| 12 april
2010 many things to point you towards this time around, including the first hint of a few new releases due this year, and some insight into my recent move here to estonia in the form of an interview in the estonian art-blog artishok. also some upcoming (virtual) participation in an event in paris, my fateful (sort of) acceptance of the ubiquity of facebook, and the upcoming 2nd edition of helikoosolek:tartu. spring has now truly sprung here in eesti - the snow is all but gone, with just a few patches left hiding in the shade. leaf piles are burning everywhere you look, and the first crocuses are beginning to appear. it is also kaskmahl (birch juice) season; the sweet fresh sap of the birch tree is a traditional spring drink here, and i tapped my first tree this morning. in about 6 hours we've already collected upwards of 4 litres. soon nettles and wild herbs will be appearing - it promises to be a fruitful season! ::: framework 1-4 announced on herbal, malaysia ::: the malaysian record label herbal has now announced the publication of a new murmer double cd for later this year, a series i've been working on for a long time, and which shares its name with my radio show: http://herbalinternational.blogspot.com 'framework 1-4' is a series of experiments with untreated field recordings, and an attempt to explore the blurry edges between documentary and creative use of found sound. the works have been created with individual sets of self-imposed rules or restrictions, some composed with only hard edits and no equalization or level shifts, some with the possibility of layering, and some with conceptual skeletons. i hope with these works to question my own sense of 'musicality' and it's inherent existence in the sounds that surround us. this should be appearing sometime late summer or early fall... ::: interview in artishok, estonia ::: the estonian art-blog artishok has just published an interview in order to kindly introduce my activites to my new adoptive community, and attempt to work out just what exactly is it i think i 'm doing here (besides tapping birch trees to drink their sap): http://artishok.blogspot.com the interview was conducted via email by maarin mürk, artishok's creator and publisher. ::: new work at parisonic, paris, france ::: parisonic, a 2 day festival for sound projections happening in paris, has invited me to present both a new solo murmer work, and the framework250 cd compilations at part of their programme on the 1st and 2nd of may. i sadly won't be able to attend myself, but a new untitled work (to be released later this year by one of my favorite labels, fingers crossed) will be diffused, and the framework compilations will be showcased and available for purchase. other invited artists include yannick dauby, eric la casa, steve roden, brandon labelle, and more: http://parisonic.fr ::: framework on facebook, cyberspace ::: i have long avoided myspace, facebook, friendster, linked in, etc, etc, etc, but some friends (with the help of a nice bottle of vodka) finally convinced me that i'm not doing myself any favors, certainly not in light of my current attempts to get framework radio out to a broader audience. so while my own personal profile is still happily hidden away, pictureless and freindless, framework radio now has a shiny new 'wall', and it's memberlist is growing steadily. so come join the fun! search for 'framework radio' and come be my 'fan'! http://www.facebook.com/pages/framework-radio/109376669092012 ::: and furthermore ::: the first meeting of helikoosolek tartu went very well and was very well attended; we hope the enthusiasm will continue. so official announcment yet on what will be happening at the next meeting, on the last wednesday of this month, april 28th, but we think it will involve some fun with our own john grzinich, and hopefully a visit from estonian nature recordist veljo runnel. also coming up will be some activites in tallinn as part of the tuned city series of events for tallinn culture capital 2011 (http://www.tunedcity.de), a residency, installation and perhaps performance in portugal as part of the may x-op symposium happening there, and an upcoming workshop and performance with max shentelevs and estonian singer kago in torun, poland in june. i'll also be working as usual at glastonbury music festival in the UK in june, so if you happen to be there, look me up at the deluxe diner! phew! and if you made it this far, my hat goes off to you! thanks for reading! 16 march 2010 having made it through the depths of my first estonian winter, we now seem to be alternating between warm (that is, around 0 degrees celcius) sunny, drippy days as the mountains of accumulated snow melt, and fresh snowfalls with dropped temperatures that deposit a new layer of fluffy white onto an icy crust. i have been busy making plans for 2010 and finishing an engineering project with local experimental folk band vaikuse koosolek (roughly translating as gathering of silence). more info on that when the material becomes available. so here are some brief notes on some upcoming virtual and literal appearance. ::: postcards from gowanus, nyc, usa ::: a few of my works have been included by maria papadomanolaki in the 'sib radio' portion of her 'postcards from gowanus' project: Postcards from Gowanus is a creative research program exploring a multitude of approaches to mapping Brooklyn’s Gowanus neighborhood. An exhibit and radio narrowcast will occur at Cabinet’s gallery space March 17-19, with