Øyvind Brandtsegg’s “Nancarrow Biotope” reviewed by Nettavisen

Veldig annerledes – veldig fascinerende

Jazzfolket kjenner igjen navnet Øyvind Brandtsegg fra samarbeid med Kristin Asbjørnsen og Krøyt og Live Marie Roggen. Her møter vi professoren fra NTNU i en totalt annerledes setting.

Jeg bryter sammen, om ikke i krampegråt så i alle fall lett hulken, og tilstår at jeg beveger meg ut på relativt tynn is i forbindelse med denne musikken og denne utgivelsen.

Det har seg nemlig slik, og her må jeg ta forbehold om at det er mulig at jeg tråkker gjennom den nevnte isen allerede her, at den musikalske forskeren Brandtsegg, som jeg husker som vibrafonist fra før, har tatt for seg musikken til den amerikansk/mexicanske komponisten Conlon Nancarrow (1912-1997) og tatt den med til helt nye steder.

Nancarrow var spesielt kjent for stykkene han skapte for sÃ¥kalt player piano – sjølspillende piano. Pat Metheny har ogsÃ¥ jobba i dette musikalske spenningsfeltet og hans “Orchestrion”-prosjekt har sÃ¥ avgjort et visst slektskap med det Brandtsegg har skapt og og “spiller” her.

I løpet av to konserter, en i Stavanger Konserthus og en i Nidarosdomen, trigger Brandtsegg orgelet til Ã¥ spille – nÃ¥r ikke domkantoren i Nidarosdomen, Petra Bjørkhaug, spiller orgel sjøl. Det er med andre ord EDB-maskina til Brandtsegg som sørger for at orgelet spiller og at det er bÃ¥de spennende, fascinerende og unikt er ingen overdrivelse. Vi snakker MIDI input – skjønner? Tangentene rører seg ikke, men musikken som kommer ut er som om tangentene hadde blitt spilt pÃ¥. Tøft og veldig annerledes.

Programmeringsjobben Brandtsegg har gjort mÃ¥ ha vært av det voldsomme slaget – resultatet har i alle fall blitt usedvanlig stort og veldig annerledes. De som har lyst til et annet musikalsk sted og la seg utfordre pÃ¥ veien er hjertelig velkommen: “Nancarrow Biotope” og Øyvind Brandtsegg er svaret pÃ¥ musikalske bønner du ikke visste du ha hadde bedt.

Musikken er utgitt på kassett (!) og digitalt.

Pedro Rebelo’s “Listen to me” reviewed by Kathodik

Il compositore e sound artist portoghese Pedro Rebelo, nel 2017 si è ritrovato a poter seguire un gruppo di ricerca sull’applicazione delle nanotecnologie nell’ambito della sicurezza alimentare presso l’International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory di Braga, avendo cosi l’opportunità d’immergersi nel particolare panorama acustico offerto dai laboratori in cui questa avviene.
Macchinari in fasi cicliche, stridori, sibili e riavvolgimenti, apparati di ventilazione, avvisatori acustici, camere di sospensione vibrante e frequenze fuori scala percettiva che la ciccia avverte.
Segnali in allungo che si cercano e gradualmente trovano, nell’ambito di specifici percorsi, raramente esplorati dal punto di vista dell’ambiente sonoro.
Bello nastro bello.
Tanto.

Marco Carcasi

via Kathodik

New release: Øyvind Brandtsegg’s “Nancarrow Biotope”

“My essential concern, whether you can analyze it or not, is emotional; there’s an impact that I try to achieve by these means.” — Conlon Nancarrow

Conlon Nancarrow’s Studies for Player Piano were orchestrated for Pipe Organ, Disklavier and electronics by Ã˜yvind Brandtsegg. The work with these compositions instigated further exploration of improvisation with these mechanic instruments in combination with improvisation software written by Brandtsegg.

As each Pipe Organ is unique, the orchestration is necessarily also unique for each instrument. Two concerts of this material – in Stavanger Concert Hall and the Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim – show how differently the music is shaped to match the possibilities of these two instruments and venues. Nancarrow’s music requires a quite extraordinary degree of articulation due to the rhythmic passages and high tempi. Sometimes an individual adjustment of each single note would be required, due to slight differences in timing between organ pipes. 

