The second page of the Florian Ritt

All is well. “I’m grateful for how it is right now,” says the musician, who currently has his hands full, but doesn’t complain about it. After all, he chose the path himself.

Those who know the music that the Upper Austrian serves under the name FRINC know that there is also a musical life besides Folkshilfe. Although FRINC as a band is older than Folkshilfe. But that’s just by the way.

There won’t be a whole album until next year, but with “Pamplona” Ritt is now releasing one more FRINC piece, in which he releases the “big part of High German” in himself and musically lives out his love of hip-hop and world music.

“A few songs were created during the Corona period that I knew would not be cool if I had to change them to suit Folkshilfe. That’s why I wanted to give it a name and brought FRINC back to life,” says the musician in an OÖN interview.

Two projects, one author

As a songwriter, Florian Ritt has Folkshilfe and FRINC days. Earlier this year he was in Tenerife for six weeks and there he was very strong in mind as FRINC in the sense of kitesurfing and songwriting. That’s how he felt in retrospect. But according to his own feeling, this question occupied his mind more than it is now in reality.

“I found out that Folkshilfe and FRINC are Florian Ritt. I am the person from whom all this content arises. It turns out to be authentic. I have the feeling that I can be a lot more Folkshilfe through FRINC and a lot more FRINC through Folkshilfe because it makes me a more holistic musician. In my heart it is equal.”

Back to Pamplona. It’s a euphoric song that Ritt sees as having positive connotations because “you can see yourself and your friends as Pamplona’s bulls, roaming the city partying and symbolically impaling bad moods.” On the other hand, for the Spain lover, the subject is very serious, bullfighting is nothing more than a ritualized murder. “Even if it’s a tradition, you don’t have to continue it,” says Florian Ritt, who found it exciting to take the perspective of the bulls in the song. “They are now taking revenge for all the suffering that was inflicted on them and are now moving from Pamplona to Barcelona.” It is important, as a person and as a musician, to have a clear opinion and attitude. That too is FRINC. Just like Folkshilfe.

The musician also wants to celebrate the moments in life with his songs. As much as there is dancing to the music of FRINC, at “Festivals the hut is torn down”, Florian Ritt does not want to shut himself off from what else is happening in the world, what inspires reflection and rethinking. “It’s not a contradiction for me,” he says.

The Upper Austrian describes FRINC as a grown-up project. “I’m not 16 anymore, I don’t want to be 16 anymore, and I don’t want to sing about subjects I was thinking about when I was 16. I’m an adult now, I’m in my early 30’s and ideally I should be lyrically reflected in my music.”

From the feeling of having arrived

“I feel like I’ve arrived, both with Folkshilfe and with FRINC,” says Florian Ritt, describing his development in this way. “I realize that I’m a musician, musician, songwriter, but also an entrepreneur, have a record company (daughter’s sons, note) with four other people. That’s good for me.”

At the same time, however, this also means being careful with time. So when will Florian Ritt find his peace? You don’t have to wait long for the answer. “January, February, March.” He allows himself to be away from home for many weeks, to enjoy the “beautiful side of the musician’s life”, which he sees as creative work on songs. The calendar is then packed for the rest of the year. There will not only be a lot of Folkshilfe concerts this year, but also appearances with FRINC at various festivals. Ritt will also present “his other side” musically at the Frequency in August in St. Pölten.