VISITATION RITES

Visitation Rites has moved house!

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:15:00 +0000

Dear friends and family of Visitation Rites,

After months of deliberation, we have packed our suitcases and shipped out to a new online home with more bedrooms, more common space, 2.5 baths, and state-of-the-art amenities! Our new address is www.visitation-rites.com. Please feel free to drop by at any time, because our door is always open. And don't forget to update your feeds!

We wish you the best on your travels,

The Visitation Rites Family

August 1: Visitation Rites Website Launch Party w/Ducktails and Julian Lynch Double Record Release at Market Hotel in Brooklyn

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 18:10:00 +0000

On Saturday, August 1st at Market Hotel in Brooklyn, Visitation Rites will throw a real-space housewarming party for its new virtual home (www.visitation-rites.com) as Olde English Spelling Bee drops two new vinyl releases that we are just dying to hear: Ducktails' Landscapes and Julian Lynch's Orange You Glad. Performances by Talibam! Hard Vibe Trio, Steve Gunn -Heidi Diehl Duo, Julian Lynch, and Behavior. Support your local millennial psychedelia!

Saturday, August 1st, 8pm
Market Hotel
142 Myrtle Ave (and Broadway)
Brookyn, NY
$tba but cheap!

Support the Instants Chavirés

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:10:00 +0000

Support the Instants Chavirés, sign the online petition.

Suspended Instants

On Thursday July 2nd 2009 we were shocked to learn that the balance of the operational subsidy allocated to our Association by the General Council of the Seine-Saint-Denis Department had been slashed by no less than 25,000€ – a drop of more of 19%. This in addition to a 7,000€ cut in our municipal subsidy (at the beginning of the year, the town of Montreuil had announced a reduction of 15,000€, 7000€ being the amount eventually decided upon by the end of June). This means that we have lost 32,000€ in 2009.

The lack of funding has forced us to cancel our Autumn season of concerts, video projections and exhibitions, in its entirety. Even maintaining a strict minimum of programmed events would lead to a budgetary deficit that we simply could not contemplate.

We have serious questions regarding how the Council reached its decision, and what factors might have influenced it in so doing, and to date do not know on what opinions or analyses the said decision was based. We also deplore that the decision was taken so late.

It would seem that the Department has deliberately adopted a policy designed to weaken our Association, resulting in a slow asphyxiation that will put the entire future of the Instants Chavirés in jeopardy. How are we to plan for a 2010 season in such conditions?

"Art must be where it's indispensible, which means everywhere" – Claude Lévêque, artist.

We maintain that an intermediary cultural space like the Instants Chavirés is an essential complement to existing institutions, and that it has made a major contribution to the diversity of the cultural offer, playing an essential role in discovering and promoting art for over 18 years.

Does the Seine-Saint-Denis Department still have the political will to maintain an internationally acclaimed artspace dedicated to contemporary creation, however modest it may be?

We demand the setting up of a round table with all our institutional partners to rehabilitate a relation which is clearly deteriorating. It is essential to redefine the financial framework together, regarding the unique nature of our artistic commitment as well as our geographical and structural specificity.

We urge you then to sign the online petition, and write to Claude Bartolone, President of the General Council of Seine-Saint-Denis, and / or to the Mayor of Montreuil, Dominique Voynet, to inform them of what the Instants Chavirés represents in the local, national and international cultural landscape, and express your own commitment to the lasting nature of this project.

You can address your correspondence directly to us at the following email address: soutiens[at]instantschavires[dot]com,
or by regular mail to
Instants Chavirés,
7, Rue Richard Lenoir
93100 Montreuil
France.
We undertake to forward it to the parties concerned.

Please circulate this communiqué as widely as you can, amongst everyone you know. Thank you.

Association Muzziques – Les Instants Chavirés

Soutenez les Instants Chavirés

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 08:04:00 +0000

Nous reproduisons ci-dessous l’intégralité du récent communiqué des Instants Chavirés, “laboratoire des musiques improvisées, expérimentales et bruitistes” de Montreuil depuis 1991, l’une des rares scènes françaises de renommée internationale à œuvrer pour que les expérimentations musicales les plus pointues aient droit de cité, menacée par une baisse de financement drastique. Pour que les Instants continuent à vivre, prenez le temps de signer la pétition de soutien en ligne.

Les Instants en suspens

Le jeudi 2 juillet 2009 nous apprenions brutalement que le solde de la subvention de fonctionnement du Conseil général de Seine-Saint-Denis allouée à notre association était amputé de 25.000 €, soit une baisse de plus de 19%. À celle-ci se cumule la baisse de la subvention municipale de 7.000 €. En début d’année, la ville de Montreuil nous avait annoncé une diminution de 15.000 €, ramenée fin juin à une hauteur de 7.000 €.
C’est donc 32.000 € qui nous ont été retirés pour 2009.

Ces baisses de financement nous contraignent à annuler dans son intégralité la saison d’automne: concerts, projections vidéo et exposition. Le maintien même a minima d’une programmation nous entraînerait dans un déficit budgétaire que nous ne pouvons pas nous permettre.

Nous nous interrogeons sur le choix et les modalités de la décision du Conseil général et ignorons à ce jour sur quels diagnostics et analyses elle se base. Nous déplorons également l’excessif retard de cette décision.

Les façons de faire du Conseil général laissent à penser qu’il opte de façon délibérée pour une politique de fragilisation de l’association avec pour conséquence une asphyxie progressive mettant en danger l’avenir des Instants Chavirés. Comment envisager une programmation en 2010 dans ces conditions ?

“Il faut mettre l’art là où il est indispensable, c’est-à-dire partout” – Claude Lévêque, plasticien.

Nous affirmons qu’un lieu culturel intermédiaire comme les Instants Chavirés est un outil de complémentarité aux institutions : il contribue à la diversité de la proposition culturelle et joue un rôle fondamental dans l’accompagnement de l’émergence artistique depuis 18 ans. Y a-t-il encore une volonté politique de pérenniser dans le département de Seine-Saint-Denis et sur la ville de Montreuil, un lieu de diffusion et de production de renommée internationale axé sur la création contemporaine, aussi modeste soit-il ?

Nous demandons la mise en place d’une table ronde avec l’ensemble de nos interlocuteurs institutionnels pour assainir une relation partenariale déliquescente. Il est primordial de redéfinir ensemble les cadres financiers, au regard de la singularité de notre engagement artistique et de notre spécificité géographique et structurelle.

Nous vous invitons à signer la pétition en ligne, et à nous envoyer un courrier à l’attention de M. le Président du Conseil général de Seine-Saint-Denis, Claude Bartolone et/ou de Mme la Maire de Montreuil, Dominique Voynet, afin de leur signifier ce que représentent les Instants Chavirés dans le paysage culturel français et international, et exprimer votre attachement à la pérennité de ce projet.

Vous pouvez nous les adresser par email à l’adresse : soutiens[at]instantschavires[dot]com,
ou par courrier aux
Instants Chavirés
7, Rue Richard Lenoir
93100 Montreuil,
nous ferons suivre aux intéressés.

Merci de diffuser ce communiqué le plus largement possible autour de vous.

Association Muzziques – Les Instants Chavirés

Grains, Cranes, Centre of Wood

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 19:21:00 +0000

To judge solely from his MySpace page, ex-Ubzub guitarist Rob Williams seems to have already condemned himself--along with his new solo project, Grains-- to a life of obscurity, underappreciation, and generalized sadsackism. It’s hard not to feel sorry for a man who describes himself as “some depressed guy playing repetitive riffs on an acoustic guitar,” and who cites “depression, sadness, heartache, misfortune, despair, failure, rejection, alienation, [and] repetition,” among other downward spirals, as his chief musical influences -- though these freely-given histrionics don’t exactly draw us in either. And they might even be unforgivable if “Cranes,” his new full-length CDR, didn’t somehow manage to sublimate all this melancholy into something that is ultimately so uplifting and invigorating.

False advertising aside, Williams’ reference to “repetitive riffs” is dead-on. Among its many regressive fascinations, “Cranes” is built around a sensation that anyone who has ever picked up a guitar for the first time and tried to plunk out the first few chords of “Stairway to Heaven” can identify with: our inexplicable urge to pick out lines of quarter-notes and half-notes and insist upon them, to mark musical time with a running and geometric regularity, mapping it, carving it out, making its ours. “Cranes” returns to this elementary impulse--perhaps the musical equivalent of sucking one’s thumb?--and recasts it as a compositional building block, exploring the changing feeling-plateaus that arise from modifications in rhythm, color, and urgency. Whether they are as gentle as a lightly-creaking cradle or as cutting as a jackhammer, Williams’ down-tuned acoustic guitar patterns always seem to bring out what is most obsessive, obstinate, and habit-forming in the musical act of repetition.

But Grains never lets the gloom loom for long. Plucked guitar counterpoint, synthetic wood-block percussion, slumberous vocals, and the occasional feedback explosion furnish this long road to nowhere with its necessary escape routes, nudging it slowly towards transformation--even its base patterns never concretely change. It is impossible to identify the moments where even the album’s darkest moments transform into something verging on euphoria, but they always do, and only when you give up trying to look for them. Like the diminutive online Rob Williams himself, “Cranes” is not asking for your undivided attention. But it may be one of the most gorgeous pieces of music you’ve heard in a long time if you leave it on, go about your daily routine, and allow it to creep up on you.

Words: Emilie Friedlander

Originally published on Foxy Digitalis, July 2009

Rhys Chatham's Astrological Advice for Musicians: July

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:15:00 +0000

Aries - The Ram - March 20 to April 20

In any musical undertaking, there is a period of wild romance with an initial idea, direction, or style. After the energy of that love affair with a new sound starts to wear off, however, we generally begin a new period, one in which we develop the idea. While this can be dark and dirty work, it nevertheless has its discrete pleasures.

Ideas that you have had or projects that you have started over the past few months normally will have reached the development stage by now. This is not to say that you will not come up with a new idea or two this month, but rather that, at present, you are likely to be more focused on challenges or situations that will serve to test the validity of the projects, compositions, or songs that you have already initiated.

At the start of the month, you will probably feel a bit lazy about meeting these challenges. After all, initiating a project is much more fun than the sometimes boring and tedious process of seeing one through to its completion. Happily, you will have more energy and inspiration to put your nose to the grindstone toward the middle of the month: you will be able to make those necessary adjustments, get down to the nitty gritty of editing, and go back to the drawing board on those components that were not really working. At first, it will probably be difficult—a bit like being lost in a vast mountain forest. Fortunately, favorable aspects to Mercury give you the clarity of mind to heroically thrash your way out of the thickets, brush into the light, and ascend the mountain path to attain your goal!