Algorithms and automation are ubiquitous in our modern society, and Nancarrow’s compositions allow an interesting perspective on automation and mechanization within an expressive aesthetic context. It also sheds light on the necessity of manual labour of implementation and adaption to make the algorithms matter for human communication.

The improvisation software is based on relatively simple algorithms and serial techniques. It comes to life in the interaction with the live performer, where data is continuously updated from the performer action. 

An extensive description of issues encountered in the production can be found in the paper “An interface to an interface to an interface”. A documentation video from the Nidaros Cathedral production is available at vimeo.com/463046453.

Tracklist:

  1. Follow Me 2020 (Nidaros) (05:23)
  2. Study 36 (Stavanger) (03:26)
  3. Study 8 (Stavanger) (04:01)
  4. Study 41a (Stavanger) (05:41)
  5. Study 11 (Stavanger) (03:54)
  6. Study 2b (Stavanger) (01:23)
  7. Study 12 (Stavanger) (03:57)
  8. Study 21 X canon (Stavanger X Nidaros) (03:02)
  9. Follow the Lines (Nidaros) (06:53)
  10. Vectors and Intervals 2 (Nidaros) (04:56)
  11. Study 37 (Nidaros) (07:26)
  12. Study 6 (Nidaros) (03:10)
  13. Study 12 (Nidaros) (04:03)
  14. Vectors and Lines (Nidaros) (07:33)
  15. Study 2b (Nidaros) (01:21)
  16. Study 11 (Nidaros) (04:01)
  17. Vectors and Intervals (Nidaros) (05:09)

Credits:

  • Performed by Øyvind Brandtsegg, except tracks 1, 9, 14 by Øyvind Brandtsegg and Petra Bjørkhaug. 
  • Compositions by Conlon Nancarrow except 10 and 17 by Øyvind Brandtsegg; 1, 9, 14 by Øyvind Brandtsegg and Petra Bjørkhaug. 
  • Recorded in Stavanger Concert Hall October 19th 2019, and Nidaros Cathedral (Trondheim) October 31st 2019 and April 13th 2020. 
  • Recording engineers: Øyvind Grong (Stavanger), Thomas Henriksen and Øyvind Brandtsegg (Trondheim). 
  • Mixed by Øyvind Brandtsegg and Thomas Henriksen. 
  • Mastered by Karl Klaseie at Øra Mastering. 
  • Artwork by Skurktur / www.skurktur.com 

“Nancarrow Biotope” is now available as a limited-release cassette and for download or stream.

Síria’s “Boa-Língua” reviewed by Neural

Boa-Língua in Portuguese literally means “good tongue”. This expression is often used in contrast to “bad tongue” that is “small talk”. For his second album Siria used structures of his former work, Cuspo. She used them as organising principle for the structure (9 songs in one sequence, the final one being a repetition) and length of the tracks, after collecting several different recordings of rehearsals. The whole result is a refined form of musicality, with the vocals in the foreground and a mix of various experiments. These might make us think of a world-music or ethnic approach, but they also display a passion for improvisation and electroacoustics. The repertoire of the album is made by different versions of traditional songs. They include a version of an Azeri song and two original versions, one in Turkish and the other in Portuguese, and two other unreleased songs where the vocal does not take the form of words. Within the catalogue of Crónica Electrónica, this production might seem atypical, but this independent media-label usually performs an elegant eclecticism. While listening, the different pieces of the puzzle come together. Later, the tracks were mastered by the specialist Miguel Carvalhais, who, along with Pedro Tudela, produced a remix of the second track, “Nos Montes”. That is not the only example of artistic convergence. “Canção do Gato” is a version of a song recorded by Tiago Pereira from A Música Portuguesa a Gostar Dela Própria. “Senhora dos Remédios” is a version of a song performed by Catarina Chitas and has a sample from Maile Colbert. “Belgian Shepherd” is a remix of a song by Rui P. Andrade from his album All Lovers Go To Heaven. “Ay Işığında” is a version of a song performed by Nərminə Məmmədova. “For Ghédalia” and “Boa-Língua” both have recordings from Los Niños Muertos, André Tasso and Bruno Humberto. Overall, this is a complex but lovable production, which a broader audience than the usual followers of electronicmusic and audio art can deeply appreciate. Aurelio Cianciotta

via Neural

New release: Nicola Di Croce’s “Deus Sive Natura”

