The Field Reporter: 2013 in retrospective

   :: Images courtesy of 'The Field Reporter ::

The online journal, "The Field Reporter" (David Valez), is publishing a series of articles as a 2013 retrospect. First three have been released on their website and include

Part I: 'Recording excursion snapshot: Sound gathering on England’s North East coastline'. Tessa Elieff.

Part II: 'In praise of movement'. Patrick Farmer.

Part III: 'Two thousand and thirteen, the Grande Syntagmatique. Or an attempt to provide an exhaustive classification of the segmentation of a yearly narrative'. Budhaditya Chattopadhyay.

Well worth a read and a listen!

Looking for Cowslips

:: Looking for Cowslips - live performance @ the Salon, Melbourne Recital Centre ::

The final evenings performance for Mira Calix included compositions from British composers Tansy Davies, Larry Groves and Emily Hall. I was not familiar with any of their work but will be keeping my third eye and ear attuned in the future, as I enjoyed and was intrigued by their various approaches in composition. 

By far the piece that shone on the night (in my memories) was 'Wedding List' (Calix) from the contemporary opera piece, 'Dead Wedding'. During rehearsals it did not particularly register with me and yet as the night at the Salon pulled you closer, it rose to the point of becoming a modest yet ideal example of the elements that Calix brings together for her work in contemporary classical/electronic composition. 

Musicians for this piece were:

Zoe Knighton - Cello

Anna Webb - Viola

Aviva Endean - Clarinet

Lotte Betts-Dean - Soprano

Mira Calix - Electronics

Together they generated a sweetness in the air that began with a coy shyness between soprano and clarinet. Timid refrains created a melodic conversation between the two, to be joined by quieter chanting voices and delicate electronics in their sonic background. The piece builds and it's musical elements lose their inhibitions, expressing a release of the emotion 'Love'. It becomes harder to differentiate between the electronic sounds, soprano and strings. Vocals, strings and electronics swirl, layer upon layer, bonding to create a pocket of warmth that you are fortunate enough to be existing in, as they inspire and act as catalyst to the atmosphere growing around them.

At the finish of this piece I believe I became, 'stuck'.

It's lingering impression and mood was such that I could not wholeheartedly focus on those that followed, as my heart was still with, 'Wedding List'.

Fables & Other Works

:: Rehearsal artefacts :: 

The first evening went well and I must admit, I was relieved once it was complete and looking for that glass of red wine. I was struck by how different the pieces sounded when removed from the comfort and somewhat casual but hectic nature of rehearsal. They seemed a lot 'harder' in observation - both in the musicians act of physically playing the pieces and in the challenges of non-conventional composition, presented to the listening audience. 

In the formality of the concert, the boundaries between the expected/accepted and the new - being tampered with in composition methods and creative content, was laid out bare on a stark background to be opposed, accepted or simply observed as one would see fit. 

Personally, I found it exciting but also a little terrifying. 'He Fell Amongst Roses' was a typical example of the above, with  it's crescendo being reached as musicians frantically bowed their instruments with heightened strength and aggression as to evoke a level of volume and intensity that left me feeling exhilarated and oddly enough - frightened. They finish in unison on a single note almost as a vocal shout of triumph (or war-cry), while Mira Calix continues playing the electronic sounds of a thumping beat typically heard through the walls of a club - to fade into a muffled sub frequency that soaks into the sonic surroundings before finally reaching silence.

Tonight is the Salon. 

See you there.

Fables & Other Works: Looking for Cowslips. Rehearsals.

:: Guest performers :: 

I joined Mira Calix for her rehearsal schedule, to find developments moving quickly. I missed the first couple of rehearsals and those small voids covered an expanse of progress well beyond what I would expect to achieve in rehearsal time. She moves quickly!! While I scoop up scores with recently added pencil markings and hand written scribblings - to save them before they disappear into the flurry of actions and objects that together - bring the works to life - Mira has moved on to the next rehearsal piece and is describing moods and inspirations to the musicians.

These moments of explanation from Mira have become a bit of a favourite of mine. They are moments of quiet, whereby the musicians (and I from afar) sit and listen, to the tales of how/why/where/who - reasons of creation - intended emotional response and translation of the above through the playing of their instruments. I've always enjoyed a good story teller... Captions that I remember from her tales include, 'Egyptian basement acid trip', 'Whirling dervishes' and 'thick, dense, soupy air'. There were so many more but I've managed to forget them already.

:: Rehearsal in Elisabeth Murdoch Hall - in progress ::

Wednesday's rehearsal was in the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall of the Melbourne Recital Centre and included the musicians,

Amir Farid - Piano
Josie Vains - Cello
Sarah Curro - Violin
Jo Beaumont - Violin
Aviva Endean - Clarinet
Anna Webb - Viola

The two pieces that have haunted me with their sounds since this rehearsal are 'Nunu' and the 'Made of Music' commission, 'He Fell Amongst Roses'. I'm trying not to give too much away but I will say that both are strikingly different but cover two pressure points of my own likings, them being, instruments as used to generate organic sounds (opposed to traditional musical notes) and the lure of repetitive beat - that is typically not so present in classical as it is in dance music. 

