New LP release: “Strings”


We are thrilled to present, in a coproduction with Fundação de Serralves, the new release by Stephan Mathieu and David Maranha, “Strings”.

“Strings” documents the long awaited first encounter of David Maranha and Stephan Mathieu, taking place in the Tennis Court of the Parque de Serralves, in Porto, on a sun-drenched yet gusty late-afternoon in July 2011. Having discussed in advance which instruments, tuning and notes to use, the piece was accomplished as an improvisation on the violin, shruti-box and virginals, reflecting both players love for classic minimalism, but also their ability to transform this language and make it their own. The acoustic instruments were amplified through a quadrophonic system to captivating volume, that nevertheless allowed environmental sounds to permeate.

The complete 30 minutes performance of “Strings“ is now published in a limited and numbered edition of 300 single-sided 12” records, pressed on white audiophile vinyl, with sleeves featuring a silkscreen print by Pedro Tudela.

David Maranha: Violin and Shruti Box
Stephan Mathieu: Virginals and Electromagnets

Concert curation: Pedro Rocha
Live recording: Nuno Aragão
Mastering: Stephan Mathieu
Vinyl transfer: Andreas Lupo Lubich at D&M Berlin
Audiophile pressing: Pallas Group, Diepholz, Germany
Design: MC
Cover art: Pedro Tudela
Printing: Célia Esteves and Márcia Novais at FBAUP

This is a joint release with Fundação de Serralves
Fundação de Serralves

This release is now available for direct orders from Crónica.

Futurónica 55


Episode 55 of Futurónica, a broadcast in Rádio Manobras (91.5 MHz in Porto, 18h30) and Rádio Zero (21h GMT, repeating on Tuesday at 01h) airs tomorrow, February 10th.

The playlist for Futurónica 55 is:

  • Stephan Mathieu & David Maranha, Strings (2012, Strings, Crónica)
  • David Maranha, Redemption Torture (2007, Marches of the New World, Grain of Sound)
  • Stephan Mathieu + Caro Mikalef, Radioland (Panorámica) (2012, Radioland (Panorámica), Line)

You can follow Rádio Zero’s broadcasts at radiozero.pt/ouvir.

“FAKEless”, an installation by Abraham Hurtado

“FAKEless”, an installation by Abraham Hurtado with sound by Jan Ferreira (Mosaique) and Jochen Arbeit, is npw on display at La Conservera in Murcia.

“FAKEless” centres on the conception of a space in which we can watch emotion being constructed, the possible ways of perceiving a face and the transformation of that face through an act of presence. Although the viewer’s first impression is of digital manipulation, “FAKEless” makes no use of any kind of artifice or performative tool. It attempts to bring us close to the most intimate emotion generated by the slow, subtle movement the performers themselves produce during the action, avoiding any kind of technological process such as slow motion or still images. The installation consists of a total of fourteen black and white portraits projected from the ceiling to the floor.

“FAKEless” can be seen until the end of July.

“Double Exposure” reviewed by Essmaa

Double Exposure
Découverte de cet album un jour de neige. Le jardin est recouvert d’une fine épaisseur blanche. Le ciel, pas bien haut, est gris.

“Broadstairs Childrens Piano Trio” (tiré de la compilation digitale Mus*****c), se révèle la bande son idéale. “Double Exposure” regroupe des compositions des six dernières années. Janek, compositeur et artiste sonore, propose un travail d’archivage, compilant morceaux pour compilations et arrangements sonores pour des installations. Fieldrecording, vinyles manipulés, paysages sonores denses et mélancoliques, ces longues plages ambiantes sont autant de dérives sonores vers un monde forcément apaisés et apaisants. Dans ces nappes érodées, ces fragments de mélodie, on retrouve en reflets les albums instrumentaux de David Sylvian (” Approaching Silence” ), le jeu mélancolique de Sakamoto, les orgues de Charlemagne Palestine et les poussières de Machinefabriek.

via Essmaa

“Ovo”


“Ovo”, a new piece by the Puppet Theatre of Porto, premieres next Friday, February 10th, at Mosteiro de S. Bento da Vitória in Porto. With puppets and scenic objects by Rui Pedro Rodrigues and Filipe Garcia, video by Albert Coma, this co-creation of Edgard Fernandes, Eric de Sarria, Isabel Barros, Rui Queiroz de Matos, Sara Henriques and Shirley Resende, features an original soundtrack composed by @c (Pedro Tudela and Miguel Carvalhais).

“Ovo” will be presented daily until February 26th.

More information and tickets at TNSJ.

“Poststop” reviewed by Westzeit

Poststop
Es beginnt wie eines jener wundervollen Tuxedomoon-Alben: Blaine L. Reininger predigt zu schwebenden Violin-Schleifen und dezent-avantgardistischen Synth-Basteleien. Dann aber hebt die von ihm (an)geleitete Projektband zu einer höchst interessanten, in diesem Zusammenhang aber zumindest für mich auch recht verblüffenden Klangreise durch die zwar schon vor Jahren von Nurse With Wound & Co. entdeckten, inzwischen durchaus gut kartografierten, aber eben auch immer noch voller Überraschungen steckenden Labyrinthe aus Möwengekreisch, Papierzerreißen und anderen, zumeist heftig manipulierten O-Tönen an. Entstanden aus einem Workshop in Porto, arbeiten sich u.a. Marc Behrens und Autodigest an den auch theoretisch untersetzten Sounds ab. Karsten Zimalla

“Travaux mécaniques” by Nicolas Bernier


Nicolas Bernier is launching a 5.1 musique concrète DVD on the empreintes DIGITALes label entitled “Travaux mécaniques” (Mechanical Works). Co-presented by AKOUSMA at Le Conservatoire de musique de Montréal, Concert is on February 9th, 2012, 20h. Two pieces from the disc will also be played at Electric Spring in Huddersfield (UK), opening for @C.