Taurus - The Bull - April 21 to May 21

July has the potential of being a fruitful month, creatively speaking. All kinds of new ideas will flow freely, and your mind will be quite active. All too often, having cool ideas is one thing, but being able to reify them—to put them together in a way that is effective within the context of the song or composition that you are working on—is quite another. Happily, a favorable aspect to Saturn gives you the ability to ground these ideas to Earth, so to speak, and you will be able to find all kinds of practical applications for them. For those working collaboratively or within a group, you will be able to make a dynamic contribution, particularly during the opening weeks of the month when your energy will be high and your communication fluid.

For those born between 11-18 May, you will be experiencing an aspect to Neptune, Jupiter, and the planetoid Chiron, which, at present, occupy almost precisely the same longitudinal position in the sky. All of us feel a bit lost sometimes, wondering which direction to take next in our music or in our contribution to the work with our band. If you have been experiencing a crisis or difficulty of some kind recently, or if things simply have been a bit confusing, do not worry! This is a completely normal cycle that everyone goes through from time to time. Keep at it: you have all the tools you need this month to find your way. The key is to make the effort and not give up. The lessons that you learn now from applying yourself will last you for a long time to come. Find that new direction: you can do it!

Gemini - The Twins - May 22 to June 22

Creatively speaking, the going might be a bit tough at the start of the month, but as the saying goes: when the going gets tough, the tough get going! If you feel at all bored with what you are doing, or if the various projects you are working on have become somewhat stale; if you have been yearning for a change in direction or simply have been wanting to let a bit fresh air into the creative process, it is imperative to go for it at the start of the month.

It might be a bit discouraging, and the solutions to your quest will probably be elusive at first, but the important thing is to keep plugging away. If you apply yourself, consistently place yourself at your desk, and keep your appointment with the muse—even if it means staring at a blank page for the session or creating work that, in retrospect, seems sub par—your discipline will pay off! Do not give up! The music goddess will ultimately bless your efforts if you present yourself each day at her altar. Even if the solution does not present itself immediately, you can take comfort in knowing that, for each day that you work on the problem, you will supply your unconscious mind with the input and impressions it will use to resolve the problem while you move forward with new ideas. Favorable aspects to Mercury, Venus, and Mars suggest that everything will come together toward the month's end, so best to start working now.

Cancer - The Crab - June 23 to July 22

You have had your birthday recently or will have it soon, which usually marks a period of beginnings. This is the time to review what you have accomplished this past year and start thinking about new things to do for the year to come. Normally, ideas for new projects or directions already will have been forming in your mind over the past two months or so; favorable aspects to Saturn suggest that July can be a month where you find it easier to whip those ideas into shape! With a bit of effort, you will be able to give them some structure.

Now is the time when you can truly get that new project up and running. Doing so will probably be easier if you start work at the beginning of the month, however, rather than putting it off. Aspects to a conjunct Mars and Venus give you the necessary initial energy that is required to get things moving. This energy has a tendency to fizzle out toward the end of the month, so you really owe it to yourself to get started now.

For those born between 13-20 July, a favorable aspect to Uranus suggests that this is an excellent time to engage in new activities of all kinds or to explore new directions in your work. For those of you who are single or are otherwise on the lookout for a new relationship, it is not out of the question that a love interest with an unusual person could occur at the start of the month. If it does, go for it! Besides being fun, doing so will very likely lead to useful self-discovery.

Leo - The Lion - July 23rd to August 22

The energies that are present this month favor two types of activities for Leo; the one that will manifest itself in your life depends on where you are in the development of your projects. In the next few weeks or so, a new cycle will start around the time of your birthday. Now, then, would be a good time to wrap up any outstanding projects, songs, or compositions and to tie up any loose ends in your life in preparation for the start of a new period of creativity.

On the other hand, if there are projects that you have started in the last month or so and you find the going somewhat tough at the moment, do not worry! Given present energies, this would be normal. You might find that you need to change course to some extent, but if you keep at it, you will eventually find your way. Although we start out with a plan of some sort in most creative endeavors, no matter how carefully we may have mapped things out, there usually comes a point when we find that we must throw out the map and simply follow our nose! Ignoring one's nose in situations like these is something a musician does at his or her peril!

This is all to say that, creatively speaking, July might get off to a bumpy start, but if you can be flexible about changing your outlook and apply yourself diligently, things will clear up by the month’s end.

Virgo - The Virgin - August 23rd to September 22

It's summertime! Energies for Virgo in July favor getting out and socializing, networking, and making new friends. You will be mentally alert. Your energy for most of the month will be high, and your work with colleagues will probably go smoothly because you will be feeling better than usual about yourself.

Now is a good time to review and evaluate the projects you have been working on this year to determine how they can be brought to a conclusion of some kind, perhaps examining their potential for future development in a way that you have not thought of before. Starting new short-term projects is also not out of the question, particularly if it represents a new direction for you or otherwise brings a breath of fresh air into your work.

Since Saturn is presently in Virgo, some of you might be feeling a bit restricted creatively. If this is the case, do not be overly concerned: the condition will pass. If you are feeling blocked, focus on resolving the problem areas of projects you have already begun rather than try to start something completely new. You know a lot more now than you did when you started them, and the purpose of this transit is to bring things to their culmination.

Libra - The Scales - September 23 to October 22

In any creative process, there is something like a curve of progression: it begins as a wild romance with an idea or sound, whose energy then carries us through a period of development with the idea, which finally reaches its baroque period—or even a period of decadence! At this last stage of the cycle, it is usually a good idea to begin looking for a new direction or sound.

During July, many Librans will be in the development phase of the cycle, a period when situations and events may come up that serve to challenge your usual notions of how to go about things, musical and otherwise. The purpose of these challenges is not to mindlessly make your life more difficult but rather to keep things fresh and to prevent ossification in your work. On the level of music, you may find that, in your approach to projects and/or colleagues, you need to change course or make an adjustment of some kind.

Should such situations arise this July, the key would be to face any challenge head on rather than attempt to avoid it. While this can be a bit stressful, you will be provided with the energy needed to confront and overcome any obstacles that you may encounter. Present influences are challenging you to act rather than simply endure seemingly negative situations. With a bit of effort and consistent application, a resolution will normally occur by the month's end. The solution, once found, should work quite effectively.

Scorpio - The Scorpion - October 23 to November 22

Astrological energies are flowing smoothly for Scorpio this month. If the going has been somewhat rough in getting that new cycle of songs or those other projects off the ground, July is when everything somehow clicks together. You will be more disciplined than usual, finding yourself ready to roll up your sleeves and put your nose to the grindstone. You should definitely take advantage of this energy while it lasts!

If you have been feeling restless lately or have been looking for a new direction, now is a good time to go for it: you will be open to new ideas and experiences this month. If you are starting a new project, or have recently begun one, be sure to dive into it at the start of the month: aspects to Mars and Venus give you a thrust of creative energy to jumpstart things and get the ball rolling. In fact, this same aspect tends to stimulate the libido, and it may very well be that an unusual and attractive person will come into your life during the first half of July. If one does, by all means profit from it in whatever way you find appropriate to your situation and station in life!

A long-term aspect with Pluto, which is a slow-moving planet, offers an extended period of subtle energies at work that can help you make creative changes in your life. You may have opportunities to take on more power or responsibilities, or assume more authority in some way, but this is a subtle influence, and it could pass you by without anything significant happening unless you make a conscious effort to grab the chance. This is a good time to establish relationships with authority figures such as managers, record companies, or booking agents, for they may provide opportunities that you can use during this transit.

Sagittarius - The Centaur - November 23 to December 22

For most of you born under the sign of the Centaur, July is a month during which you want to continue developing the projects, ideas, or songs that you have already gotten off the ground. Alternatively, while working on other things, it could be a time when ideas are gestating in the back of your mind in preparation for later fruition. Starting completely new projects might be rough going, especially at the start of the month, because your energy will have a tendency to be on-again/off-again. Even if your projects get off to a rocky start, however, just keep at it and do not get discouraged. Consistent effort will pay off by the end of the month when aspects to Mars and Venus give you lots of energy, ideas, and the will to get stuff done!

For those of you working with a group or in other collaborative forms, if tensions have been building up in the band, the beginning of the month would be a good time to start airing them. You will certainly want to, but be careful not to lose your temper: your emotions might very well be volatile during this period! Any problems that have been festering can normally be successfully resolved by the month's end, when Mercury goes into a favorable aspect with your Sun sign.

Capricorn - The Goat - December 23 to January 21

You are six months from your last birthday, and this is normally a point in the year when the projects you have started over the past months will come to a culmination or turning point of some sort. If certain aspects of projects or situations have not worked out well, now would be an excellent time to let them go and change course slightly, focusing instead on those areas of your work that seem profitable.

You might experience a certain amount of opposition to your ideas or projects during this period, particularly where your ambition conflicts with that of others. Be particularly careful about unnecessarily stepping on your manager or record company's toes: conflicts with them will create headaches you do not want, and they are likely to occur this month if caution is not exercised. If you are in a group, tensions in the band might come to a head. Should this occur, try to resolve any issues at the start of the month when favorable aspects to the inner planets allow you to argue your case persuasively.

If you should feel the urge to start off on a completely new project, by all means do so. You will have the stamina and discipline this month, which will aid you whether you use it to see a project through to its finish or to veer off the beaten path to explore completely new territory.

Aquarius - The Water Carrier - January 22 to February 20

July will in most cases be a month where you can get a lot of work accomplished. Be careful at the start of the month to avoid disputes with the band or managers: these are likely to happen because you will not feel like backing down on anything. In fact, try to avoid letting off any steam until the middle of the month, when favorable aspects to Venus will enable you to better express yourself. You will be able to present your views more diplomatically by then.

Toward the final third of July, many of you will continue to feel energetic, and your self-confidence will be up. You will be able to work successfully from a calm position, and your work will be much more effective and competent than usual. This is a favorable period for starting projects of all kinds, although it is much more likely that you will simply continue to work on those you have already initiated. Any decisive action that needs to be taken with your band or within the context of your career is likely to work out well at this time.

For those of you born between January 30 – February 7, aspects to Saturn may bring a period where the waters are a bit rough. It is usually a time of critical development; you will probably find that certain components of your situation will challenge you greatly, and you may feel discouraged because your vitality will be low. This period of your life is directly linked to a time that began about seven years ago. The long-term projects that you began then are encountering their first major crisis now. This period can be especially trying since, for the most part, the projects or situations have been going well up to now. If you are experiencing this, do not worry: this period will not last forever! The solution is to hang in there and attempt to be objective. This is a time of trials that will reveal what is working in your life and what is not. Once things become clearer, the trick will be to shed what you do not need and keep the things that are worth saving, enabling a leaner and meaner approach in the future.

