18 February 2008
Two happenings in one evening, both focusing on new approaches to the visual aspects of music making. An informal presentation of Tonewheels by Derek Holzer and Sara Kolster and a performance by BNW.
Studio 1:
BNW
Wessel Westerveld - visual amplified machines
Viljam Nybacka - prepared electric bass
BNW is a collaboration between the sound artist Wessel Westerveld and bassist Viljam Nybacka. Westerveld (aka Der Wexel) uses self made machine sculptures to make music akin to that of contemporaries working in analogue electronic or computer music. But he is not interested in the invisible mode of micro electronics or laptops and instead makes machines which have visual personalities, moving sculptures which look like Heath Robinson devices performing mechanical synthesis. Here he works with Viljam Nybacka, a very accomplished electric bassist most known for his work with Brown vs. Brown, Nybacka rejects traditional bass techniques, concentrating instead on preparing the bass with all manner of objects not normally associated with this instrument.
Studio 2:
Derek Holzer & Sara Kolster present TONEWHEELS
Derek Holzer & Sara Kolster are the founders of soundtransit, a website where you can book phonographic journeys through various locations. This time they present Tonewheels, an experiment in converting graphical imagery to sound. Transparent tonewheels with repeating patterns are spun over light-sensitive electronic circuitry to produce sound and light pulsations and textures, while projected graphical loops add richness to the visual environment. Their work is presented without the use of computers, using only analogue electronics and overhead projectors as light source, performance interface and audience display. TONEWHEELS aims to open up the black box of electronic music and video by exposing the working processes of the performance.
The full TONEWHEELS performance will be presented at Steim on Wednesday 20th February: 20:30.
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