| Polwechsel | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Vienna, Austria |
| Genres | experimental |
| Years active | 1993–present |
| Labels | Erstwhile Records, HatOLOGY |
| Website | www.polwechsel.com |
| Members | |
| Werner Dafeldecker Michael Moser Martin Brandlmayr Burkhard Beins |
|
| Past members | |
| Radu Malfatti Burkhard Stangl John Butcher |
|
Polwechsel is a musical group founded in Vienna, Austria in 1993.
Their music has mostly straddled a line between contemporary music and free improvisation, and is characterized by quiet volume, sustained drones, and slowly-developing structures.
The group was originally composed of double bassist Werner Dafeldecker, cellist Michael Moser, trombonist Radu Malfatti and guitarist Burkhard Stangl. Their name came from a voltage adapter Dafeldecker and Moser found in a second-hand shop.
An appearance at the 1996 LMC Festival in London garnered the group much attention.
Malfatti left in 1997, and was replaced by saxophonist John Butcher. With guitarist/laptop computer whiz Fennesz, this lineup recorded Wrapped Islands, which earned much positive critical notice[1][2][3]
In around 2004, percussionists Burkhard Beins and Martin Brandlmayr joined Polwechsel. In 2008, Burkhard Stangl left the band and John Butcher also exited in 2009 leaving Polwechsel as a quartet.