Pisces - The Fish - February 21 to March 19

July promises to be a great month for most of you: you will be feeling better about yourself as you find yourself more at one with the world. In fact, this period would be a good time to take a vacation, if appropriate. Otherwise, projects that you have already started should be off the ground by now, and you will be able to make significant progress on them this month. If you intend to start something completely new – a band, a song, a direction – be sure to do so straight away: do not put it off because aspects to Mars, the energy planet, favor starting projects right now, but this energy dissipates a bit toward the month’s end.

Generally, things should flow quite smoothly in July, so much so that you may be tempted to think that things will always go this easily. Do not fall into that trap, for it is, of course, wishful thinking. The current period is relatively less stressful, so be sure to take this opportunity to calmly and objectively review your career direction with an eye on redefining long-term goals. Polish up those ideas, songs, or compositions so that they can withstand the challenges that will surely come later over the course of the year.

One-to-one and group interactions of all kinds are favored at the start of the month. If you have any important meetings with managers or record company executives, try to schedule them ASAP because you will be at your best through mid-July. After this point, you will probably find yourself somewhat impatient with other people's viewpoints. Avoid having it out with the band or your agent during this period. You will be much more capable of dealing with it at July's start.

Rhys Chatham is a composer from New York who has lived in Paris since 1988.

Art Work: Florian Quistrebert

Behavior, Good Behavior 7 inch, Whip Records

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 20:27:00 +0000

If I didn’t count some of my closest friends in the Brooklyn band Behavior, didn’t know their music like the back of my hand, didn’t even have the pleasure of jamming with them from time to time, I would probably describe their first 7 inch with the following words, and leave it at that: “the “Good Behavior” 45 is two drop dead beautiful psychedelic pop songs from a band that poofed out of nowhere just yesterday, but that seems to already have achieved something of a devoted following in the smoggy North Brooklyn netherworld of legal and semi-legal concert dives.” It may seem a bit dishonest to write “music criticism” about a group that I personally hope to see go very, very far; but since I cannot erase this fact, I figure that doing so openly is hardly as dishonest as faking an absence of personal investment. Moreover, writing about your friends can make for a more three-dimensional picture of the subject at hand: If a 7 inch is kind of the aural equivalent of a snapshot, only someone who knows the photographed environment very well can point to what lies beyond the frame.

What we “see” in this brief image is very lovely indeed: two very taut, well-crafted, counterintuitively melodic pop songs, spun out on rhythmically interlocking pulses of bass (Ian Campbell), guitar (Bryce Hackford), percussion (Khira Jordan), synth (Toshio Masuda), and raw adrenaline. A male voice (Bryce Hackford's) materializes above all this needlework, airborne and sprawling and reminiscent of some long-dead ‘80s rock hero that you just can’t put a finger on, only to be spirited away by the sequential degradations of reverb and echo. If we didn’t know better, we might believe that Behavior was a rock band with a clearly-defined leader/songwriter, one that whiles away its Sunday afternoons rehearsing these meticulously planned anthems to pitch perfection. But even if you haven’t heard these guys live in concert, haven’t digested the fact that none of their performances--even of these very songs--ever sound even remotely the same, there are far too many flyaway notes in the mix to sit comfortably with this conclusion: a certain twang in the bass that casts doubt on its tonal solidity, patches of pure feedback and drone, runaway synth frequencies that bleat their way into oblivion.

No, Behavior’s songs may unfold with skintight precision, but they never seem likely to stay put for very long. (And if they were your downstairs neighbors, you might see an apt metaphor for their music in this bit of biographical backstory: while three of the band’s members are studiously honing their craft up in a shared loft apartment/practice studio in the bowels of South Williamsburg, the fourth is presently walking his way from New York to Los Angeles. No joke.) Nor--given their taste for lengthy driftings of this kind--could they ever summon the military discipline to bend to the whims of a single ringleader. The folks behind Behavior are not the kind of people who would ever wear the communal/utopian badge on their sleeve, but they are one of those rare outfits that actually writes their music one hundred percent collaboratively--improvising their way, however long it takes, into the spastic musical consensus that we get such an iniebriating whiff of on“Good Behavior.” The band also likes it when people list their names alphabetically, which is why I did so above.

Something to consider before you head out to your first Behavior show: played live, the “songs” I refer to here will usually register only as small epiphanies in an extended, echo-dripping, criminally uninhibited free jam. What makes their music so exhilarating to listen to--and actually, so tremendously hard to pin down--is that it is equally defined by both of these musical attitudes--and by the fluidity of the barrier between them. Regardless of how well I can claim to know them, then, describing the beauty of their first offering is less a question of filling in the blanks of what cannot be heard, than of pointing to its constant, insatiable grasping beyond what can. And this realization alone is enough to leave me--and hopefully you--anxious to see where they will take themselves next.

Words: Emilie Friedlander
Photos: Adahbee

Originally published on Foxy Digitalis, June 2009.

Jonathan Kane, Jet Ear Party, Radium/Table of the Elements

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 03:06:00 +0000

Mining the vein opened by his first solo album, February (2005), and later by his very successful EP, I Looked at the Sun (2006), Jonathan Kane continues down the shores of “progressive blues” with Jet Ear Party. Kane winds and unwinds catchy loops, purging the genre of all incidentals, keeping only the essential: the telltale chiseled riff, repeated ad infinitum. A pursuit that began with his collaborations with some of New York's most prominent minimalists, Kane’s quest travels backwards in time to the blues, the genre from which he draws his main inspiration: “Listen to Mississippi Fred McDowell, Son House, John Lee Hooker. These artists will often play pieces consisting of one droning chord and a hypnotic, repetitive riff!”

Jet Ear Party isn't happy simply to dig the plot mapped out by February. With his new album, Kane frees himself from Rhys Chatham's influence to discover his own voice, that of a jubilant Americana launched at full speed on the hot rails, bringing all the voices of the New Continent along with it. The tracks of Jet Ear Party are also spiced with new sonorities, lending passing winks and applied homages to Kane’s musical heroes. Slipping and sliding through the slow and irresistible progressions we came to love in February are denatured loops à la Phil Glass, heavy tremolos à la Chatham, the 2/4 measure of Ragtime, and jubilant funk riffs à la Sly Stone.

After forging this new route alone on February, the composer invites numerous collaborators aboard, making Jet Ear Party a story about friends. Passing from track to track, we chance upon his brother Anthony's harmonica, David Watson’s bagpipes, and Igor Cubrilovic's guitar. Finally with “Up in Flames,” a soul ballad that is certainly not the album's strongest piece, but absolutely its most touching, Kane silences his guitars to let the voluptuous voices of Lisa Burns and Peg Simone ring out, set to a text by Holly Anderson. Hypnotic, explosive, at times abrasive, Jonathan Kane’s music is always warm. We wish him many more happy encounters.

Words: Sophie Pécaud
Translation: Khira Jordan

Originally published on Chronicart, along with an interview with Jonathan Kane. English version available here.

Guitar Parts: An Interview with Jonathan Kane

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:31:00 +0000

Minimalist and pop music have always been closely linked, the vocabulary of the latter coloring the austere principles of the former. Terry Riley and Philip Glass drew inspiration from jazz, just as Rhys Chatham and Glenn Branca, in their monumental symphonies for electric guitar, did from rock 'n' roll. Since 2005, and February, his first opus, Jonathan Kane has been revisiting the history of the blues. What could be more logical? "The blues is an intrinsically minimalist art form," he shares. "John Lee Hooker [...] often played consisted of one droning chord and a melodic, repetitive riff. Minimalism, yes?"

A child of the blues (his first band, formed with his brother Anthony, opened for the greatest groups of the genre in the early 70s), Jonathan Kane began frequenting the New York experimental scene in the early '80s, participating in the creation of Michael Gira’s Swans and bolstering the group with the rampant groove that would become his trademark. On the lookout for musical encounters of all kinds, Jonathan Kane notably surrounded himself with major players from the current New York minimalist scene: first Rhys Chatham, who chose Kane to seat the explosive rhythms of his symphonies for electric guitars, then La Monte Young, who recruited the drummer in the '90s for his Forever Bad Blues Band.

This steady musical maturation, largely a mingling of the timeless heat of the Old South and the smokey dives of '80s downtown New York, reached its term in 2005 when Jeff Hunt, the head of the experimental label Table of the Elements, offered its artists the opportunity to interpret a contemporary work of their choosing for a compilation. The compilation was never released, but Kane’s interpretation of Chatham’s Guitar Trio (1977) would open a new chapter his career: that of composer. Mining the vein of "minimalist blues" for sharp riffs, with obstinate bass and unrelenting groove, Jonathan Kane, little by little, amassed the fragments that would form his first album, February. With Jet Ear Party, recently released on Radium (Table of the Elements), he pursues his tireless quest for the exemplary riff. Some Commentary below.

Where does the title of your new record, Jet Ear Party, come from?

It's from a Babel Fish translation of a Dutch review, into English, of my record February. The phrase “guitar parts” came out as “jet ear party”!

You began your musical career with the Kane Brothers Blues Band, which opened for some of the greatest bands of the genre in the '70s. What did you learn from listening to and playing the blues as a kid?

That emotion and intensity were critical, but that the groove takes priority over everything. Also, if you're not a sweaty rag after you play, you haven't really done much!

What did you learn from your extended work with art music composers like Rhys and La Monte? Was their work an inspiration for you?

That the evolution of sound was necessary for music to evolve. It struck me as similar to Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Little Walter plugging their blues into amplifiers in the 1950s. Also that repetition and the pursuit of a trance state are not all that different from making people dance. I try to do both.

When did you first have the idea to mix the principles of both musical traditions? What pushed you in that direction?

I've been experimenting with blues hybrids for more than 25 years, but certainly my experience working with La Monte Young and Rhys Chatham helped guide the sonic landscape of my music.

How would you describe the evolution of your music since your first solo record, February?

I've tried to distill the sound to a relentless undeniable groove, while expanding on the principles of trance and serialism.

When and how did you compose Jet Ear Party? What did you want to achieve with this new record?

I started writing some of these songs when I was touring in support of my February release in 2006. The rest, throughout ‘07 and ‘08. I wanted to dig in further to my sound while introducing some new elements. I also wanted to throw in more fireworks from my drums than on my other records.

How did you record it?

On a laptop in my studio in Long Island City and upstate in Bovina, NY. My producer, Igor Cubrilovic, has some amazing Russian mics that make laptop recording sound like you're in Radio City Music Hall.

There are a lot of collaborations on Jet Ear Party: Anthony's harmonica, David Watson’s bagpipes, Holly's lyrics and Lisa's voice. Can you tell me more about some of those collaborations, and what they bring to your music?

