Greg Hooper: Unselected (2011)
Greg Hooper: Unselected (2011)
“A new piece using surrogate techniques to generate new works from old. This time I used a recording of the loudest drops of rain falling into a swimming pool as the timing sequence and mapped the pitch sequence of Gymnopedie#1 onto that. It sounded like Brian Eno circa Ambient 1. Some notes didn’t fit and were removed. What remains is that which was unselected.”
Paul Bailey: Retrace Our Steps (2004)
Paul Bailey: Retrace Our Steps (2004)
“Retrace Our Steps is a secular oratorio in 4 acts (2004) based on texts by Gertrude Stein, Guy Debord and Jenny Bitner. the work explores the relationships between idealism, alienation, and consumerism.”
act 4
Retrace Our Steps, Graphic Libretto
curated by david toub
Ward McLain:The Wind Harp (1972)
Ward Mclain:The Wind Harp (1972)
download mp3
“The Wind Harp” was a 1972 sculpture by Ward McLain, an aeolian harp.
I picked up the double album in a 2nd hand shop in the early 80s. This record, together with “Pagan Muzak” by NON (aka Boyd Rice), permanently changed the way that I listened to and thought about music. I had previously been very rigid in my thinking and thought of music as something which you “pushed” out into the world through force of will, yet here was something different, a sculpture played by the wind which transcended human composition (apart of course from the choice of string tuning and the choice of edit).”
(curated and notes by Alan Morse Davies)
Ward Mclain: The Wind Harp (via Discogs)
Boyd Rice/NON: Pagan Muzak (1978)
www.boydrice.com
Marco Lucchi: Marco is Moondogging (2010)
International ensemble/collective o.e.s. created an album with a multitude of interpretations to a composition by the eccentric avant-garde composer, Moondog.
With vocal and instrumental executions, samples and remixes contributed by Hidekazu Wakabayashi, Harold Nono, Roberto Corsini, Marco Lucchi, Giampaolo Violi, Antonio de Braga, Cometa, Eerohz, Massimo Croce, iN2Ni, Jean Montag and Steve Layton.
“Marco is Moondogging” is the hommage that Marco Lucci pays to the legendary figure of Moondog. o.e.s. worked on a song of his entitled “Lovesong” that has a twin in an instrumental track titled “Fujiyama”. The song tells a story that is similar to the one of Tristan and Isolda or of Romeo and Juliet. A very tragic love story.
Listen to the track (via soundcloud)
listen to the track
Download the whole album as a zip file or click here for more downloading and streaming options.
Jim Perkins (Bigo and Twigetti): Chopin Prelude (2010)
Jim Perkins (Bigo and Twigetti): Chopin Prelude (2010)
“The original prelude was one of the first pieces I learnt to play. It sparked hundreds of ideas for potential re-arrangments and just provided a lot of opportunities to experiment. I wanted to be able to fuse all the experience I had of editing digital audio files and mixing, with the sounds of the piano but not by chopping up an existing recording as that is quite limited but by starting with the musical arrangement and the playing of the piece, whilst also keeping in mind the editing and effects I might use later on. This allowed me much more flexibility in producing the piece I wanted. That recording triggered a whole series of events which led me to record endless hours of piano, meet some incredible musicians and studio engineers and ultimately create a whole album of piano and laptop pieces.“
Steve Moshier: Shakeout (1981)
Steve Moshier: Shakeout (1981)
performed by the legendary Cartesian Reunion Memorial Orchestra (1979-1992):
this groundbreaking group featured compositions by Michael Bayer, Chuck Estes, Douglas Hein, William Houston, Steve Moshier, Frank Riddick, and Lloyd Rodgers. at various times, the orchestra featured musicians Jannine Livingston, harpsichord; John Glenn, bass; Lloyd Rodgers, clarinet and keyboard; Douglas Hein, acoustic guitar; Diana Halpern, violin; Joeseph Goodman, violin; and Michael Baer, violincello
Steve Moshier Website
Jon Brenner: Espresto (2010)
Jon Brenner: Espresto (2010) part 3 of 3. all sound sources take from coffee appliances. no instruments were used in this recording. from caffeine machine, released 08 March 2010 music written, performed, and mixed by jon brenner. published by klomp music (ascap). for more info: www.jonbrenner.com jon brenner bandcamp page
anonymousremains-a-hack-in-a-trance (2010)
anonymousremains-a-hack-in-a-trance (2010)
“a music boffin enunciates Shostakovich’s signature motif, this is doubled up as 2 loops of different length
producing a phasing effect, loops of voice,mouth organ,and harp add an swirling impressionistic wash.
