    In a climate where an artists work is cheap and singer/songwriters are summarily shut down like obsolete machines, Rikio Matsunaga Foster not only bravely embraces these roles; he redefines them. Over the years this prolific wordsmith and composer has given the world quite an impressive catalog of challenging yet graceful material. At the heart of all Rikio's work lies a need to explore the art, himself and the world around him as he sees it, regardless of popular opinions or trends. Whether the topics are whimsical, mournful, angsty or simply exercises of will, the songs never come off as contrived or formulaic and are always presented with honesty and steadfast integrity. Crass yet witty, brutal yet tender Rikio Matsunaga Foster is a unique artist who truly is cynically charming.

 

                                                                                     - Matthew Foster



Markus Guentner, born in 1981 in Regensburg, began his musical journey at the age of 13, when he started creating his first mixes on turntables and a mixing console. Just a year later, he began his DJ career in Regensburg’s clubs. At 19, he released his first tracks, which gained attention, particularly the “REGENSBURG EP” from 2000 on KOMPAKT, which featured a re-arranged bell recording from the St. Wolfgang Church. Shortly after, he released his debut album “IN MOLL.” Numerous contributions followed on the POP AMBIENT series.

In the 2000s, Guentner became a regular DJ worldwide and worked with labels such as Ware, Warner, and Sending Orbs. In 2002, his cover of the Talk Talk classic “Such a Shame” entered the German Dance Charts. He was also part of the “Hildegard Knef – Reform Session” in 2002.

Guentner’s music blends various genres and attracted fans such as Sven Väth and the Pet Shop Boys. His track “Express Yourself” was used in the 2015 film Equals, which won the “Best Soundtrack” award.

Since 2001, Guentner has also been working on film soundtracks, producing music for short films and projects like the ZDF show KAVKA. In 2005, he collaborated with Ivo Watts Russell (4AD) on a rework album for “The Hope Blister” and was involved in the art project “Flashbox.” Additionally, in 2006, he co-founded the music collective SUBLIME e.V. in Regensburg.

In the 2010s, Guentner’s musical style shifted further toward ambient and neo-classical music. Together with Heiko Badje, he founded the atmospheric project Stareaway and released another solo album, SHADOWS OF THE CITY (Moodgadget), in 2014. He also worked on music projects for various exhibitions and films. During this time, Guentner began performing more frequently as a live act worldwide (Substrata/Seattle, Enter./Ibiza, UpToDate/Bialystok, among others).

His music evolved further with albums such as THEIA (2015) and EMPIRE (2018), which featured collaborations with artists like Rafael Anton Irisarri, Julia Kent, bvdub, and Tom Moth. His 2020 album GRADIENT SPIRITS was created as a live improvisation during the pandemic, and his 2021 release EXTROPY explored humanity’s development through technology, concluding the triptych of his works.

Guentner is known for his consistency in the music scene. In 2023, his solo album ONDA was released, along with a collaboration with Joachim Spieth on the album OVERLAY. In 2024, he released the album KONTRAPUNKT, the 50th release from the label A STRANGELY ISOLATED PLACE, which is entirely made up of collaborations (including Abul Mogard, Hollie Kenniff, Arovane, and more).

As an artist/singer/songwriter I strive to create music that transcends time, cross genres, and  make people think and feel


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