“Deus sive Natura” is a latin expression later used by philosopher Baruch Spinoza to reflect upon the identity of God and Nature: “Individual things are nothing but modifications of the attributes of God, or modes by which the attributes of God are expressed in a fixed and definite manner” (Spinoza, Ethics, pt. 1, proposition 25, corollary).

This album results from a performance by Nicola Di Croce which closed an art residency developed in Viterbo (Italy) at the “Bullicame” thermal springs. The public springs were used by Romans and later by poets, writers and popes; the same natural crater was also cited by Dante as the access to Flegetonte, namely the infernal river.

The residency aimed at sonically investigating the aquatic environment of the area, and presented the results to the public through a quadriphonic performance realized beside the natural pools. The residency was curated by Serena Achilli within the framework of Algoritmo festival in August 2019.

Nicola Di Croce is a sound artist and scholar trained as an architect and a musician. He has a PhD in Regional planning and public policies and is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Università Iuav di Venezia (Italy).

His research deals with the relationship between Urban Studies and Sound Studies. In particular, he is interested in collaborative and participatory approach to urban policy analysis and design through methodologies emerging within Urban Planning and Sound Art.

Sound is central to his artistic and academic practice for he considers listening and field recording as pivotal tools to investigate urban atmospheres and social transformations. Through articles, lectures, compositions, performances, and installations he aims to foster sonic awareness and to empower institutions and local communities, exploring new potentials for local development.

“Deus Sive Natura” is now available for stream or download!

Roel Meelkop’s “Crossmodulated” reviewed by Silence and Sound

Ça commence par des frottements, peu à peu rattrapés par une forme d’énergie bourdonnante, parasitée par des ondes radio grésillantes…

Crossmodulated de Roel Meelkop est une entité sombre, un trou noir dans l’espace avalant les étoiles et le magma du temps, déversant le chaos sur le monde qui l’entoure dont il est lui même le créateur et le destructeur. 

Roel Meelkop ne nous épargne pas, nous rentre dedans pour sucer toute trace de résistance, nous prend par la moelle épinière pour nous électrifier sur place. 

Ses titres sont des déclarations de guerre, avant goût de la chute finale, rouleau compresseur caché derrière une forêt de cables, vecteurs de destruction et de soumission, roulant sur des tapis de vitalité déstabilisante, montées irrépressibles vers des cimes en tension, chargées de brillance frissonnante et d’abstraction coupante. Acéré. Roland Torres

via Silence and Sound

New release: Roel Meelkop’s “Crossmodulated”

Roel Meelkop (1963) studied visual arts and art theory at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. During a post-graduate course at the same academy, he decided to dedicate his work to sound and music. His musical activities date back to the early eighties when he started THU20, together with Jac van Bussel, Peter Duimelinks, Jos Smolders and Guido Doesborg. THU20 have released several tapes and CDs and performed regularly in Europe. The working method of THU20 included many discussions about how to compose and why. This period was crucial in forming Meelkop’s ideas and concepts about sound and how to organise it, but it was not until the mid-nineties that he was able to fully realise these ideas. The purchase of a sampler and later a computer radically changed his possibilities of working with sound, offering infinitely more control and freedom. Since then he has worked steadily on a body of work, most of which was received enthusiastically in the small but dedicated world of sound art. His other activities include working with Kapotte Muziek, Wieman (both with Frans de Waard) and Pierdrie (with Machinefabriek and video artist Marco Douma). Recently he has worked with filmmakers Esther Urlus and André Schreuders and long-time friend and collaborator Jos Smolders (MeSm). He has also been digging into the universe of modular synthesis, the results of which are still under close scrutiny.