Harmonica and bagpipes are two of my favorite instruments. Both are capable of pushing my emotional state to the limit. My brother, Anthony Kane, and David Watson on harmonica and bagpipes, respectively, are the best players in NYC. I was thrilled to put them into the context of this music and find out that it sounded even better than I hoped. Lisa B. Burns and Peg Simone singing a duet of Holly Anderson and Lisa's song “Up in Flames” deliver a mysterious and spooky love song, a harmonic soul ballad, if you will. I couldn't have imagined any other way to introduce vocals in my music.

Some of your songs are tributes to your musical heroes. On February, it was Richie Havens, with a home-cooked version of “Motherless Child,” then Mississippi Fred McDowell, with “I Looked at the Sun” (one of my favorite pieces of yours). This time, it's Sly & The Family Stone, with a wild version of “Thank You Falletinme Be Mice Elf Agin.” Why this one?

Well, first of all, I love the song. Larry Graham invented popping funk bass on it, which is part of the reason my version doesn't even have any bass at all for the first 4 minutes—who's going to try to compete with Larry Graham?! Second, it's in E, my favorite key, although I tune it down to E flat to accommodate the bagpipes. Also, it's capable of being a drone piece with a big fat swampy groove, but it has that melody and hook that are so damn bluesy.

On your albums, you play almost every instrument yourself. Who is February live?

Jon Crider, Peg Simone and David Bicknell on guitars, Adam Wills on bass, and me on drums.

What do your musicians bring to your music when it's played live? What does a February concert sound (and look) like?

My band is amazing. They play my music note-perfect, but they each have their own style and approach that brings something different to the sound. People yell and scream at our shows, which I love, but what I really love is when people dance, which seems to happen a lot when we play. When all that is happening it makes us play better.

Where should we listen to your music? In the beauty of Bovina's nature, or in the frenzied streets of NYC?

In the car is the very best, on a long drive, but any place will do, as long as it's at or near lease-breaking volume!

Today, you still play drums, but you're also an accomplished guitarist and composer. How do you identify yourself? As a drummer, a guitarist, a composer?

All of the above, and bass too. But I guess to prioritize the list, I'd say I'm a drummer and composer who plays, writes and arranges on guitar. To be honest, right now I play a lot more guitar than drums.

What's up with the Kane Brothers Blues Band? Are you still playing together sometimes?

It's been a while, but we're looking at some possible performances in the future. KBBB will always be ready to go, if something interesting comes up.

Any other musical projects in the works? What about that new Kropotkins record?

I'm working on a duo with Peg Simone where we both play guitar, and she sings. We have just finished a 20-minute track that will appear on her forthcoming new record. Dave Soldier is pretty near, I think, to finishing up the new Kropotkins record. Krops is his baby, like February is mine.

Do you still listen to blues, jazz and funk as much as you once did? Have you heard anything new and interesting that you would recommend?

I do listen to a lot of all of those genres. Mostly the classics that I never, ever tire of. There are some great new artists out there, not necessarily playing those styles of music… I like Megafaun, Collections of Colonies of Bees, Agathe Max, New Randy, Tinarawen, to name a few.

When are you coming back to Europe/France?

We're planning to tour in fall of 2009 or winter 2010 in support of Jet Ear Party. Hope to see you there!

Interview: Sophie Pécaud, 2009
Translation: Khira Jordan

Originally published on Chronicart, June 2009, along with a review of Jet Ear Party.

Jonathan Kane, Jet Ear Party, Radium, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Exploitant la veine ouverte par February (2005), premier LP solo de Jonathan Kane (lire notre entretien), et I looked at the sun (2006), très réussi EP subséquent, Jet ear party recèle de longues plages de « blues progressif ». Kane y roule et déroule inlassablement des boucles entêtantes, expurgeant le genre de toutes ses accidents pour n'en garder que l'essentiel : le riff ciselé, exemplaire, répété ad infinitum. Une quête initiée lors de ses années passées à jouer avec les plus grands du courant minimaliste new-yorkais, mais surtout, la quête ultime du genre duquel il est issu et aux sources duquel il puise son inspiration, le blues : « Ecoute Mississippi Fred McDowell, Son House, John Lee Hooker, nous conseille-t-il. Ces artistes ne jouaient souvent que des pièces consistant en un accord bourdonnant et un riff hypnotique, répétitif ! ».

-Sophie Pécaud, 2009

Lisez la suite dans les pages de Chronicart, ainsi que notre entretien avec Jonathan Kane.

Germ Studies, live at Ausland in Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:18:00 +0000

Germ Studies is an Australian duo made up of Chris Abrahams on a DX7 synthesizer and Berlin-based Clare Cooper on a zither-like instrument called a guzheng. I was fortunate enough to see them perform at Ausland in Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg on 4 June.

Opening is Organ-Off, whose more domineering half, Thomas Meadowcroft, overshadows his partner Magda Mayas. Through a series of seemingly planned false starts, their discordance is well measured, but nonetheless a sorry preview for the headliner.

Sitting audience-level following the opening duo's sprawl of six keyboards and synthesizers on stage, Germ Studies proceeded to play a number of pieces--some improvised, some taken from their newly released double CD, GERM STUDIES for guzheng & DX7.

Germ Studies' music is a conversation in time. The ages of the musicians, like that of their instruments, play into this recurring theme. Their eyes rarely meeting, they set to work extracting the most delicate noises as possible from their respective instruments. The result? Partly soundtrack to a digital planet, partly a study on the permanence of music.

While Abrahams' programmed synth carries the audience from thudding depths to painful and instantaneous highs, Cooper's guzheng morphs from ancient acoustic to space-age and back, played masterfully with fingers, palms, and drum sticks. Their mature and entirely accessible music resonates well with the German and American audience; given the experimental nature of the show, those gathered at Ausland are impressive in their knowledge and engagement.

Words: Nicholas Wells

Photo: Glenn O'Malley, from Clare Cooper's website.

Cool Tunes:

Germ Studies, Germ Studies for Guthberg and DX7, Splitrec, 2009.

Rhys Chatham's Astrological Advice for Musicians: June

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:41:00 +0000

Aries - The Ram - March 20 to April 20

Evaluate the projects you have started to see how they are coming along. This is a time when you will normally be swimming in a sea of musical ideas; the only problem is, you might be experiencing a bit of confusion about which ones to pursue.

During the first part of the month, make an effort to concretize any ideas for new directions you've been having, and be sure to try them out. Play your pieces or songs for trusted friends and colleagues to get feedback and energy; any effort you make in this direction will pay off, but you'll have to make the effort first. If you're in a band, don't hesitate to try out your ideas. It should become clearer towards the end of the month which ones are worth pursuing. At any rate, communication in general will flow more freely.

For those born between April 14-20, be sure to do a lot of networking and partying, because you'll really be at your best. Towards the end of the month you might feel a strong sexual attraction to people. If this should occur, don't worry: it's normal and will not last forever. By all means, have as much sex as possible; touring is also favored during this period.

Taurus - The Bull - April 21 to May 21

Present planetary influences favor communication of all sorts, so clear your evenings and take the time to network and go partying; you'll certainly have the energy for it. If any interpersonal problems have been brewing in the band, now is the time to air them--at least from your point of view, as you'll see the issues clearly and be able to appreciate others' point of view as well.

If you need to change course on one of your songs, compositions or other musical projects, discipline will come relatively easily this month, so now is the time to reign in all those disparate ideas you've been having and impose a bit of order on them, taking a fresh approach for the weeks to follow.

Spring is in the air and along with it physical attractions of all sorts. Be sure to take advantage of them if you are presently unattached. This energy will be quite strong, particularly towards the end of the month. For those in a monogamous relationship, exploring new approaches to sensuality and carnal pleasure will bring untold rewards for those who dare!

Gemini - The Twins- May 22 to June 22

With your birthday this month, June is a time of new beginnings. Have a look at what you've accomplished this year and take the time to think about your plans for the coming months. Work on any existing projects will normally flow along quite smoothly for now; make every effort to tap deeper into the realms of the unconscious for new ideas, because doing so will come easily to you at present.

Be careful with any authority figures in your life such as band leaders, managers, bosses, or the like, as you are likely to want to break out of any restrictions that you feel have been placed on you. Just remember that it was you who agreed to work under these restrictions in the first place. You might feel a bit undisciplined in general, because you are experience a yearning to break out of your usual routine and try something new. If an opportunity to do so presents itself, be sure to take it, because otherwise you'll feel frustrated. This same energy leads to a tendency to be accident-prone, so be sure to let the restless spirit within you express itself!

It's spring and your birthday is this month, so by all means get out there and socialize. Just be careful not to overindulge, because you'll probably be tempted to.

Cancer - The Crab - June 23 to July 22

Practicing or anything else that requires self-discipline might be a bit difficult at the start of June. However, after the first week, it will be as though a cloud has lifted and you'll find your mind in an orderly state. This will be an excellent time to make concrete plans for the near future.

If you've been trying to cope with a difficult or blocked financial situation, the solution is to get organized and make every effort to tie up any loose ends. This is no time to hide your head in the sand with respect to any horrors that your bank account might hold. Don't avoid your banker; you need to play by the rules at this time, and the best way to do that is to meet the situation head on. In fact, energy present after the middle of the month favors resolution of financial matters in general, especially making new arrangements for a project already begun. You'll certainly be able to argue your point of view during this period and will work well with others, because you will be relatively balanced emotionally, particularly towards the middle of the month.

An excellent time for new activities. It will be normal for you to feel unusually strong sexual urges towards the end of the month, but they won't last forever. By all means, take advantage of any opportunity that might present itself during this period, always remembering to take the proper precautions.

Leo - The Lion - July 23rd to August 22

Make an effort to be sensitive to other people's feelings, as there will be a tendency towards being argumentative, especially towards the middle of the month. If there has been sexual tension brewing in the band, or in any other professional context for that matter, it will probably boil over towards the end of the month. You'll be thinking more clearly then, so this would be a good time to get things out in the open, or at least have a frank talk.

Aspects to Neptune and Jupiter have the potential to make this month a very creative and productive one for you. Be careful, however, of excess. You'll definitely feel like partying at the start of June; try to avoid overdoing it with booze or mind-deadening drugs, as your psycho-physical complex will be especially sensitive during this period

If you have been sitting on the fence trying to decide whether to "go for it" with respect to that completely extravagant and unrealistic project that you've been itching to do for ages, don't drag your feet and be prepared to act quickly if funding unexpectedly presents itself, for there is an energy present which favors financial support from unexpected quarters.

Virgo - The Virgin-August 23rd to September 22

Look at any current projects or looming situations that you have going on and review them, because they are likely to be challenged in some way this month. You need to validate what you are presently doing and make any necessary adjustments.

