Untwelving präsentiert: The Xenharmonic Space

Leading figures from the xenharmonic scene explore the world of microtonal sounds through the prism of synthwave, Anatolian songwriting and sound experiments. To round off the programme, the band Embryo blends traditional melodies from the Arab world with new compositions in experimental tuning systems.

The Münchner Kammerspiele and the music discourse magazine *Positionen – Texte zur aktuellen Musik* invite you to the EDO Convention “Untwelving” from 22 to 24 May 2026 – a genre-neutral, interdisciplinary festival for contemporary microtonal and xenharmonic music across all genres. Untwelving brings an international and largely digital scene to Munich live for the first time on this scale and sees itself as a forum for encounters in artistic practice, discourse, education and shared experience. “Untwelving” – literally: “un-twelving” – challenges the dominance of traditional 12-tone equal temperament and opens up new sonic spaces through alternative tunings, the Equal Divisions of the Octave (EDO) and other microtonal systems. Both the convention and the concerts are deliberately open to contributions from pop, rock, electronic, jazz, improvised music and contemporary composition. They demonstrate just how diverse and vibrant this young international scene is, which has grown since the early 2010s primarily through digital platforms such as Discord, YouTube and podcasts, and has developed its practices, theories and instrumental innovations there.

The composer and YouTuber Tolgahan Çoğulu is regarded as a leading authority in this field. He has developed an adjustable microtonal guitar on which he performs his own compositions, which blend Anatolian tradition with pop-cultural influences. Ayşegül Aykaç provides the vocals.

FastFast, aka James Mulvale from Canada, combines sophisticated song arrangements with hints of indie pop and synthwave. Within this soundscape, which initially feels familiar, dizzying harmonic progressions open doors to intense listening experiences – a high achieved entirely without substances.

The Munich-based group Embryo has been ‘un-doubting’ and touring the world since the late 1960s. They are more than just a band. Embryo represents a globally ramified learning network centred on the band’s founder Christian Burchard, who passed away in 2017, and his daughter Marja Burchard. Driven by an enduring curiosity for the music of the world and for artistic communication between people, Embryo’s unique sonic cosmos emerges here — anew time and again — with asymmetrical rhythms and in maqam-based tuning systems. Together with their guests, violinist Fabiana Striffler and oud player Abathar Kmash, Embryo combine old melodies from the Arab world with new creations for Untwelving.

Composer and xenharmonic podcaster Stephen Weigel, as well as experimental musician Tachy Bunker, act as free agents in the interstitial space.

untwelving.com

Embryo

c

Enid Valu

FastFast

c

Archive

Ayşegül Aykaç & Tolgahan Çoğulu Duo

c

Archive

Tachy Bunker

c

Archive

 