Thanks to a private initiative by Rockhouse board member Markus Melms, and since 2015 with the active support of Christian Salić and Max Kickinger, the estate of composer Heimo Erbse is awarded an annual prize, endowed with €3,000 donated to rock musicians from the greater Salzburg area.
The artists are responsible for using the prize money, but it should be used as a contribution to a production (recording, video, promotion) and thus serve the future development of the projects.
The jury, consisting of Markus Melms, Christian Salić, Max Kickinger, Michael “Stootsie” Steinitz and Dr. Herbert Frauengruber, once more had a long discussion this year regarding who should receive the sponsorship award this year. It was another close race, but in the end we all agreed. The Heimo Erbse Prize 2023 goes to Flirtmachine.
Statement of the jury
with Flirtmachine in the time machine.
Flirtmachine is actually a time machine: the crew starts the engine, takes off and transports us at the speed of light into the 70s, to Gilberto Gil and Jorge Ben in Rio de Janeiro. Flirtmachine borrows the ease of bossa nova, takes a stand once morest poverty, and skips 10 years like nothing. Next stop 80s, we’re listening Joy Division and New Orderwe leave London behind us once more and end up without a stopover in Berlin in the 90s, with the false colors and the new buildings.
What does a sponge that soaks up everything sound like? In any case, very different Flirtmachine: It absorbs only the finest into its pores, enriches it with precious essences, transforms it into something very special and lets it bubble like no other. It bubbles up particularly beautifully at his live concerts: it strengthens itself Flirtmachine with a top notch band. The aura of a wise soul in a 22-year-old body captivates the audience. An hour and a half goes by in what feels like 10 minutes. The jury would like to thank you for this little journey through time: Congratulations to the winner of the Heimo Erbse Prize 2023!
Information regarding the project
Flirtmachine started in 2019 as a solo project by Salzburg DIY musician Robert Gerstendorfer. In addition to two extra rounds of high school and an impeccable community service, a new Salzburg band project was created with a lot of leisure and love for music, and following the first beats and learned guitar chords the debut album “Prime Time” was released in the same summer.
Shortly therefollowing, three experienced musicians supplemented the project in terms of live performance Flirtmachine and delivered a brilliant debut concert at the just a week before the first 2020 lockdown Rockhouse Local Heroes ab.
As a result, however, the pandemic musician pain also blew its way into the band. In addition to occasional concerts at Take The A-Trainto the DAWN Festival im Rockhouse and the usual club and support gigs through Austria as well as a runaway to Portugal in April 2022, the time had come for the second album in September 2022. This bears the honest title “Flirtmachine Forever” and summarizes a nice chapter of lo-fi indie rock sounds in 9 songs, which has not been heard in this form from Salzburg or without problems in the orbit of the internationally successful colleagues of the genres can exist.
That’s how radio became FM4 drew attention to the band and awarded at the end of 2022 Flirtmachine the “FM4 Soundpark Act Of The Month” title, and single releases like “Lovers”, “Whisper” and “Scenery” ran up and down in the daily rotation. Even Flea of the Liked Red Hot Chili Peppers a song following he became aware of it on Twitter.
With the Heimo pea price and an upcoming record label deal, there are good prospects for Flirtmachine in the new year 2023.
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Links:
Heimo pea price
Rockhouse Salzburg