You're likely be having nagging feelings of insecurity or doubt about what you have been doing. If you've been experiencing confusion about current directions, don't lose heart quite yet; your mind will be functioning more clearly during the opening weeks of June. You'll have the energy as well as the vision to edge your way to the light at the end of the tunnel. When looking at your projects, ask yourself what it is about them that make them your unique voice rather than someone else's. Focusing on this will enable you to breathe fresh life into your music, possibly leading to an unexpected new direction towards the end of the month. Be careful, however, to avoid starting new projects before finishing the ones you are currently working on, for you are nearing the end of a cycle that started roughly 14 years ago. This period is more one of culminations than one of embarking on something completely new.

If you've been having a tough time lately or feeling the blues, take a good, hard look at the situation and make every effort to face the truth and see things clearly, even if it's unpleasant. Cut to the heart of the matter and define a goal to reach. Once this has been accomplished, success may already be within reach!

Libra - The Scales - September 23 to October 22

In general, things sail along smoothly during the month of June. Your energy will be up, you will experience a period of equilibrium in your life: one where you can just be yourself, with the fewest obstacles from people or circumstances. A favorable aspect with Neptune, the ruler of music, allows you to tap deeply into the unconscious. This should be a fertile period of creativity of all kinds.

Your mind is active, and, towards the end of the month, will be unusually clear. This period is favored for getting rid of any backlog of paperwork, so use the opportunity to make those long put-off phone calls and email responses.

If you've been feeling stuck in a rut lately or that there is a general lack of excitement in your life, now would be a good time to do things that nourish you. Get back in touch with the senses by focusing on your body and mind: have a love affair, for example! Do things that make you feel vibrant and healthy, and start responding deeply to life. If you've been feeling restrained on any level, now is the time to express yourself. A touch of poetry may be what is needed. Go for the delights of the senses this month – food, pleasure, and beauty.

Scorpio - The Scorpion-October 23 to November 22

Current energies present for Scorpio can have two completely different effects, depending on how you have been handling things recently:

On the negative side, this can be a time of conflict. Recent actions, either on your part or on that of other people, may have created energies that lead to anger, rage, or general disagreement. Put less dramatically, unless you have been working on yourself of late, all manner of subconscious energies are likely to be stirred up that will make you difficult and not easy to get along with. This is not a good time to resolve any problems that have been festering with the band or your manager.

On a more positive note, this period can be a time when some activity of yours is brought to a triumphal climax. In either case, it is important now to achieve a creative working relationship with others. Your present actions will create consequences for the future; what you do now will largely determine how the whole project, whatever it is, will work out in the long run.

Your creative energies will be highly stimulated this month, so that is something on the plus side; but be careful about overindulgence of all kinds--especially overdoing it with food and drink, because you'll be tempted. This would include sex as well, so be careful of any new relationship you might form in June, because you might well be lacking in discrimination. Such a relationship might be OK for now, but make it withstand the test of time before committing to anything serious.

Sagittarius - The Centaur -November 23 to December 22

An energy is present which favors wrapping up your various projects, so June would be a good time to put the finishing touches on that new song or polish the rough edges on your latest masterpiece. If there are areas of your life that haven't worked out very well over the last six months, don't feel defeated by it; you can learn from your mistakes with the information you've gained, and launch a new project that will avoid the flaws of the one that failed.

Aspects to Saturn and Uranus suggest that unexpected events may occur that test your ability to withstand change and stay on the path that you have chosen for yourself. If you've been feeling discouraged, take a look at your circumstances to see what has been holding you back. It may be that now is the time to break free of any restricting relationships or situations. Change is in the air during June for Sagittarius!

If you've been having difficulty making an important decision on deciding whether or not to walk away from a difficult project, situation, or relationship that you've spent a long time working on, it's definitely time to get off the fence and change direction. It will take a huge load off your mind if you do.

Capricorn - The Goat - December 23 to January 21

Things should run fairly smoothly in June without any special effort; you should be able to make significant progress and get a great deal done, so take advantage of this and accomplish as much as possible. You energy will be high, and you'll normally be willing to work. While this period generally favors initiating all kinds of projects and activities, it's more likely that you will work on projects that you have started earlier. Collaborative projects of all sorts are particularly favored from mid-June until the end of the month.

Aspects to Venus favor personal and amorous relationships, and a conjunction to Mars arouses strong sexual attraction, possibly even of a mildly kinky variety. If the opportunity arises, go for it by all means; sexual satisfaction is particularly intense under this transit. Even without sex, you'll be very happy with other people, particularly as the month progresses. You will feel more attractive than usual and may well be the life of the party!

If you have been going through a period of relative inactivity due to not having been able to disentangle yourself from a situation, or otherwise being unable to let go of something or someone, now is the time to get out more and open yourself to new experiences and situations. Define a specific goal you would like to obtain within this context. Success will be within your reach if you do.

Aquarius - The Water Carrier - January 22 to February 20

June will be a period of high energy, balance, and equilibrium; normally, you will encounter the fewest obstacles from people and situations. Examine the projects you started over the past few months that have worked out well, and begin preparing them for a time in the near future when they will reach a critical culmination. Success in these matters is almost at hand, so you should spend some time preparing for it; if you are not ready when the moment comes, any effort you have put into it so far will have been wasted.

You'll be able to assert yourself effectively this month and accomplish a great deal of work. You might, however, find that you are being tested in some way to demonstrate the validity of what you are doing and challenged, either by circumstances or people. All this energy might channel into your being argumentative, and lead to disputes. You won't feel like making compromises, but this is precisely what you should do--especially if you can mange to do so without giving ground on essential points.

Having a blow-out might actually be a good thing, clearing the air of tensions that have been building recently. If you feel you must do this, a favorable time would be towards the end of the month, when aspects to Mercury make your mind unusually clear. You'll be able to state your case forcefully before others, should the need arise.

Pisces - The Fish - February 21 to March 19

You may experience challenges this month with respect to getting a project off the ground. It's as if some part of you were struggling to get into the light, but the world is demanding that it prove itself before being allowed to enter. Keep at it; you can be confident that things will bear fruit in about three months, based on your current efforts.

Aspects to Mars give you the potential for great physical vitality; you'll be able to work hard and accomplish much. Even if you are normally shy or retiring in nature, you'll find that this month you will be able to be more assertive towards others and stand up for your views in any controversy. New opportunities to be personally effective open up under this transit. If you're in a group, by all means make your contribution because your energy will compliment that of the group. You will know what you want and how to get it without causing people to resist you while you're at it.

Aspects to Venus favor all kinds of group activities. This transit is also likely to provide personal advancement as a result of a favorable impression you make on a producer, agent, bandleader, boss, or other person in authority.

For those born between February 28 – March 7, a current aspect to Saturn that only happens once every 28 years might be taking the wind out of your sails a bit, and you have probably been feeling somewhat overburdened. If this is the case, don't get discouraged. The best way to deal with it is to go with the flow and not to fight events. This transit represents a period of endings, and it's important to understand that these endings will be followed by new beginnings. This energy will not last forever, so it's important not to allow yourself to be frustrated or overly saddened by the endings and keep in mind that there will soon be exciting new projects on the horizon.

Rhys Chatham is a composer from New York who has lived in Paris since 1988.

Art Work: Florian Quistrebert

No Fun 2009: Infinite Sound and Image: No Fun Goes to New York's New Museum

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Sat, 30 May 2009 15:56:00 +0000

Still, Makino Takashi and Jim O’Rourke, The Seasons, 2009.

If a three-bar, bouncer-peppered, profit-centric venue like Music Hall of Williamsburg seems somewhat of stretch for a “show case” of what is ostensibly the most fiercely anti-commercial and anti-hegemonic music today, try a major metropolitan museum. Those of us who relied solely on the No Fun website for information on the lineup this year will be surprised to learn that the festival had not only one new home this year, but two — along with a brand new “Infinite Sound and Image” component, which is longhand for “film screening.” Recognizing that many of the artists on the bill this year are active outside the purely musical sphere — and, perhaps, that the noise experience in general is not only about what we hear, but, almost always also what we see and feel — Carlos Giffoni teamed with Rhizome’s ongoing “New Silent Series” for an afternoon of moving image work at the New Museum on the Bowery.

Read the rest on Tiny Mix Tapes.

Words: Emilie Friedlander

Like what we're doing here? Just a little pocket change gives Visitation Rites food to live on.

No Fun Fest 2009, by PRSE and Emilie Friedlander

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:45:00 +0000

As close to a scene report as contemporary noise can afford, No Fun Fest, with Carlos Giffoni at the helm, each year confronts problems of selection. Over three nights, some 25 acts say their piece, spanning a vast geography of provocation and anomie. But how to organize such a spread?

Issues of sequencing carved this first night into awkward, unconversant provinces. Reliance on the Music Hall’s single stage — in stark contrast to the Knitting Factory’s three variegated tiers last year — forced every juxtaposition and prevented sonic refuge anywhere but at the bars (three!) or the merch zone. Surely, this format appeals on some level, a force for equalization and eclecticism. Yet, all the same, it cripples the element of choice: the harshmongers were left out to dry during the set of antiseptic synth-wave excreted by Xeno and Oaklander — a curatorial choice that, in the name of variety, really debased the sense of fest-wide mission.

Read the rest on Tiny Mix Tapes.

Words: PRSE (here) and Emilie Friedlander (elsewhere)

Like what we're doing here? Just a little pocket change gives Visitation Rites food to live on.

FUCK SEPARATION: A Conversation, by Alessandro Keegan/Mattin

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Sat, 23 May 2009 19:05:00 +0000

Mattin is a musician and performance artist from the Basque Country. He has produced a slew of releases under the names of Deflag Haemorrahge/Haien Kontra, Sakada, Billy Bao, and No More Music. He has also collaborated with many artists, including Drunkdriver, Margarita Garcia, Tim Goldie, Taku Unami and Tony Conrad, to name a few. His work mixes laptop electronics with politics and, in the case of Billy Bao, some harsh, deconstructed rock and roll. In the live setting, Mattin is subversive, sometimes abrasive, and always finding ways to undermind audience expectations and break the boundaries inherent to performance.

I began interviewing Mattin by writing back and forth with him via email; finally we sat down to talk further about his work. We decided it would be best to present what we came up with in the spirit of Mattin's work: without categorization or clear authorship. This is not an interview per se, as Mattin's words often become my words and I in turn have re-written and expanded upon some of his.

Are there lines that should not be crossed or cannot be crossed in a performance?

Do you mean like killing somebody? Like using somebody's head as a resonance box [Jon Abbey]? I do not mean to sound like a futurist, but machine guns have beautiful sounds!