Thursdays rehearsal was considerably quieter - with more time to hear inspirations from Mira and to be inspired myself. Musicians included,

Amir Farid - Piano
Zoe Knighton - Cello
Lotte Betts-Dean - Soprano
Aviva Endean - Clarinet
Anna Webb - Viola

While Wednesday seemed to focus on 'larger' pieces (if this makes sense), Thursdays works conveyed a sense of smaller tales of the sweet, sour and disruptive. The room was the, 'Salon' which is considerably smaller and much more intimate than the large hall. Sounds are more direct - there is less need for amplification and each piece feels as if it is being told to you by a close friend, rather than a speaker announcing to a crowd. 'Narcissus' is a piece aptly named and provokative in nature - to the point that you enjoy it's discord. In contrast, 'I am Alone', leaves you internally weeping and holding your loved ones close to you in joy and sorrow - together as one....

If I had to choose one night to attend then I would chose Saturday night in the Salon. (I have always liked smaller crowds and closer friends for company). Either of the nights would give you a whirlwind of emotions as generated by the musical repertoire - collecting you from your point of beginning and delivering you at the point of end - with the feeling of having gained experiences unique to the world.

Not to be missed......

Booking details: 

Friday in the Elisabeth Murdoch Hall: Fables & Other Works can be found HERE

Saturday in the Salon: Looking for Cowslips can be found HERE

Samadhi Mechanism: Live for Moozak

I can't remember the last time I left the house. I did go to my day job at some point in the hazy past but that's all it's become - hayyyyyzeeeeeeeee. Moozak is fast approaching and I have managed to reconfigure my control environment for this piece. The Behringer BCR2000 was beginning to look a little tired and as per all of us in the gadgets, gizmos, apps and widgets age - I've come to expect more.

The system I will be using for Moozak involves the Jazz mutant ipad app, 'Lemur'. I remember when these came out as an all in one touch screen + software hardware module for a cool $5000 give or take. Oh did I want one. And wasn't Bjork the envy of us all when she used her fame and influence to buy the things dreams are made of and coerce the creators of the Reactable to part with their treasure. I wasn't Bjork and I didn't have $5000 + dollars. I was the very-uncool one in the corner trying to find a way - any way - to get my hands on a Jazz Mutant Lemur.

Fast forward about five years and my wish is granted - no longer do I have to save my 5 cent pieces for a piece of glorified hardware - I can just get the app for $50 (and that is one expensive app mind you.....) and an ipad that does cost enough to make make you retch a little but hey.... I gave up justifying gear money a long time ago....

The selected elements to bring Samadhi Mechanism to life are
1. Audiomulch
2. Code controller by Livid
3. Ipad running Lemur.

It was harder than expected - but then again, the first time with a new setup is always a little bumpy and seeing as the piece had already been created, it was not such a fun process, more just the hardwork of trying to make the system do what I had been fantasising about for 5 long years. I managed to get there in the end and the final patch that I implemented in Audiomulch will definitely be made use of - good and proper with double digit speaker systems at some point in the future (I've made that promise to myself....). I havent' had any major buggs yet that I haven't been able to fix and I must say - it makes me nervous. Really would prefer not to crash and burn in Vienna - would much prefer it at those gigs you play with the one guy in a trenchcoat sitting at the end of the bar watching you and you know he's not there to listen... Those gigs always go smoothly but the big ones seem to find an excuse to FREAKOUT.

Enough delusional rambling. I would like to sleep before I get on the plane so back to it I go. I wish you could be there and maybe you will. I'm at sleep deprived level where I can see my microphone cases moving out of the corner of my eye but dammitt!!! -  they stop as soon as I look right at'em.... crafty buggers....

A Moment.....

:: Reel to Reel at the NFSA ::

I had a moment today, where I realised that I had never threaded up a reel to reel tape......

A few months ago I was spending 14 hour days setting up systems based on the 'Latest Technology'. I had (and will have) lengthy discussions on why the Digico desks are so user friendly and why the Roland's are not.  About the algorithms behind Nexo speakers and how they need to be configured and hung at what degrees to each other for the sound waves to carry correctly and for the the space to sound the best it possibly can. About multicore - opticore and hardcore. About if dubstep is a 'real' genre and wether or not Skrillex is just a poormans Aphex Twin or a talent in his own right. I'd debate wether or not live midi control compared to real musicians and if midi could be classed as 'Live' anyway...??

I'd be treading water in the pool of method and technology.

