ni Connu) & Berlin premiere performance of "The Evil of Banality (clarinet quartet)" together with Liz Allbee "Breath Vessels" (Ni Vu Ni Connu)
Dec. 12, 2025 | Silent Green, Kuppelhalle | Berlin
Splitter Orchester
Dec. 19, 2025 | km28 | Berlin
Fundraising concert for Sophie Agnel featuring Joke Lanz/Magda Mayas/Tony Buck, Deborah Walker/Lucio Capece/Xavier Lopez, Annette Krebs/Axel Dörner/Michael Renkel/Andrea Neumann, and The Unsmart Duo (Jasmine Guffond & Kai Fagaschinski)
bands
The International Nothing
psycho-acoustic clarinet duo of collectively composed music with Michael Thieke (since 2000)
https://theinternationalnothing.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/international.nothing
Splitter Orchester
20-piece ensemble from Berlin’s echtzeitmusik scene (since 2010)
https://splitterorchester.bandcamp.com/album/splitter-musik
https://www.facebook.com/SplitterOrchester
The Dogmatics
duo with Chris Abrahams, piano (since 2007)
https://thedogmatics.bandcamp.com
The Magic I.D.
experimental song quartet with Margareth Kammerer, voice & guitars; Christof Kurzmann, voice & electronics and Michael Thieke, clarinet (since 2005)
https://erstwhilerecords.bandcamp.com/album/till-my-breath-gives-out-2
Yan Jun & Kai Fagaschinski
Yan Jun: voice & objects / KF: clarinet & objects (since 2022)
https://nivuniconnu.bandcamp.com/album/graveyard-processions
The Elks
electro-acoustic quartet with Liz Allbee, trumpet; Billy Roisz, electronics & e-bass and Marta Zapparoli, tapes, reel to reel & devices (since 2014)
https://theeelks.bandcamp.com/album/bat-english
https://mikroton.bandcamp.com/album/this-is-not-the-ant
The Paranormal Clarinet Society
clarinet octet with Laurent Bruttin, Lucio Capece, Anat Cohavi, Sam Dunscombe, Kai Fagaschinski, Chris Heenan, Theo Nabicht, Michiko Ogawa, Michael Thieke and Ingólfur Vilhjálmsson (since 2022)
Phantom Power
duo with Michael Vorfeld, percussion & string instrument (since 2014)
Fagaschinski/Heather/Majkowski/Rasten
quartet with Steve Heather, drums; Mike Majkowski, doublebass and Fredrik Rasten, acoustic guitars (since 2025)
The Unsmart Duo
electro-acoustic duo with Jasmine Guffond, electronics (since 2024)
Zimt
quintet with Angelica Castello, paetzold flutes & electronic; Barbara Romen, prepared dulcimer; Gunter Schneider, contraguitar and Burkhard Stangl, contraguitar & electric guitar
https://besodeangel.bandcamp.com/album/ganz
Seamus Cater & Kai Fagaschinski
collectively composed experimental songs and pieces with Seamus Cater, voice, concertina, fender rhodes & harmonica (since 2013)
https://caterfagaschinski.bandcamp.com/album/secrets
Baldrian Quartett
electro-acoustic quartet with Gaudenz Badrutt, electronics, Jonas Kocher, accordion, and Christof Kurzmann, electronics (since 2018)
Musik
duo with Burkhard Stangl, guitars (since 2004)
https://erstwhilerecords.bandcamp.com/album/musik-ein-portr-t-in-sehnsucht
Los Glissandinos
electro-acoustic duo with Klaus Filip, sine waves (since 2004)
https://losglissandinos.klingt.org/
https://creativesources.bandcamp.com/album/stand-clear
Kommando Raumschiff Zitrone
electro-acoustic duo with Commander Christof Kurzmann, lloopp & devices (since 2002)
Rebecca
duo with Michael Renkel, acoustic guitar (since 2002)
Here Comes The Sun
trio with Barbara Romen, Hackbrett and Gunter Schneider, contra-guitar (since 2006)
https://mikroton.bandcamp.com/album/here-comes-the-sun
discography
Kai Fagaschinski: Aerodynamics
2-LP | Ni Vu Ni Connu | 10/2025
Yan Jun & Kai Fagaschinski: Graveyard Processions
LP | Ni Vu Ni Connu | 09/2024
Splitter Orchester: splitter music
3-CD | Hyperdelia Records | 04/2024
Baldrian Quartett: Entschlummern sollst du, sollst entschlummern
CD | Bruit Editions | 05/2022
Zimt: Ganz
CD | Beso de Angel | 03/2022
The International Nothing: Just None of Those Things