I am more interested in bringing certain ideas that the situationists used in the urban environment into concert situations. I understand that this is problematic, in the sense that I am still an artist. The situationists did not want to have their personal stamp or the brand of an institution on their documentation.

After a concert in Madrid, somebody took my microphone and told me to stop. I was surprised and I did not know what to do. Somebody else told me that I should hang myself with the cord. I was even more confused. I went up to her and asked her, "why don't you do it? Here is the cord and here is my head." She said: "Fucking shut up." Afterward, I was thinking that I should have fought her for the microphone. What she did was fascist in the sense that she was censoring what she did not like.

Maybe the fascist was me but I leaned a lesson: to always ask myself, before a concert, how far I am willing to go with the situation, with what I am doing, how much integrity there is in what I am doing, and how much I am willing to give up. My physical health? Prison? Everybody hating me afterwards? Lack of recognition?

Violence, anyways, can be an effective way of breaking certain boundaries and connecting with a sensation of the real. I must say that only time that I experienced real violence was during a concert with Drunkdriver, when Berdan was swinging the microphone and hit me. I did not faint, so I continued to play. Even if I am interested in getting head-fucks in concert, l am not sure whether I want to get them literally. I was very confused after that concert; the whole conceptual approach did not work, but there was a very strong atmosphere and it seemed that everybody was feeling very intense.

This "strong atmosphere" is something difficult to quantify, but I think many performers have sensed it at certain times. Instead of being hypnotized in some orgiastic way, we are forced to reckon with an unexpected situation or to look at the event through a different frame. Something has been transgressed in the social hierarchy of the setting.

Violence is a difficult question, I am personally interested in a

psychological type of violence, in doing something subtle that can really disturb peoples expectations. The boundaries we create with limited expectations and the categories we ascribe to art are the most oppressive psychological factors, and the most difficult to overcome. They dictate separation and cause alienation. The goal is to identify those moments of separation, because those separations produce power structures and defend ideologies.

I remember seeing concerts where the musicians were very good, and the music was very good, but where what they were doing was something that I could just throw into a category. It would leave me with a feeling of emptiness. When a performance can be easily framed, it risks becoming impotent, no matter what energy or intentions lay at the heart of it. There is always a passive consumer mentality at work, and a market ready to exploit the artist. Even if this market pretends to be alternative, it is still about profiting from people.

A DETOURNEMENT OF ROLES OR IDENTITIES, A MORE PERFORMATIVE UNDERSTANDING OF APPROPRIATION.

You have an unusual relationship with you laptop, sometimes using it as a means of physical engagement with the audience.

One of the most important things that I get out of improvisation is the opportunity to play instruments against the grain. So if people usually stay in front of the screen, respecting only those little fucking patches that they have in front of them, letting the audience seem like they are just secondary to the situation, I am interested in doing the opposite: in socializing my interaction with the computer. It has cost me many motherboards.

Do your collaborations usually begin with a conversation or with a performance?

Either way, a conversation might be a way of putting a process forward, a process that exceeds the framework of the concert. There is no such thing as a neutral audience, or a perfect audience, or an audience where everyone has the same level of awareness about your work. So if everybody has a different relation to the performer's work, and to the situation that is at hand, I find it stupid to say that the performance is the only thing that matters, or the only place where things are going on. In terms of improvisation, many concerts start before the actual concert begins, with conversations that influence the playing.

Recently, I played a concert with Margarida Garcia and I said to her that I did not think I had anything interesting to play with my computer. I wanted to just plant myself in the audience and see what would happen if I was announced as a player in the concert but then discovered just sitting there in the crowd, the only sound I produced being the clapping at the end, along with the rest of the audience. This was probably the concert where the most attention was on the other players, as I did not have worry about my shitty playing. And it was amazing!

Being given the role of performer is a kind of alienation. Being a member of the audience is alienating as well. It's funny how the concert situation falls into a submissive pattern when one would think that it should be a moment of liberation.

It can be very lonely on stage because it transforms you into a very particular subject, like a rock star, and this somehow distances you a whole lot from the audience. You are suddenly this gifted artist who commands respect, rather than another pathetic human being. Don't get me wrong: I am saying this about myself. If the danger is gone, that means this desperation has become a commodity. And I am not just talking about physical danger here.

Words: Alessandro Keegan/Mattin

Photo: Hrvoje Goluza

Continuing Education:

Mattin's website

Like what we're doing here? Just a little pocket change gives Visitation Rites food to live on.

Video-Word Association of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Mon, 11 May 2009 02:32:00 +0000

polyrhythm [pol-ee-rith-uhm], noun.

adjective, polyrhythmic [pol-ee-rith-mik]

The simultaneous combination of contrasting rhythms in a musical composition. Rhythmic conflicts, or cross-rhythms, may occur within a single metre (e.g., two eighth notes against triplet eighths) or may be reinforced by simultaneous combinations of conflicting metres. The latter effect is characteristic of numerous non-Western musical forms (e.g. Indonesian gamelan) and of certain Western, especially American, compositions. - Encyclopedia Britannica

Continuing Education:

Polyrhythms in Cultural Theory:

"Roots and Wires: Polyrhythmic Cyberspace and the Black Electronic," an essay by cultural critic (and Arthur contributor) Erik Davis

Like what we're doing here? Just a little pocket change gives Visitation Rites food to live on.

News: Nuits noisy à la nantaise

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 09 May 2009 16:13:00 +0000

Moha! + Rature
Mardi 12 mai - 20h - 5€
Bitche
3, rue de Bitche
Nantes
Organisé par Cable# et Forcebéton

Magnetix + Action Beat + Human Toys
Vendredi 15 mai - 20h - prix libre
Le Fouloir
Chemin de la Peloussière
Saint-Herblain
Organisé par Les Loubardes Pédées

Like what we're doing here? Just a little pocket change gives Visitation Rites food to live on.

Ali_Fib Gigs Comes to Brooklyn!

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:02:00 +0000

Peter Walker + David Daniell +Carter Thornton
Monday May 11th - 9pm - $8
Matchless
557 Manhattan Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11222
Nassau Ave. (G) / Bedford Ave. (L)

Curated by Maxime Guitton/Ali_Fib Gigs

poster by Zeloot

Rhys Chatham's Astrological Advice for Musicians: May

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Aries - The Ram - March 20 to April 20

This is the beginning of a new two-year cycle for you. If you started any new projects last month around the time of your birthday, you will have lots of energy to really get them off the ground. If you haven't initiated anything new, now would be a good time to begin gathering your ideas; towards the end of the month you will experience an extra push that, with a bit of effort, will really jump-start that new song or composition.

Although you might have a tendency to be a bit more argumentative than usual this month, you'll find that you really enjoy being with people. So be sure to go out and socialize--not only for networking, but also for the new input and ideas that taking the time to hang out with people brings.

Those of you born after April 8 should be careful not to overdo it at parties or club dates, as present influences favor excess. Happily, when applied properly, this energy can also allow you to become completely at one with your music, which should normally result in particularly dazzling performances. All in all, an excellent time for performing and touring.

Taurus - The Bull - April 21 to May 21

Feeing a bit discouraged or low on self-confidence? Don't worry, it's only a passing phase. You're at the end of a cycle that started two years ago, so now would be a good time to review what you have accomplished and bring any unfinished projects to a conclusion.

You may feel inspired this month to take a new direction in your work or to make an adjustment on an existing project. The opening weeks of May favor gathering your thoughts on this new direction, or simply reflecting on what you've done with your music up to this point. By the end of the month, you should experience greater clarity on this subject.

While your energy might not be at its highest this month, practicing or maintaining the discipline of keeping your daily appointment with the muse (whether she shows up or not!) will normally be possible with only minimal prodding. Generally speaking, the energies this month favor any kind of research or inner searching.

Gemini - The Twins - May 22 to June 22

With your birthday coming up soon, this would be a good time to put the finishing touches on that song or project you've been working on, if you haven't done so already. In any case, you'll be brimming with all kinds of new ideas for projects. But don't take on more than you can handle, even though you'll probably want to, due to all the energy and good vibes you've been feeling.

This month will be an excellent time for networking and socializing, because you'll be feeling good about yourself. So go ahead and throw that party or organize that dinner you've been meaning to invite your friends to. Go out as much as possible, hang out with friends, and meet new people. Just be careful to avoid being overly indulgent, because you'll certainly be tempted to!

If you have been feeling that you've been stuck in a rut lately, then you'll probably find it difficult at the beginning of the month time to break out of it. Don't give up! Be patient, take a step back, and analyze the situation. Continue to search for new solutions; with a little application, you're sure to find one by the end of May.

Cancer - The Crab - June 23 to July 22

You'll have a lot of energy this month--possibly too much--so make sure you have outlets to release it. This would be a good time to go on a road tour, which would not only be fun, but allow you to meet new people, make many contacts, and generally be more outgoing than you usually are. There might be a tendency towards self-gratification of various sorts, so be careful not to overdo it at the bar--especially before the gig--and avoid packing chocolate bars while traveling: you want to look good up there on stage!

This month favors new activities and projects of all sorts; your life will have a more exciting quality than usual. Normally, now is not the time to sit around all day composing, unless you are really on an exciting new track or direction. In any case, you'll really want to get out there and do and see as many new things as possible.

An energy is present this month that will test the validity of something you started approximately six months ago, possibly looking for any flaws in your preparation. If you can consciously examine what you've been doing up to now, you should be equal to any challenges that may arise. Ego conflicts may come up from time to time, especially for those of you born before June 25. For all Cancers, it will pay to be on guard against irritable impatience with others when things do not go exactly as you planned. But aside from this, your relationships with others should go fairly smoothly this month.

Leo - The Lion - July 23rd to August 22

You will have lots of energy that you can direct towards your work this May, be it composing new songs or compositions, or collaborating with others. Relationships with band members or other colleagues will generally be smooth, because you'll be generating warm Leonean vibes for the most part.

At the start of the month, you might experience a test or challenge to your projects. Meet these challenges head on, as you'll have the energy and clarity of mind to do so. Given sufficient application on your part, confronting these obstacles will result in fresh impetus towards the end of the month, or perhaps even a new direction.

Mercury going retrograde after the 7^th favors introspection of all kinds. Review your goals

and examine how well you are working to achieve them. Perhaps it is time for a change of strategy? Is it time to collaborate with others if you are not already doing so? While collaborations of all kinds are favored during May, make a special effort towards the end of the month to really listen to others and try to see things from their point of view in order to reconcile conflicts. If you're working alone, this would be a good time to see if there are any weak points in your thinking.

