Vogel Musik is the sort of album you prepare for listening to instead of being in the mood for. It is a challenging listen: the entire album, from the dense and dramatic music right down to the elegant sleeve (painted by Christoph Heemann), is an amazing piece of work that is full of wonderful and intriguing sounds.
In conveying the essence of birds, Fuchs is like a cubist painter in that there are elements of the familiar present but arranged in a way that is contrary to "normal" perception or interpretation. With the title of the opening piece, "Das grosse Huhn," the music makes perfect sense as an audio caricature of a big hen. Although, taken on its own it could be anything. This is not a criticism of the piece but rather shows how Fuchs can make such otherworldly music and leave enough clues for the listener to then ground themselves back in reality.
After two feminine and delicate pieces dedicated to hens there comes a bruiser of a piece in honor of the rooster. "Der Hahn" is full of aggressive drums and baritone saxophone, Fuchs and her companion Christoph Reiserer sound cock sure of themselves after the relatively gentle pieces that preceded this one. It is a strange piece (and that is saying something considering how strange all of this album is), while it fits with the rest of the music on Vogel Musik there is also something about it that sets it apart from the other tracks. I am not entirely sure I like it but I want to keep listening to find out.
The album revolves around its longest piece, "Fliegen." Flying is an obvious choice of subject matter for an album about birds but it is an odd concept to put in with music about chickens (not a bird renowned for its aerial distance). It is also a concept that has been interpreted musically for aeons, to the point where few artists can capture the magic of soaring through the air. However, Fuchs approaches it from a different angle to most. Instead of an epic score symbolising the power and freedom of flight, she plums for an isolationist view of flying. The stark nature of this piece conjures up feelings of icy winds to glide on through lonely skies. "Fliegen" further highlights Fuchs' way of taking a familiar idea and turning it on its head.
Vogel Musik may be too theatrical and fussy for some tastes but for those willing to put a little effort into listening, it is worth setting time aside for. It was difficult for the first couple of times I played it but with a little perseverance Vogel Musik revealed itself to be an album rich in texture and detail, I imagine there will always be something new to it every time I put it on.
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