a closing reception and performances on Friday, March 19 from 6-9pm. The program is collaboratively organized by Penny Duff (exhibit), Gabrielle Herbst (performances), and Maria Papadomanolaki (radio) as part of Cabinet's Intern Initiative Program and is sponsored in part by free103point9. Cabinet is located at 300 Nevins Street between Union and Sackett Streets in Gowanus, Brooklyn. The gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, 12–6pm, and by appointment. For more information about the program, please visit: http://postcardsfromgowanus.blogspot.com http://sibradio.blogspot.com http://www.cabinetmagazine.org http://www.free103point9.org ::: ToBeContinued, topolo, italy ::: my piece 'swarm', originally commissioned by silanceradio/kunstradio and broadcast on kunstradio, vienna in 2008, will be included as part of the 'ToBeContinued' project put together by the organisers of the stazione de topolo festival in northern italy: World TB Day - ToBe Continued... from 00:00 to 24:00 hours , 24 March 2010 An initiative of the Global Health Incubator, Topolò, Italy. With World Tuberculosis Day marked every year on March 24, advocates and supporters in the fight against TB are preparing to raise awareness on the disease. Among the most unusual events is "ToBe Continued..." which will take place in Topolò, Italy. To Be Continued - or TBC (which in Italian is the abbreviation for tuberculosis) - will be a unique sound experience - an original concert that will last a full 24 hours starting at midnight and ending at midnight on the following day, and therefore covering the entire March 24 World TB Day. During this un-interrupted 24 hour marathon, invited musicians from all over the world will contribute music (streamed through a web-site that anyone can access http://www.stazioneditopolo.it) and mark the day with sounds and musical pieces. Every musician, from all four corners of the world, will have at his/her disposal a 30 minute window, and thus create a relay of sounds and rhythms. The music featured will be varied, from classical music to the Jewish-influenced klezmer, from ambient to experimental sounds, from jazz to ethnic music - all un-interrupted for 24 hours. The initiative is coordinated by Antonio Della Marina, a contemporary musician and computer music composer, and by Moreno Miorelli, artistic director of the annual gathering "Stazione di Topolò/Postaja Topolove". The concert is under the aegis of the Global Health Incubator, the 'laboratory' established in July last year in Topolo'/Topolove within the 'Stazione' event, to create links between the worlds of creativity and science. ::: tartu helikoosolek, tartu, estonia ::: march will see the first meeting of the newly established tartu helikooselek (tartu soundgathering) near here in estonia's 2nd largest city. the helikooselek will happen on the last wednesday of each month, from 6-8pm at the eesti rahva muuseum (estonian national museum). this first meeting will include a basic introduction to the ideas behind the gathering, a presentation by visiting australian artists felicity mangan and anthea caddy, and a presentation from me on the revenant:sound project. tartu helikoosolek 1st edition wednesday, march 31st 6pm eesti rahva muuseum a few days later felicity, anthea and i have also been invited to play live alongside local artists kiwa and sven vabar. that's on saturday, april 3rd, at genialistide klubi. if you happen to be in town, please drop in to both and say hello! ::: and furthermore ::: the framework250 compilations have proved a great success, but i still have plenty left, so if you've been considering picking one up and showing your support for framework and it's continued programming, get in touch! further info here: http://www.frameworkradio.net/framework250 other upcoming activites: short workshop during the mooste folk festival (http://folkfest.polvamaa.ee) in late april. participation in slovenian artist petra kapš' 'after curatorial dinner' project, as part of the x-op festival in tomar, portugal in early may. workshops and taster events in may for the tuned city event happening as part of tallinn european cultural capital 2011. workshop and performance at the torun contemporary art centre in northern poland in june. and several cd releases planned for later in the year. busy as ever!
working
my way through my first estonian winter - the temperature has now gone
up to a balmy -10 degrees celcius, but fear not, there are once again
temps of -25 announced for next week. meanwhile, my studio is
completely buried in paper-cuttings, silk-screen materials, and cds,
cds everywhere. but the framework250 compilations are finally
done and ready to ship! here is the announcement - if you're
interested, please consider supporting the show, and if possible,
please help spread the word! a note on a blog, or a posting on a
facebook page could really help!
these
compilations are available only through the framework website, and you
will receive one as a thank-you for your donation of €25 or more (or
any subscription that will result in the same amount). alternatively,
for a minimum donation of €40 euros, we'll send you both!
you
haven't heard from me since my visit to the u.s. in the fall - thanks
to all of you who managed to come out to a gig! i have now completed my
relocation to southeastern estonia, where i am spending this winter in
the small village of mooste, keeping the fires burning (literally) at moks. a few recent developments to tell
you about...