For those born between August 15 and 22, be careful about overextending yourself or going overboard--particularly with regard to buying equipment you don't need, because you'll probably be tempted to do so. You may find that you alternate at times between being completely confused about your musical direction and literally bursting with fresh ideas and the feeling of being one with your music. Don't worry about extremes like this for now, because it's normal, given present influences. This is a time of discovery for you, so be sure to keep your appointment with the muse every day no matter what! You'll be glad you did.

Virgo - The Virgin - August 23rd to September 22

Things should flow fairly smoothly in May. At the beginning of the month, take a look at any projects you have that have been going well and whip them into shape, so that they are ready to withstand any initial challenges or tests later in the month. The stress in your life will normally be relatively low at the moment, so you can firm up your affairs now with a minimum of stress.

Don't forget to examine any projects or matters that have not worked out so well, and decide whether you should cut your losses or not. It may be a bit difficult to determine which are worth saving, but you can do it. Those that feel better subjectively than the others will be the ones to go for.

Those of you born in the first twelve days of September might feel a bit fatigued this month. If this is the case, concentrate only on the projects that really need your attention--especially the ones that you may not want to do, but feel that you have to in order to fulfill your obligations to others.

For those born between September 13 and 20, pay attention to any restless feelings you may be having and try to find out what it is that you want. This is an influence where you can find that new sound you've been searching for all these months, or even years. Of course you'll need to do a bit of digging, but you'll find what you are looking for if you keep at it!

Libra - The Scales - September 23 to October 22

In May, you'll really want to have as many interactions as possible with friends and colleagues, and your powers of communication will be at an all-time high. This is an excellent time for touring or getting out of your studio to do a bit of serious networking and partying.

You'll also want to bring at least some of your projects to a culmination this month; this is certainly a time when some of your various activities will come to a climax. It will soon become clear whether you have conducted these activities skillfully or not. Once it does, you can adjust your course to bring them to a successful finish.

Your ego energies are easily aroused under present influences, so try to avoid unnecessary confrontation with others, as you'll probably be a bit irritable this month. If this happens, notice your anger and irritation and ask yourself what these emotions tell you about your attitudes. You may find that what makes you mad is quite unimportant to you, once you recognize it.

For those born between October 14 and 22, a strong Jupiter/Neptune conjunction gives you abundant intuitive insight into your musical endeavors. Writing and all forms of creative inspiration are favored at this time, so while you'll definitely want to go out partying, don't forget to keep your daily appointment with the creative muse; there are fertile grounds to be harvested this month!

Scorpio - The Scorpion - October 23 to November 22

This is a period when things are likely to come together in one way or another, either in terms of your career or in the personal dynamics occurring within the context of your band. If a career opportunity should come up this month, be sure to make an effort and milk it for all it's worth! Doing so will bring quick results at this time.

Power struggles might occur this month. If there are any underlying tensions brimming below the surface with your manager, booking agent, or any of the other people with whom you work closely, try seeing things from their point of view and working towards a consensus, rather than being stubborn and deciding to do things your way no matter what. The latter attitude, at present, would cause resentment and perhaps even massive resistance.

This is a time of culminations of all sorts, and failure is, of course, always a possibility as well. Should this occur, don't get discouraged. Be prepared to pick up the pieces and learn from any mistakes that were made. Don't worry, you'll find a new direction; in fact, present energies favor this.

For those of you born between November 14 and 21, an inner energy will be present that will open up a real opportunity to tap deeply into your musical resources, arriving at new ideas and previously unexplored directions.

Sagittarius - The Centaur - November 23 to December 22

Apply yourself to your current projects and continue to heroically plow ahead, despite any resistance you might meet. If you're feeling restless and a bit undisciplined at the start of the month, buckle down and get your act together, because things should come to a head towards the end of May, when everything will begin to click into place. You'll normally be full of ideas, and with a bit of effort, you'll be able to apply them to your musical projects.

If you feel as though you are stuck in a rut, this would be a good time to tear yourself away from your studio, get out more to see your friends, and perhaps get a little networking done, since you will feel an urge to socialize more than usual. Relations with the band or your colleagues should go smoothly. However, if for some reason they do not, don't worry! It should be relatively easy to resolve any conflicts, due to the generally good vibes you'll be feeling on a psychological level.

An influence is also present which favors having sex, so be sure to have as much as possible of it this month. By all means, take advantage of every opportunity--always remembering, of course, to take the necessary precautions. In any event, this should be a stimulating month in every sense.

Capricorn - The Goat - December 23 to January 21

Things will normally flow fairly smoothly at the start of the month, and you will be at peace with yourself for the most part. That being the case, it might be a good idea to evaluate your current projects; in all likelihood, this smooth state of affairs will not, alas, last forever! See which of your projects are really working, and which ones need a bit of fixing up. If you decide that you need to make a new start on certain things, don't become morose and gloomy over it. Instead, get to work on making things better straight away. This will not be as hard as it sounds, for discipline will come relatively easily to you this month; now is the time to take advantage of it.

If here are any tensions that have been brewing under the surface between you and your bandleader, manager, or any other authority figure, they are likely to come to a head sooner than later. If you become really pissed off, try not to explode, as doing so won't help things--particularly at the start of the month. Instead, strive to see the other person's point of view. Do like Obama does, and try to come to a consensus of some sort! Or, if at all possible, avoid any touchy issues entirely until the end of the month; at that point, you'll be in a better mood for discussing difficult topics and will be seeing things more clearly.

This is a good time to make changes in your immediate surroundings, whether it's rearranging the furniture in your studio, or bringing interesting new people into your life. In fact, your everyday encounters with people and situations are likely to get much more interesting in May. Chances are your situation has become too structured and ordered anyway, so don't be afraid to take a walk on the wild side, should the opportunity arise.

Aquarius - The Water Carrier - January 22 to February 20

You'll be challenged at this time to think about completing your various projects to reap their rewards or other consequences. In the back of your mind, you are probably already beginning to turn your attention to what the next step will be for your career or projects, even though circumstances are forcefully reminding you that the present stage isn't over yet. The challenges at this time are often related to events that started three months ago. Your energy is high, so this is a good time to accomplish all kinds of work.

Your mind is functioning relatively clearly now; it is quick and receptive, and you are eager to expand your knowledge of any area you encounter. You can put this curiosity to good use and quickly discover that the more you understand about any given situation, the better you will be able to handle any problems that arise.

If you are looking for a new agent or record company, you are putting out positive energies at this time and can use this to make a good impression on people you want to impress. In fact, May is a good time for any group interaction, and you will want to hang out with friends or the members of your band. You'll have faith in your ability to achieve and you'll be able to work well with others. You will not, however, be inclined to back down in any matter. If you should have to fight with someone to maintain your position, you will do so effectively, although you will want to seek out common ground where the two of you can agree--should there be any.

For those born between February 7 and 16, Jupiter/Neptune contacts indicate that you'll probably feel good both physically and psychologically, and have a positive outlook for much of the month. Your awareness of and contact with music will be greatly heightened, and this is something you will definitely want to take advantage of, because this energy will not last forever. However, you should avoid taking drugs or overindulging in alcohol this month, for you may find it difficult to control your use of them. Also, your body is much more sensitive than usual, and you may react badly to drugs, even prescribed ones. That being said, this period should be highly profitable for you. Musically speaking, great intuitive leaps in your work are not out of the question!

Pisces - The Fish - February 21 to March 19

Examine any projects that you've started over the past few months in order to see how they have been coming along. It's important that you do this now, because in about 30 days, challenges will arise that will test their validity. Don't be caught in the illusion that you can simply stick your head in the sand and hope for the best; rather, evaluate what you have accomplished so far and decide upon a logical plan of development. Your mind is quick and functioning clearly at present, so doing this should easily be within your reach.

Communication with colleagues might be a bit difficult during the first half of the month, and you may feel somewhat isolated. Your energy level might be on the low side as well. Best to find something rewarding to do that requires concentration. You will need to find a balance between your needs and obligations, for neither can be allowed to win out over the other. If duty wins out to the point of negating your self-expression, you will feel impossibly restless. But if you ignore your obligations and do only what you choose, you will soon find that you are in conflict with others, which will prevent you from deriving any real satisfaction from your activities. You will clearly have to make some compromises, but if you are honest in expressing your needs to others and asking that they do the same, you should be able to work things out.

For those born between March 11 and 18, a contact with Uranus may bring about events or situations that are quite surprising to you, breaking you out of your usual routine and introducing an element of liveliness to spice things up in your life. Surprise will probably crop up at some point soon; when it does, give yourself the freedom to respond spontaneously, perhaps in a way that surprises even yourself!

Rhys Chatham is a composer from New York who has lived in Paris since 1988.

Art Work: Florian Quistrebert

Like what we're doing here? Just a little pocket change gives Visitation Rites food to live on.

The Hunter Gracchus, Sacred Object of the Yiye People, Chironex Records

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Sun, 03 May 2009 18:48:00 +0000

Sacred Object of the Yiye People, the debut LP from England’s The Hunter Gracchus, is a cacophony of improvisation, acoustic noise, and obscure literary and cultural references. The odd charm of the album emerges through an interplay between unconventional rhythm and hypnotic melody. Sacred Object's Bedouin influences stand out in a number of the tracks and make it traveling, richly textured, and entirely enthralling.

The album is constructed like a journey, with “elkadria priests’ ransacking of the PNAC offices—parts 1 to 3” and “for naguib mahfouz” neatly bookending the work as the departure and the arrival. In “night is our tryst when silences ring as the pause of bells,” sounds float in and out of earshot, finally culminating in a duet between accordion and drums filled with the drudgery of movement. The second half of side a, featuring “with the fire of ogun, the axe-handed one” and “the blood never dried”, is jarringly dissonant. Heavy-handed percussion overpowers the initially delicate tones, and we hear the only traditional instrumentation of the album: slightly distorted guitar riffs and the rhythm of a steam locomotive.

Side b is more melodic, but not by much. Starting with “the pineal eye,” a sawing violin becomes an ambient metronome, and short gasps of accordion and percussion punctuate the melody. The drums are still there, but they become a melodic undertone, not like the pronounced rhythms of side a. Their musical influences are as much Bedouin street jams as contemporary noise and dream folk.

Some tracks open with the first notes of a carnivalesque accordion, only to become a repeated melody of four notes. These beginnings are like biting into a street hotdog: the bun feels artificial and misplaced, a barrier you have to get through to get to the meat inside. Once you’re in, the sound mirage is intoxicating and the improvisation becomes organic psychedelia.

After the initial opening, the listener must wait for rhythmic meditation to begin, and it’s not always evident in what direction a song is going. One exception to these misdirected openings is "naguib mahfouz,” the album’s closing track, in which ethereal voices, coupled with Hunter Gracchus’s signature heavy violin, create an interplay of surprising intensity. This is a song that I could be born / die / be buried to; it washes over you in layers and waves, evoking the water themes in The Hunter Gracchus, the Franz Kafka story from which the band takes its name.