The title is a ‘fellow’ composers critique of Shostakovich.produced in Soundforge.”
O – anonymousremains – a hack in a trance by anonymousremains
Matthew Hunter: Prepared Piano Improv. I (2009)
Matthew Hunter: Prepared Piano Improv. I (2009)
Prepared Piano Improv. I (2009) by Matthew Hunter
“”Utilising the unusual timbres of an inelegantly prepared piano as devised by myself and my sound engineer friend Dan.
A chance meeting with resulted in us toying with a piano at the school of music. I was being clever and showinghim how to mute the strings with my hand. In response he took 4 or 5 plastic folders out of his bag and placed them across all the strings.We liked the sound so much that we moved into the studio. He set up mics, carefully spread the folders across the strings, put some headphones on me, and told me to play. This was the result, and it was only when he played it back to me a few weeks later that I realised how well it worked. Hopefully there will be more in the future.”
EMU Recording Studio, Edler Conservatorium of Music. Recorded by Dan Pitman.”
Martin White (Bonang): Pools (2009)
Martin White (Bonang): Pools (2009)
“This piece is based around rhythmic and melodic permutations. I love the idea of winding up processes and seeing where they go. One day someone’ll figure out the title… which has nothing at all to do with water”
Jim Goodin: Window (2010)
Window is a looped piece that slowly builds, layer upon layer, with the various pitches and timbres of the violin added as it progresses. The piece has a somewhat Asian feel at times, but the effect of the increasing strings is to fill up the space almost like an orchestra.
Here is what Jim Goodin writes about this piece:
“Window was created with my rather primitive violin technique and a Digitech Hardwire Delay/Looper pedal. I’m using some arcing technique as well as repeated figures indicative of my interest and influence in minimalism in music. … My violin is a custom made electric solid body 4 string. Window is completely improvisation, no music was pre-thought or noted.”
Further information can be found here.
First posted on the ImprovFriday October 15, 2010 event.
JC Combs: The Drone In My Life (2010)
JC Combs: The Drone In My Life: (2010)
Dark, mysterious combination of piano and menacing ambient atmospherics fashioned from processed piano sounds. Creates a feeling of anxiety as if in an alien cityscape at night. Tension builds nicely by the restrained suspension of long tones.
Here is what JC Combs writes about this piece:
“The Drone in My Life” is from a small scale set called “Affliction Suite ” … The piece consists entirely of piano improvisation, including the inside of the piano. As with the other works I employ post-improvisation (what I and others nowadays refer to as re-composition) techniques via audio tool platforms. As for its form, its split into two sections. The first showcasing free piano improvisation with the drone backing up the piano, and the second half where the drone permeates the piece – as the title suggests. Of course, I strive for some humor in my works, in this case the title word play on Feldman’s “Viola in My Life.”
Art Jarvinen: Breaking the Chink (1993)
Art Jarvinen: Breaking the Chink (1993)
performed by Icebreaker (soprano saxophone, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, trombone, violin, viola, electric bass, 2 electric guitars, synthesizer (or piano), 2 percussion)
Arthur Jarvinen 1956-2010 (via David Ocker/Mixed Meters)
An Art Jarvinen Portrait (via Kyle Gann/Postclassic)
Art Jarvinen website/music compositions
Alex Carpenter: Fainting Spell Mix (2010)
Alex Carpenter: Fainting Spell Mix (2010)
Fainting Spell Mix is an ambient work similar to that being created by James Ross and Richard Lainhart. Alex uses a self-designed multi-amp and delay network he calls the Live Audio Delay System and achieves a convincing sense of stasis and movement simultaneously. In this piece Alex plays guitar and produces a fine, music box-like texture that seems to hang in the air. The result is a restful and engaging piece that holds your interest even as it slowly unfolds. ’Fainting Spell Mix’ was originally posted at ImprovFriday for the September 25, 2010 event.
More info at http://transparentmeans.net/
KraftiM: Itsium (2010)
“Itsium is a part one of a little symphony and can be seen as a short successor of FraxurY, because again soundwaves from my Swedish collegue and mate frags were used here.
For this release again a combination of scandinavian names and dutch dodekagrams are used to give the hopeful feel in these serious pieces. These tracks will be used on a full album that will be released summer 2010 on netlabel Musictrade
Developing since then with influences from classic masterpieces towards more ambient, drone-like pieces that try to capture the full complexity of silence, as well as more rhythmic experimental pieces that try to shift yer mood rather than move yer feet”
jamendo website
uvumi website
musictrade.info website
indie music works
Neil Rolnick: Plays Well With Others (2004)
from the album Digits
“Some kids only seem to get along with other kids when they get their own way. You’ve got to play by their rules. You’ve got to let them win. Otherwise, they’ll see that you get taken out of the game. Georgie told us he was the kind of kid who played well with others, but it turns out that he and Dickie had other plans.