LP & CD | Ftarri Records | 02/2022
Seamus Cater & Kai Fagaschinski: Secrets
LP | self-released | 11/2019
The Dogmatics: Chop Off the Tops
LP | self-released | 10/2018
The Pitch & Splitter Orchester: Frozen Orchestra (Splitter)
CD | Mikroton | 04/2018
The International Nothing: In Doubt We Trust
LP & CD | Ftarri Records | 02/2018
The Elks: This Is Not the Ant
CD | Mikroton | 07/2017
The Elks: Bat English
Tape | self-released | 05/2017
George Lewis & Splitter Orchester: Creative Construction Set TM
CD | Mikroton | 11/2016
The International Nothing (… and something): The Power of Negative Thinking
LP & CD | Monotype Records | 06/2016
The International Nothing: The Dark Side of Success
LP & CD | Ftarri Records | 06/2014
Here Comes The Sun
CD | Mikroton | 12/2012
The Dogmatics: The Sacrifice for the Music Became Our Lifestyle
LP | Monotype Records | 07/2012
The Magic I.D.: I’m So Awake/Sleepless I Feel
LP & CD | Staubgold | 05/2011
The International Nothing: Less Action, Less Excitement, Less Everything
LP & CD | Ftarri Records | 05/2010
Burkhard Stangl & Kai Fagaschinski: Musik – Ein Portrait in Sehnsucht
CD | Erstwhile Records | 10/2009
The Magic I.D.: Till My Breath Gives Out
LP & CD | Erstwhile Records | 02/2008
The International Nothing: Mainstream
CD | Ftarri Records | 10/2006
Kommando Raumschiff Zitrone: First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
CD | Quincunx | 09/2006
Kai Fagaschinski & Bernhard Gál: Going Round in Serpentines
CD | Charhizma | 12/2005
Los Glissandinos: Stand Clear
CD | Creative Sources | 06/2005
No Furniture
CD | Creative Sources | 01/2004
Rebecca: [Two Variations]
CD | Charhizma | 09/2003
bio
Kai Fagaschinski
clarinet | composer/performer | nightwatch
* 1974 in Dannenberg (Elbe), Germany
The Berlin-based clarinetist and composer/performer focuses on a subtle musicality of sound and noise phenomena. As an autodidact, he has developed a personal and unorthodox voice on his instrument, characterized by a distinctive multiphonic technique and an affection for psycho-acoustics. Despite a primal abstract calling, an insidious expressivity and a pre-melodic quality might be detectable to the receptive ear. He operates in improvisation and composition with a preference for long-term collaborations at eye level.
Within his bands and many duo collaborations the aim is often to develop collectively a distinct sonic character focusing rather on the dynamics between its elements than on adding up its parts. This is displayed in projects like The International Nothing, The Dogmatics, Splitter Orchester, The Magic I.D., The Elks and Los Glissandinos.
Fagaschinski has performed his music throughout Europe, as well as in Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan and the USA. He played amongst others at the following festivals and venues: All Ears Festival (Oslo 2024), Angelica Festival (Bologna 2008), Art Center Nabi (Seoul 2008), Borealis (Bergen 2014), Donaueschinger Musiktage (2007), Elevate! (Graz 2019), Erstquake (New York 2006), Experimental Intermedia (New York 2009), Ftarri Festival (Tokyo 2008, 2015 & 2019), Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival (2015), Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik (Darmstadt 2012), Klub Katarakt (Hamburg 2016, 2018, 2020 & 2023), Konfrontationen (Nickelsdorf 2004, 2008, 2011, 2016, 2019 & 2023), MaerzMusik (Berlin 2009, 2014, 2018 & 2024), Meakusma Festival (Eupen 2023), Météo Festival (Mulhouse 2012 & 2018), Music Unlimited (Wels 2006, 2012, 2017 & 2018), Musiklos (Peking 2019), Musikprotokoll (Graz 2005, 2008, 2015 & 2024), Novas Frequencias (Rio de Janeiro 2018), Renaissance Society (Chicago 2006), Seanaps Festival (Leipzig 2020), sfSound (San Francisco 2009) und WienModern (2022).
contact
kylie(AT)klingt(DOT)org