Anyone who believes that Oberkrainermusik has lost its relevance is seriously mistaken. Time and again, artists with this musical genre of Slovenian folk music place themselves in the charts. The “Soundhaufn” studio in Wünschendorf near Gleisdorf is also responsible for this.
Countless interpreters come to Manfred Gradwohl’s studio near Gleisdorf every year. And they also know why. He is one of those people who has Oberkrainer music in their blood. The instrumental line-up (consisting of trumpet, clarinet, accordion, guitar and baritone) and the unmistakable specific use of the instruments created an unprecedented sound style. Even Andreas Gabalier put the crown on the Christmas classic, “Last Christmas”, with Oberkrainer sounds from “Oberkrainer Power”.
The father of the Oberkrainer style is Slavko Avsenik, who together with his brother Vilko began in 1955 to make this music socially acceptable. A museum in Begunje, Slovenia shows the development of this music, which found its way around the world decades ago. Slavko Avsenik died in July 2015 at the age of 85.
Over 1,000 original compositions
Manfred Gradwohl guarantees quality. 10 years Mürzaler, 30 years stage experience and for almost 20 years his studio sound has been known for the best quality in the popular music scene. Many top CD productions, but also countless live arrangements show his signature. The Musikantenstadl team around Karl Moik had already trusted Fredi Gradwohl’s precise arrangements for years. We don’t want to go into any more detail about his live instruments, which he set up around himself during his performances. The native of Fehringer only masters 15 instruments, from accordions to drums to keyboards.
Even when he was still playing with the Fehring town band, he received the gold medal for percussion. With his neighbor he founded the band “The Boys” and at the same time “Die Fehringer”. He then played for years as an accordionist and keyboard player with the “6 Steirern”. At Knöbl Records, too, he earned an excellent reputation as a sound engineer in his youth.
Professional career
In 1995 he started his professional career as the musical director of the band “Die Mürzaler”. Over 1,000 live concerts on five continents, appearances at the Musikantenstadl from all over Europe, South Africa, America, Australia and the Caribbean followed. Five times participation in the “Grand Prix of Folk Music”, successful CD productions with over 250 television programs made the thoroughbred musician well known. Since 1998 he has lived with his family in Wünschendorf near Gleisdorf, where he also runs his own recording studio. For 16 years he has been realizing his own projects with his “Oberkrainern Allstars”, “Fredl’s Soundhaufn” and special Oberkrainer concerts with the Grand Prix winners Sigrid and Marina from the Salzkammergut. A project with his daughter Julia will also start in the near future.
“I think that the music has lost its value recently due to the many free downloads from various portals. If you hold a long-playing record or CD in your hand, it also shows appreciation and respect for the artist by buying it,” says Manfred Gradwohl . And further “The crisis has hit the music industry enormously. If the government changes the framework again (mask requirement, distance, etc.), then we are full of confidence that we can build on past successes.”
Many artists rely on Fredi
That the musician, arranger, composer, sound engineer and unit manager understands his trade, he has already proven with countless other artists. For example, the title “A bass, a guitar and an accordion” was composed by the young Paldauers together with Hanneliese Kreißl-Wurth (text). The song made it into the finals of the “Grand Prix of Folk Music” in 2010. He also worked on the title “Rock mi” by the Alpenrellen from 1998, the group VoXXclub only helped him get hit parades some time ago.
He has also published and delivered the most successful productions with Marc Pircher, Alpenrebellen, Zillertaler Haderlumpen, Mooskirchnern, Grafen, Zellberg Buam, Heimatland Quintett, Innsbrucker Böhmische and many other interpreters not mentioned here.
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