Organically and acoustically, The Hunter Gracchus breaks musical sound into noises that don't seem to be coming from the instruments that produce them: a rhythmic clatter turns to stretched rubber; a squeak, combined with light rhythms, becomes the call of a caged chicken on a cinematic caravan of Bedouin traveling.

Many of their song titles contain clues to the band’s influences. These references range from populist political bravado ("elkadria priests’ ransacking of the PNAC offices” and "the blood never dried" speak to the ex-subjects of the British Empire) to Arabic and Bedouin culture and literature (“with the fire of ogun, the axe-handed one” and “the greater the jibbah, the greater the blessing”). The cover art and album title are taken from artists Olga and Alexander Florensky's creation of a fictitious people, and of the ethnographer who studies them.

One problem with Sacred Object is that few of these references seem to lead anywhere; they add context but not dimension. Perhaps this is the lot of 21^stcentury music: to draw connections where there are none, in deference to the dream of universal knowledge. While the disconnect between the alien music and abstruse literary and cultural references in the titles may make The Hunter Gracchus seem like a pretentious scenester band, their music is genuinely good.

Words: Nicholas Wells

Like what we're doing here? Just a little pocket change gives Visitation Rites food to live on.

Video - Word Association of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Sat, 02 May 2009 16:21:00 +0000

melisma [mi-liz-muh], noun.

plural, melismata [-muh-tuh]

an ornamental phrase of several notes sung to one syllable of text, found everywhere from Indian classical music and Gregorian chant to the song of the Orthodox Jewish cantor and the Islamic muezzin, dirty blues, and American Idol-style crooning

Continuing Education:

"In Search of the Lost Melisma" and excellent video-essay on the origins of melismatic song by Jack Rusher, published on awesome epistemology blog Rhetorical Device.

"How 'American Idol' Uses (And Abuses Melisma)", by Michael Katzif, NPR.

Like what we're doing here? Just a little pocket change gives Visitation Rites food to live on.

The Reactable: “That was one of the goals: let’s allow everyone to have fun playing the instrument.”

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:41:00 +0000

If you have ever heard or seen the Reactable in action, it was probably during Bjork’s 2007 Volta tour. Largely influenced by the Moog synthesizers of the '60s and '70s, this new instrument is a translucent table with movable colored blocks that produces a range of rhythms, melodies, and sequences. If the Reactable has not received the mainstream recognition it warrants, this may be because it is not its tonal qualities that make it revolutionary for live performance, but its components. While its sound is unlikely to break the mold, the Reactable is a dramatic innovation in both interactive performance and music technology.

The instrument is the brainchild of four experimental musicians and music academics from Europe. I recently spoke with Sergi Jordà, Marcus Alonso, and Günter Geiger (the fourth, Martin Kaltenbrunner was in Austria and thus unavailable), who have been receiving awards for the invention on both sides of the Atlantic: Rolling Stone’s Hot Instrument of the Year, two D&AD Yellow Pencils, and the Golden Nica from Prix Ars Electronica.

The first aspect of the Reactable that sets it apart from other instruments is the simplicity of its interface, coupled with seemingly infinite outputs. Talking to its creators, I was reminded of the adage about the game Go: “a minute to learn, a lifetime to master.” Sergi said that the group wanted the Reactable to be simple enough so that new players would not become bored as they learned how to play, but open-ended enough so that progress would not render practice futile: “Being attractive and fun doesn’t mean that it’s simple.”

The other revolutionary aspect is the Reactable’s multi-user interface. Up to four performers can use the Reactable at once, creating a collaborative sound design unique to each particular performance. This collaborative element is manifest in the physical structure of the instrument itself: a "round table", designed so that no performer is the leader and all have an equal say in the music.

The technology behind (or, beneath) the Reactable is a vision-tracking software called reacTIVision, which allows the computer to keep track of multiple “tangibles” (the physical representatives of the virtual synthesizer’s modules) as well as finger touches on the table's surface. A camera beneath the table identifies and tracks the tangibles based on a symbol that distinguishes each module of the virtual synthesizer. In this way, tangibles can be placed on the table and introduced to one another, banding together and influencing one another’s output.

For example, when a Sequencer tangible is in place on the table, a waveform appears between it and the “output” at the center of the table. The tangible can be turned, like a knob, to change the frequency. A voltage-controlled filter (VCF) can be added to interrupt the Sequencer, appearing as an intermediary on the table. By rotating the VCF, the overtones of the sequence can be adjusted, creating more textured and interesting sounds.

The Reactable’s sound, as demonstrated in this Internet video, is generally drum-heavy synth beats; but its creators insist that while “you have to practice, it is possible to play a melody.” This distinction, however, is kind of a moot point: the Reactable was conceived of on a “higher level” of thinking involving “real-time interaction and performance.”

There are disadvantages to the Reactable. Its limited mobility makes it difficult to carry along for a gig. But no one playing ordinary gigs will be using a Reactable anytime soon, as it has yet to become commercially available. There is a version out now in seven museums worldwide, but an industrial version should be available by the end of the year. Unlike the earlier Reactables, these newer instruments can be customized; while they will come with preprogrammed modules, the user can “add [their] own samples, sequences, layers of complexity.” The new version will include a “different interface for a configured table," harkening back to John Cage’s music for prepared pianos.

For someone with little to no knowledge of synthesizers or electronic music in general, the Reactable can be a welcoming introduction, presenting modules, frequencies, and waveforms in a simple, visual setting. For experienced musicians, it creates new realms of possibility for performance and collaboration.

Words: Nicholas Wells

Photos: Xavier Sivecas

Continuing Education:

The Official Reactable Website

Like what we're doing here? Just a little pocket change gives Visitation Rites food to live on.

Hi Red Center, Assemble, Joyful Noise, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Emilie Friedlander) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:49:00 +0000

Following Architectural Failures (2003), their first effort, Hi Red Center has lead us to the other side of the mirror. With Assemble, recently released on Joyful Noise, these four New York stooges propel the listener into a sumptuous and colorful wonderland where everything is falsely welcoming. Taking cues, perhaps, from the likes of Lewis Caroll and his foul-mouthed flowers, Hi Red Center conjures scenes of toothless imps and giants that aren't so giant at all. A play with off-kilter syncopation on the opening track sets the tone for what is to come: everything here may topple without warning. From song to song, logic is joyfully pushed and pulled, and common sense turned on its head; these boys cannot introduce a riff or catchy backbeat without exploding them like fireworks just a few seconds later.

Hi Red Center could not have found a better label in Joyful Noise. The group maintains a tricky equilibrium between bubblegum pop and experimental noise; they make music “for folks who like to sing, for people who like to dance," but, above all, “for everyone who likes their songs thoroughly mixed and mashed.” The sound that results is almost as puzzling and ironic as the Cheshire Cat himself. On keyboard, Russell Greenberg straddles hulking synth lines and light-footed vibraphone motifs. On guitar, Thomas Yee, a master of heavy distortion, alternates between primitive riffs and extended prog solos (“Trees in a Row,” “Los Olvidados”). On bass, Lawrence Mesich “unites the frenzy of post-punk with the dexterity of krautrock.” Finally, on drums, Mike McCurdy effortlessly navigates between Battles-style metronomic beats (“Littlest Giant”) and uncomfortable, floating rhythms (“Toothless Beau”).

The result? Songs that are fractured and unpredictable, guided by a fugue aesthetic that would please any pop baroque enthusiast: melody lines crisscross without much concern for harmonic coherence. Hi Red Center’s spastic spice comes from a commitment to musical contrariety, a pleasing do-si-do of technical opposites: fast and slow, high and low, tormented and carefully measured. The ethereal choruses that lacked accuracy and definition in Architectural Failures

resurface as the album's most original and compelling features, providing what might be the group's new signature seal. The between “rhythm section” (the deep synths, the furious percussion) and “harmonic section” (the aerial vocals and vibraphone) make for some of the most shocking – and, to my taste, most successful – songs of the album (“Symmetry Chameleon,” “Chicken Gorlet”).

Words: Sophie Pécaud

Translation: Khira Jordan

Originally published in French on Chronicart, Spring 2009

Continuing Education:

Hi Red Center website

Hi Red Center MySpace

Like what we're doing here? Just a little pocket change gives Visitation Rites food to live on.

Hi Red Center, Assemble, Joyful Noise, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:39:00 +0000

Depuis 2003 et Architectural Failures (2003), leur premier opus, Hi Red Center nous emmène de l'autre côté du miroir. Avec Assemble, tout juste sorti chez Joyful Noise, les quatre compères new-yorkais nous propulsent dans un monde brillant et coloré où tout n'est que faussement accueillant ; si chez Lewis Carroll les fleurs s'invectivent, chez Hi Red Center, les beaux gosses sont édentés (“Toothless Beau”), et les géants pas si grands que cela (“Littlest Giant”). Dès l'ouverture de l'album - un jeu de déphasage brinquebalant -, le ton est donné : tout peut basculer à tout instant. De chanson en chanson, la logique est joyeusement bousculée, le sens commun mis sens dessus dessous ; à peine un riff est-il esquissé, à peine un backbeat est-il installé, que les quatre garçons font tout exploser dans un joyeux feu d'artifice.

Lisez la suite dans Chronic'art.

Pour plus d'informations, voir :
- le site officiel de Hi Red Center
- la page Myspace du groupe

Like what we're doing here? Just a little pocket change gives Visitation Rites food to live on.

News : Soutenez le Farniente Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:20:00 +0000

Fin septembre 2008, l’équipe de l’association le Sens du Poil annonçait que l’organisation de la troisième édition du Farniente Festival était mise à mal par la nouvelle municipalité de Pornichet, qui coupait brutalement toute subvention et toute aide logistique (retour sur l’affaire ici). Aujourd’hui, les acteurs de la politique culturelle de la Ville obligent l’équipe du festival à quitter le territoire communal.

L’équipe du VIP, scène de musiques actuelles à Saint Nazaire, commune voisine, a décidé de prêter main forte aux bénévoles du Sens du Poil, et d’accueillir, le 13 juin prochain, une journée du Farniente Festival en exil.

Les bénévoles de Sens du poil comptent vivement sur votre soutien. Vous pouvez assurer la continuité du Farniente Festival en assistant, nombreux, à cette soirée musicale au VIP, mais aussi en adhérant à l’association (bulletin téléchargeable ici). Pour que toutes les musiques puissent continuer à s’exprimer dans notre région, le Sens du Poil a plus que jamais besoin de vous !

Like what we're doing here? Just a little pocket change gives Visitation Rites food to live on.