In the last years, Meelkop has been mainly concentrating on live work, especially in collaboration with other musical artists, such as Jos Smolders, Machinefabriek, Das Synthetische Mischgewebe, and visual artists such as Marco Douma and Esther Urlus. We has also been involved in sound design for film and video. His studio practice has been given a boost by the discovery of modular synthesis, much to the credit of Jos Smolders, who introduced him to it. In this release, Meelkop combines recordings of modular sessions with field recordings, either from his archive or newly made.

Tracklist:

1. Crossmodulated 1 (14:19)
2. Crossmodulated 2 (09:23)
3. Crossmodulated 3 (05:51)
4. Crossmodulated 4 (13:54)
5. Crossmodulated 5 (15:44)

Mastered by Jos Smolders at Earlabs. Cover art Drawing Machine Drawing #72 by Rosemary Lee.

“Crossmodulated” is now available as a limited-release cassette and for download or stream.

Øyvind Brandtsegg’s “Nancarrow Biotope” reviewed by Vital Weekly

Conlow Nancarrow “was an American-born composer who lived and worked in Mexico for most of his life. He became a Mexican citizen in 1956. Nancarrow is best remembered for his Studies for Player Piano, being one of the first composers to use auto-playing musical instruments, realizing their potential to play far beyond human performance ability. He lived most of his life in relative isolation, and did not become widely known until the 1980s.” Brandtsegg orchestrated this piece for the Pipe Organ, Disklavier and electronics. It is a combination of “mechanic instruments in combination with improvisation software”. This cassette contains two recordings of this piece, in Stavanger and Trondheim. It would be great if I could say something about the original about this version, but sadly I can’t. I have very little idea about the working of classical music, that can’t be secret I would think, and so it is not easy to review this work. The seventeen pieces are in total some seventy-five minutes of music of highly rhythmic and dense church organ sounds, perhaps more so than I would think this is a work of software. The piano is replaced by the Disklavier and it is all very modern classical music to these ears. It is probably great music, but a bit too far outside the scope of Vital Weekly. (FdW)

via Vital Weekly

Síria’s “Boa-Língua” reviewed by The Sound Projector

Last heard Síria with her 2018 solo cassette Cuspo, and she’s here today on the same label with a new tape called Boa-Língua (CRÓNICA ELECTRONICA 155-2020). Diana Combo created this work using much the same methods as before – her own voice being the most prominent feature, along with field recordings, sampled records, and found recordings, all processed in the studio according to her design.

This time around she’s pushing the envelope a bit, and the starting point was a bunch of informal recordings of her singing and improvising, which were never intended for release. She found it a liberating experience to do this, and wanted to see if she could repurpose these off-the-cuff experiments, with all their spontaneity and mistakes, into something more structured. At the same time, she’s doing cover versions of songs – well, sort of. At least four of the nine pieces here are songs that have been previously recorded or released by others, although the names in this particular list are mostly unfamiliar to me and may mean more to those steeped in contemporary Portuguese music, especially electronica. In any case these “cover versions” are also mixed up with samples and remix elements, and disentangling the strands of these mixed threads is not only next-to-impossible, it’s really not the point of the exercise. Diana Combo has managed to inhabit each work, and make it her own; every one of these nine tracks still carries the faint aura of menace and warning.

In this work, the warning applies to “obloquy, reproach, gossip, voluntary misunderstanding, etc.” and the hundred other ways in which we humans deliberately use language to evade the truth, either attempting to deceive others or (more likely) fool ourselves. The very title of this tape Boa-Língua is significant, as it translates as “good tongue”, the direct opposite of “malingua”, which is how a Portuguese person would accuse another of telling tales out of school and speaking behind your back. At a time when “fake news” is a hashtag in every other tweet on your stream, what could be more timely? There’s a simplicity and directness to this music I do like, and I feel there’s something about Diana Combo’s outlook which I can trust, and even if some of the music feels a little unfinished, it also has a porous quality which is good. From 12th March 2020. Ed Pinsent

via The Sound Projector