Robin Hayward - tuba
Annette Krebs - electro-acoustic guitar
"The duo Krebs / Hayward produces unusual sounds. Especially when the instruments, tuba and electric guitar, are seen as well as heard. Annette Krebs and Robin Hayward explain how they make the unexpected sounds, sometimes acoustically, sometimes with the help of electronics.
Robin Hayward's way of playing not only looks unusual, but also sounds so. 'I use the tuba as if it were an electronics studio', he explains. The heavy instrument is partially modified: on Hayward's tuba the valve caps are not screwed on, but are held in place with clips which makes it possible to rotate the valves.
Annette Krebs holds her instrument in an unusual position too. The electric guitar lies on her lap, and, hidden behind laptop, mixing desk and cables, is barely visible to the onlooker. If Krebs were not announced as a guitarist, it would be impossible for the listener to assign the altered sounds to the instrument. But playing purely electronic music would be unthinkable for the artist. 'Everything I think comes from the guitar. Sometimes the guitar is greatly reduced, but it remains guitar music.'
The two musicians let the tuba and guitar blend together and use their noisy sounds to create a surprisingly delicate atmosphere."
(comments written by Anneke Brüning und Hendrik Kirchhof, Donaueschingen Festival 2007, translated into English by Robin Hayward)