Today it seems they over-lapped me...

touché

Trip to the NFSA - Canberra

Hands-on exhibit, NFSA 2012

I found myself wandering through the entrance to the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) in Canberra just after the weekend. My only wish was that I had made it there earlier in the day as the Library collection closes at 3 - regardless - it was a bit of a treasure trove worth rumaging through for a dose of Australian history. They have a small and intimate theatre that shows a selection of footage, movies and moving imagery, depending on the program at the NFSA. While I was there I watched some old footage of some of Australia's first travellers to the Antactic (With Sir Douglas Mawson). Was pretty entertaining listening to the tales of the photographer that Mawson selected to take with him on the trip and of course, the weather conditions were brutal. I know that travellers today experience the same conditions but even considering the technology of the travel wear and equipment (shoes, jackets, thermals) now compared to then, made you aware (as the observer) of just how savage the trip to Antarctica would have been in the early 1900's. As a photographer, your dedication to your art would been unquestionable...

Sound Effects Booth, NFSA 2012

They had managed to salvage an old sound effects module as commonly used in radio and movies alike (to your left). The carved wooden 'feet' for the sound of walking and footsteps sounded unreal - triggering memory recall of cartoons and old movie scenes where a character is hiding from someone behind a closed door, as they slowly walk across the room.... Currently, the NFSA is asking for nominations for the 'Sounds of Australia, 2012' - will have to think about this one for a bit. The collection was launched in 2007 and has since had sounds from songs, radio, comedies and speeches added.

It's worth mentioning that the Mediatheque at ACMI in Melbourne also provides access to the NFSA's collection and all for free to the public. Again, give yourself plenty of time though. Sound and vision are time based art forms and it is more than easy to spend a day in Mediatheque booth, watching footage of melbourne's 'Sharpies' movement from the early 70's - or scrolling through the recording snippets in their data base. 

Inspiration for Moozak and Vienna

Gordon Matta-Clark: Conical Intersect, 1975

I am inspired by the space that will house the Moozak Festival. The venue is called MediaOpera - which is a space that was transformed from an old cattleshed into a venue. The thought of unleashing my sounds into such a space definitely sparks my creative intuition - pulling my ideas to the work of 70's artist, Gordon Matta-Clark. Originally schooled in architecture, Matta-Clark became known for his work that entailed cutting out pieces of floors, walls and ceilings from old and unused buildings (building cuts), leaving gaping holes in the walls of our realities.

'I aim to convert a place into a state of mind'
Matta-Clark: 1976

Gordon Matta-Clark: Office Baroque, 1977

I like the fact that he makes physical, changes to our environment that are not dissimilar to the changes that I envision when I work with sound and space. I like the fact that for the Moozak festival, artists are being placed within a space that has a previous identity (MediaOpera - Cattleshed) so there is already present an undertone impression of this character. The space has already been altered - and while we view it's built purpose and intent as being completely different to that of it's origin, the first reality still exists - moulding with the new and creating a new reality that is neither how it was, nor how we think we have made it to be.

Let's see what I will be able to add to the equation.......

Letter to Aphex Twin and Autechre

Dear Aphex Twin/Autechre,

if you could please make the world I project onto you real - if you could take away all those horrors that cease to exist with the reality you entertain, then I might grant you the benefit of the doubt - that you are infact - interested in a greater good, and not just a money making making machine as part of the consumerism that has devoured us in our sleep. Can you promise me this? Can you prove to me that this is still the case? That you did not sell the soul of your sounds to a car commercial (Boards of Canada) or perhaps to a 'larger audience' purely for mass appeal.

I ask you this.

I ask what your intent is.

I ask you not to succumb to the nightmares I know exist.

I ask you to continue creating an alternative to a bigger problem, I ask that you do not give in and decide that all is in vain.

It all is relevant.

Every decision is valid

The passing of time is no excuse for submission or apathy.

Can you promise an anonymous listener?


Regards,

The Electric (Quiet) Car

-was quite excited to hear about the rebirth of the electric car

better late than never...........

One of it's noticable feautures would be the fact that it is

S I L E N T.

Joy of joys we have finally found one solution to one primary culprit in the crime of sonic pollution.

Alas my enthusiasm was to be curbed - but not completely destroyed, at the release of articles such as this one.

It would seem that we have acclimatised to the constant humm of traffic to the point at which a drop in the volume of the sound, generates feelings of unease - even of possible threat to our safety.

While there is no doubt that the sound of a car's engine is an excellent indicator and sensory alarm for those with and without visual impairment I think it would be wise to acknowledge the fact that we now have the luxury of choice. Perhaps a reduction in level could be implemented - encouraging a movement against the belief that 'It must be louder to be heard'.

A golden opportunity to wean ourselves off the barrage of noise we have become deaf to and rediscover the experience of sound?

I hope so.............