Plays Well With Others was written for the Paul Dresher Ensemble’s Electro-Acoustic Band.”
Simeon-Diex/Marcello Dirks (2009)
Simeon-Diex/Marcello Dirks (2009)
“Originally a pure piano-piece, this is breaking in Garitan’s Personal Orchestra on Kontakt 4 with a tribute-work-in-progress to one of my favorite Dutch composers; Simeon ten Holt”
marcello dirks soundcloud (synopsis decay)
marcello dirks soundcloud 1
marcello dirks soundcloud 2
Bruce Hamilton-Glibs (2010)
“Glibs” is about trying to create a static yet floating or soaring environment. I use Paul Muller’s minimalist textures a lot in my IF (ImprovFriday) mashes and usually use most or all of his tracks, but this time i just took a few bars and looped them with some processing to create a pulsing, energized, harmonic pad.
To this groove I couldn’t resist adding and tweaking Jukka-Pekka Kervien’s glitchtronica, which is also very busy but ultimately a static texture. On top of these controlled fireworks Adam Kondor’s sparse string lines hover, providing an acoustic contrast with slow melancholic melodies and counterpoint. I manipulated these lines a fair amount to get them to sit right in the harmony and in the mix.
Finally I added some warm pizzicato bass tones to flesh out the spectrum and add harmonic nuance. So ultimately it’s the acoustic string elements that provide form, and the electronic parts ,both stable and chaotic, that serve as eternal and essentially unchanging presences.
I like the simultaneously human and otherworldly feelings thesecontrasts can provide, and love the fact that these elements were contributed from around the planet and remixed within a weekend.”
via Improv Friday Event June 17th-19th 2010
commentary via Improv Friday podcast August 18th 2010
Incantations – Alan Stones (2010)
Incantation is the first of three short pieces written for a collaborative dance project with American choreographer Allyson Green and artist Peter Terezakis, which was premiered in San Diego in March of this year. The dance piece, entitled ‘Archive of Happiness’ is a rememberance and celebration of two great choreographers/dancers who recently passed away – Pina Bausch and Merce Cunningham.
Curated by Jim Perkins – Alan Stones Ballad no.1 appears on twigetticast no.3
James Ross-Undifferentiated Light (2010)
James Ross-Undifferentiated Light (2010)
Solo electric guitar and Boss RC-50 looper. Inspired by Aldous Huxley’s 1961 MIT lecture, “Visionary Experience.”
Undifferentiated Light by jrossmusic
James Ross at Goodbye Blue Monday, on Fri., August 20.
also performed (on video) were Alex Carpenter and Michael Waller with help technical help from Richard Lainhart, Jim Goodin and the folks at ImprovFriday for helping to make it a great night.
Matt Marks-I Don’t Have Any Fun (2010)
Matt Marks-I Don’t Have Any Fun (2010)
from the opera “The Little Death Volume 1″
“The Little Death: Vol. 1, Matt Marks’ post-Christian nihilist pop opera, is an ambitious new work that fuses bombastic electro-pop hooks, frenetically chopped break beats, hypnotic lyrics, and apocalyptic Christian imagery. Holding these disparate elements together is a unconventional narrative that follows two characters, Boy (Matt Marks) and Girl (Mellissa Hughes), on a journey through the world of Fundamentalist Evangelism, as they cope with repressed sexuality in a modern world.
The sample-heavy work draws on musical references that echo the character’s sexual-religious confusion, including pop songs and gospel standards with evocative titles (“He Touched Me” and “When God Dips His Love In My Heart”). Marks took most of the sampled material from his own collection of 1970s gospel albums and classic hip-hop and soul recordings. Using a DIY approach, he produced the album using only a couple of microphones and a laptop running Ableton Live.
The stage show as directed by Rafael Gallegos takes inspiration from a number of sources, including The Brady Bunch Variety Hour and church lock-ins”
Alan Morse Davies-Night Falls Fast IV (2010)
Alan Morse Davies-Night Falls Fast (2005)
“Night Falls Fast was composed for the contemporary dance work of the same name by John Utans. The original performance was with the Milwaukee Ballet at the Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee, U.S.A. in February 2005.