::: murmer - 4 spaces, released online by
soundwalk-editions :::
well, having survived my summer travels, i am now back in france, packing up for my imminent and finally permanent move north to estonia. i will be there from mid-november, keeping the fires lit at moks over the winter, and then seeing what happens come spring. meanwhile i am now preparing for 6 weeks of gigs and workshops (not to mention an important event - happy birthday mom!) throughout the northeastern u.s., culminting in a small tour with jim haynes and brendan murray. all details are now up on the events page, so have a look there, and come by and say hello if you're in the area. meanwhile, i am now
planning the celebrations to mark framework's
upcoming landmark 250th
show, which will include the airing and release of new exclusive tracks
by several artists who have been important to framework over
the
years. the release will not be for sale, but will be given as a
thank you gift to anyone who donates €25 or more through the framework
website. visit the radio page and donate now to reserve your
copy.
3 july 2009
my attention has been
drawn to a short film that has been made from a performance i did with
john grzinich in wrocław earlier this year at the entropia
gallery as part of the athletic
cinema series curated by krzysztof gutfrański. this video includes
some excerpts from the performance itself as well as some brief bits of
interview. these live performances have incorporated field
recording, audience participation, and live space explorations, and
have been influenced greatly by our development of the revenant:sound project. john
and i will hopefully be back in poland late this year for a small
series of workshops. this video was
originally part of the wrocław
weekly podcast - more info, and a downloadable higher resolution
version of the video, can be found there. meanwhile,
i
have
just
returned
to the land of the living from my annual 10 day
stint working at glastonbury festival here in the uk. i'm now
visiting my old home in london, before heading to estonia for the rest
of the summer, as a preliminary to my permanent move there this coming
winter. the fall will see me in the states for six weeks, in
september/october, a visit which should include a little tour with jim
haynes and howie stelzer and some repeat visits to a few schools ans
universities. i'm still looking for workshops/gigs/lectures/activities
around the east coast during that time, so if you have any ideas please
let me know. 19 may 2009 been awhile since i
gave any news - my late winter trip north went very well, with many
recordings made and a great workshop in tampere. there is a
report on the revenant:sound
website, to which we will be adding some sound samples soon.
meanwhile i've been having a quiet spring in normandy, organising
framework for its new broadcasts on a host of new stations around
europe (see the radio page for
more details)
and trying to finish up a pile of compositional work that's been
waiting in the wings. after quite a quiet 2009 it looks like 2010
will be seeing several new murmer releases - more news on that as
things become official. the rest of 2009 will
see travels in the uk, more travels north as i retrace my winter steps
through latvia, estonia and finland, and six weeks in the states and
canada in the fall. hopefully all of these travels will be
peppered with gigs and workshops - if you have any propositions for me
please get in touch. then finally the end of the year will see me
move permanently to estonia - the only logical step considering i've
been travelling there 2 to 3 times a year!
27 february 2009 just
returned home from a few weeks in poland,
between bytom, wrocław, and warsaw,
where i gave
2 performances and 2 workshops in collaboration with john grzinich, and
opened an installation/listening room that will be playing shows from
the framework archives non-stop between now and march 31st. the
installation can be found at the kronika
gallery in
bytom (rynek 26),
as part of the hell of
things
exhibition, and is free, if you
happen to be in the area. here as well is a
brief sampling of our opening night performance at kronika:
coming up next, a trip north for a visit to riga, some
more revenant explorations in
estonia, and a workshop and performance in tampere, finland. more
information soon on the events page. 28 january 2009 a
first
update
for
this
new year, and what's to
tell? framework has now been picked up by a few more radio
stations in europe and is being aired now by resonancefm (of course)
along with radio zero in lisbon, and radio campus in brussels.
links, etc on the radio page. we're still offering framework to
any independent radio stations
that would be interested in adding it to their schedules; if you know
of any please send them our way! meanwhile, after a
quiet january i'll be having
a busy feb and march, with 2 weeks in poland to participate in the hell
of things festival, and then several weeks in finland for a
workshop and concert. see the events page for more info.
2009 should see trips and work in the u.s., the uk, italy, latvia and,
as always, estonia. if all goes as planned the year will end with
a final permanent move up north...
1st, a quick note to say that the date for the broadcast of swarm on kunstradio in vienna has changed. the new broadcast date is november 30th at 23:05.
