MUSIC

Through more than three decades of guitar playing Etbin has developed some unique techniques combined with well known styles from different heritages. Written music along with free improvisation may, in all ways, be very difficult to put into a classical or other classification.

It is possible that some of the roots of Etbin's music could be geographically detected in terms of a slight ethnic influence and it might only have developed in this particular small part of the planet - South Central Europe defined by the North Adriatic Sea, the high ridges and peaks of the Alps and endless plains stretching to the east.
Yet his `above us only skies` (what more could one expect) spirit led him far beyond these boundaries into globalisation in its most favourable sense. His approach towards music as a ritual brings up some fine minimal structures of hand-knitted string sounds, slightly away from `deus ex machina` perfection. Just as a tender pair of ears may give peace of mind, a soft breeze, or a penetrating sharp blow initiates an invocation to the shift of winds.
But then again, Equilibrium remains an ascetic sonority of endlessness and a perpetual spectacle of balance.

ETBIN'S MUSICAL TOOLS OF EXPRESSION

Etbin is a one man orchestra. Classical guitar - regarded as a small orchestra in itself - is often complimented with the dialogue between two mouth harmonicas and occassionaly vocals. But the guitar remains Etbin’s fundamental instrument for composing music. The narration often kept in its simplicity - like a mantra and its repetition - becomes the foundation on which the instrument together with the ambient, both weave a new tale. But the tale has always been there. The angelic choirs of harmonics could never be silenced by the simple laws of physics. They need no one, yet they love to dance with us after we recognize them. They support the courage of a vigilant mediator who begins the dialogue with oneself – by all possible means: unusual instrument playing techniques, polyphony, polyrhythmics, etc.

Diatonic mouth harmonica -using a special holder- is one of the few musical instruments that can be played without using the hands. It has a lack of chromatic tones within a single key and this is why Etbin uses a chosen pair of mouth harmonicas and a special technique of starting the reed oscilation, which also completely changes the timbre of the sound. Such an ‘orchestra’ thus gains another solo melody or else the mouth harmonica enriches the harmony with its chords.
Etbin rarely uses vocals, but when he does, they mostly take the role of a third musical instrument. Sometimes we simply listen to the sound of words, yet their everlasting meaning is not lost, but it does not necessarily overpower other instruments.
This is the musician’s answer to the matter of ‘abusing’ music through using it as the ‘background’ for verbal messages.