Sections of the work were also used for the stage play “Through Wyeth’s Window” by the Aperture Tectonics Theatre Company at the Prince Music Theater, Philadelphia, U.S.A. in 2006.
In 2009 the earlier parts were remastered and a new 6th part added. The 1st, 2nd and 6th parts were then used in a new interpretation of the dance piece by John Utans for HKAPA dancers at the Monaco Dance Forum on 1st, 2nd and 3rd of April 2010 in Monte Carlo”
Night Falls Fast (archive.org)
Landscaping for Privacy-Eve Beglarian (1995)
Landscaping for Privacy-Eve Beglarian (1995)
“was written in August-September 1995 for twisted tutu (Kathleen Supové, keyboards and Eve Beglarian, vocals) while we were in residence at the Bellagio Center in Italy under the auspices of the Rockefeller Foundation. The poem is by Linda Norton. The keyboard part was written to be played using the arpeggiator function of a synth keyboard, sort of like a new convertible with an automatic transmission. I tried to capture the fragile elation urban types feel at driving out of the city on a beautiful Saturday morning in spring.”
A recording of Landscaping for Privacy is on the CD Tell the Birds and also on the compilation CRI Emergency Music.
Landscaping for Privacy is May 30th in Eve’s ongoing project A Book of Days.
Libretto
The hedges along the parkway, the trees, the trees–
They sashay, they nearly genuflect, they breathe.
It’s good to breathe; it’s good to get away in summer,
It makes you feel clean. The city, the squalor, the mess,
That’s what’s killing us. Did I tell you about the rat
I saw in the subway last night? It had a swollen belly
And no fear, it went right for a transvestite in heels!
Enough; I know; not here, not now; I should relax,
Shut up, let go. Oh, yes, Long Island’s very fresh and nice;
Do they have rats out here, or just field mice? And I forget,
What do people do with themselves in the suburbs?
The streets are empty, the lawns unused. If I lived here,
I’d spread out, I’d hang a hammock, I’d keep sheep,
I’d dig a well. I’d build hummocks to my own
Specs, I’d be positively pastoral.But you’re right, of course. Of course, you’re right.
I couldn’t keep sheep, there’s probably an ordinance,
They’d shoot me for ruining property values.
But what’s property, anyway? Years ago
I read about a pillar of roses in an English garden
And so I own it, I have the deed by heart.
Speaking of which, pull over, look,
Here’s a surprise for you. Check out my bicep.
Do you like my new tattoo?What do you mean, “What is it, did it hurt?”
It’s a miniature gazebo! Of course it hurt!
Note the incredible detail, the wicked craftsmanship.
See–it’s a garden pagoda for me and you,
With ivy, and grass, and a snake in the grass.
Hey, what are you doing? Oh yes, that’s good,
Yes, kiss it and make it better. Because
It did hurt a bit. In fact, it hurt like hell
(Remember that night when you touched me
And I yelled?)OK, let’s drive, let’s tour the hydrangeas
And the lawns. What could be more suggestive
Than a grassy mattress? Maybe that TV glowing
In a darkened den, shades nearly drawn.
Slow down, slow down–that’s strange: a sick room,
A suburban tomb, on a day like this,
With the clouds all starched and bustling
In a Disney sky. Look, they have a gazebo, too,
Jam-packed with rusted rakes and trash.If I had their lawn I’d soak it and sun bathe on it,
I’d sleep out under the stars, I’d walk to the mall
And strap a sack of fertilizer to my back and hike
All the way home. We’ve lived in the city far too long,
Yes, that’s what’s killing us. That, and this monument
To love we lug, this brick inscribed FOREVER.
Let’s let it sink. Let’s kiss. Give me the wheel,
I’ll drive so you can look at clouds.“All clouds are clocks,” bulldozing time.
Do you remember who said that?
A pauper? A philosopher?
Well, he was right,
Those pretty clouds are bullies–Bouffant armada,
Fluffy but cruel,
Ushering last days for many.
–Linda Norton
Copralalia, la la la- Mary Jane Leach (2002)
Copralalia, la la la- Mary Jane Leach (2002)
“is for two sopranos and taped voices. “Copralalia” is the term for the vocal outbursts of Tourette’s Syndrome sufferers. It derives from the Greek word “copros,” meaning “shit.” I wrote this piece when I was working on a project about witches, trying to find explanations for why some people were/are called witches. I thought that the vocal outbursts of Turette’s Syndrome would be frightening and perhaps sufferers from it could be called witches. The lyrics are by the medieval French poet Castelloza”
Download Copralalia, la la la- Mary Jane Leach (2002)
Libretto