2nd, i'm very
excited to announce the apparition of the first document of a project i
have been a part of for the last few years. revenant
is a project with open membership that focuses on site-specific
acoustic actions, or activiated environments. each action is a document
of a specific moment in time in a specific location. the first document
is a cd on the french label prele that features a recording
of an action in a forest near the italian/slovenian border that took
place in october 2006. participants were: yannick
dauby, olivier feraud, john grzinich,
hitoshi
kojo, and myself. my u.s. visit is going well, and i'm excited about performing this weekend in boston with illusion of safety. things in the works for the coming months include a workshop and gig in barcelona next month with paulo raposo, some activities with hitoshi kojo in switzerland and france in december, and the first revenant cd document to be released in the coming months. meanwhile, 2 particular pieces of news. first off, a first (of many, i think) collaborative effort with jgrzinich has now been released by the french universinternational label on the dérives compilation. the theme was an active ear to one's environment, and john and i composed a piece using a series of field-recordings made together in the estonian village of mooste over the last few years. it's packaged (with one unfortunate misspelling, but there you go) in a beautifully silk-screened sleeve, and also features work by: francisco
lópez
also, silenceradio has commissioned a new piece from me for their soundscape forever series on kunstradio in vienna. my piece will be airing on november 16th at 11:05pm local vienna time. the piece is entitled swarm: 6 october 2008 now in the united states, giving a series of workshops and performances in new york, boston, allentown and at my alma mater in great barrington, massachusetts. very excied to be performing in boston at the end of the month with illusion of safety, and may also be getting a small gig together in brattleboro, vermont with my michael northam. was back is estonia and latvia since i last wrote here further developing the sound as space / sound as language workshop with max shentelevs and john grzinich, and participating in moks new summer event, avamaa. that was followed by a visit to lisbon to give a workshop and performance in the radiaLx radio art festival organised by paulo raposo and ricardo reis of radio zero. was great to reconnect with some old friends (knut aufermann and sarah washington...) and make some new ones (anna friz, mike cooper...). will be heading back to france in early november, just in time to miss election madness here (don't worry, i've got my absentee ballot), and then having a quiet month to process some of this year's activities. it looks like 2009 may hold travels to finland, portugal, turkey, the u.s. and more, so it's time to start organising...
22 july 2008 a brief interview i did in march for the german e-zine tokafi, for their 15 questions series, is now online. you can find it here. june saw several weeks of activity here in perruel, with visits from many sound folks, including john grzinich, jonathan coleclough, thomas tilly, maksims shentelevs, johanna lonka, paulo raposo, and eric cordier. john and i first spent a few weeks on our own making some initial explorations and a lot of recordings, and the others joined us for some group activity later on. we explored the immediate vicinity, along the andelle river, as well as a bit further afield, along the northern normandy coast between dieppe and le havre. here are a few of the recordings made early on with john; the first is a wire fence along a high cliff edge just outside of dieppe, and the 2nd is the strange 'reverse' effect of the surf on the pebble beaches of etretat further along the coast:
with the arrival of the others we began exploring the nearby river andelle, using hydrophones and contact microphones to capture the sounds of wire and string constructions placed in the water, activated environments. many recordings were made by many different people in this period of time; john has a report and some of his recordings on his blog here and here. these are a couple of my own - the first two are hydrophone recordings of various thicknesses of nylon wire strung underwater, and the 3rd is a binaural recording of metal wire strung from a bridge into the river and amplified through 2 small battery powered speakers (the hiss is not hiss, but a small waterfall nearby).
now a few quiet weeks before hitting the road again - i'll be playing a gig near limoges with toy.bizarre and small cruel party (see the events page) on august 9th, and will then be leaving for several months travel to estonia, latvia, portugal and the states for gigs and workshops between august and november. check the events page for detail as they come!
a quiet spring after a busy winter, spending time at home trying to catch up on some old projects and weeding the garden. i'll be spending a few weeks here in france with john grzinich and various other visitors soon, preparing for some workshops in estonia, latvia, and the u.s. later in the year. meanwhile there will be one or two gigs here over the summer, one in paris and another down in limoges. will post more details soon. for more information on the workshops i'm proposing, and for a presentation about the recent one in tartu, estonia, have a look here. look for upcoming revenant activities (a new project focused on site-specific acoustic actions, and so far involving the likes of john grzinich, hitoshi kojo, yannick dauby, olivier feraud, toomas thetloff, and maxims shentelevs), including the launch of a website and hopefully a first cd document, along with some potential new solo and collaborative activity. that's all i'll say for now, fingers crossed.
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