I did a short blog called Schrammels in the Modern World about a year ago (Feb 8, 2011), featuring “up and coming” players Emmerich Haimer, Joachim Csaikl, and Harald Koll. These guys all use antique Viennese harp guitars (kontragitarres) to play their own modern music, which I think is pretty exciting (much like our own use over here of vintage Dyers for modern fingerstyle harp guitar).
Not quite a year later, and Joachim has appeared on the two latest Harp Guitar Music instrumental releases.
Lately, he’s been creating new videos for YouTube. He’s going the vocals route, doing both covers (Moondance just posted) and originals (Feel the Real). The headset allows him to keep singing as he does his inimitable circular pluck-hit-strike-slap-fret-whatever (I lose track). He says he’s gigging more and more and still hopes to obtain an equivalent modern instrument of some kind someday (though I quite like the vintage vibe!).
Meanwhile, Emmerich Haimer and his sometimes partner Martina Engel on viola, the duo going by the name Profundkontra, have released their first CD, which is now available in the States through my web store.
Pretty interesting stuff.
I’m still hoping Harald Koll will do more with his own harp guitar, after the charming Christmas tune he shared in December:
