December 2003
Strom Fifty One
Hello
Though the garish street decorations in London instruct me that this must be Christmas, the mood just isnít quite festive as yet for me. Perhaps Iím just a little too anxious that Iíve just not been good enough and Santa will not be making him obligatory stop at my home this year. Then again it might be to do more with the fact that Iíve been spending the last weeks in locations that donít speak of Christmas in the traditional manner.
íve just returned from the Awesome Festival in Perth Australia which was wonderful. My work, Echo Richochet, a soundwalk through the city on headphones, will soon be available for you to digest on CD. The extreme sunshine continued with my trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, where remarkably I learnt that I was the first ever electronic artist to perform in Vietnam at the Opera House. With the national form of transport being the motorbike there was no excuse not to join in, so much of my week was spent clinging to the back of a speeding motorbike as literally hundreds of people wove their way around one another. An aspect of this was that I realized that after one week I hadnít crossed a single road as a pedestrian. I canít recall a time when crossing a road would become so significant. Whilst there I also hung out in the studio with one of the top boy bands of Vietnam as they struggled to overdub their vocals for their new pop hit, and created two mixes with another pop singer which you will soon be able to find online at my website to freely download.
I was also very honoured recently to work over in Paris with French composer Luc Ferrari. To share not only creative time but also Chinese food and drinks with an artist who studied with Olivier Messiaen and worked with Edgard Varese was truly remarkable and hopefully the fruits of our union will one day be unleashed into a greater public. Itís time like these that one is humbled by the opportunities afforded by creating the little projects that I do.
ím currently working with the Royal Ballet in London for five performances at the prestigious Royal Opera House. Choreographed by Wayne McGregor of Random Dance, the work, entitled Qualia, is arguably one of the severest and leaden soundtracks I have ever written. Thirty minutes of speeding cut up breakbeats, sexy breathy voices, and treatments of Bach and Elgar to accompany the elegantly extended bodies of 19 dancers across a massive auditorium.
My accomplice in Japan, Terre Thaemlitz, has just issued an extremely limited editon box set to celebrate Comatonse Recordings 10th anniversary. Entitled ë10 years below codeí it features work by Erik Dahl, SND, Ultra-Red, Simon Fisher Turner and a long lost work from a collaborative record that never saw the light of day at the time, Terre Loves Robin, Robin Loves Terre!. Though it sold out before it was even released you can download the entire contents for free from the site.
http://www.comatonse.com
Just in time for Christmas too. My, how it feels great to be spoilt.
So a few free items for you which leaves you with more money to buy everything you need for your friends. My wants list can be found at Santaís headquarters in Greenland.
Have a super festive season, move gently into the new year and see you in 2004.
Best wishes
Robin / Scanner
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::: diary dates :::
2003
7 Dec ë52 Spacesí: Dundee Contemporary Arts
http://www.dca.org.uk
3,4,9,11 & 12 Dec
ëQualiaí: Royal Opera House London with Royal Ballet
http://www.royalopera.org
13 Dec Lecture: Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Copenhagen Denmark
2004
16 Jan "n’oublie pas ce que devines" Bonlieu ñ Annecy France
24 Jan ë52 Spacesí: Netmage Festival Bologna Italy
http://www.netmage.it
5,6 & 7 Feb ‘Nemesis’ Tel Aviv Israel with Random Dance Company
13 Feb "n’oublie pas ce que devines" ArmentiËres France
12 March Sevila Spain (tbc)
19 & 20 Mar "n’oublie pas ce que devines" Sceaux France
19 &20 Mar ëNemesisí / Random Dance Company, Belgium
25 Mar Festival de Jazz Amiens France with Wibutee
22 April ëTune Iní: The Kitchen New York
http://www.thekitchen.org
14-16 May ëRE~TGí / Throbbing Gristle UK
http://www.throbbing-gristle.com
1-7 June Agora Festival at Pompidou Centre Paris France
::: listen :::
Richard Chartier: Overview (3Particles)
Triosk meets Jan Jelinek: 1+3+1 (scape)
Colleen: Everyone Alive Wants Answers (Leaf)
Mars Volta: De-Loused in the Comatorium (Universal)
::: read :::
Ian Penman: Vital Signs (Serpents Tail)
Ian Phillips: Lost (Princeton Architectural Press)
Antonio Jorge Goncalves: O Senhor Abilio (Edicoes Asa)
Mel Byars: Design In Steel (Laurence King)
::: film:::
Japanese Story, Sue Brooks, Australia
The Five Obstructions, Lars Van Trier, Denmark
Finding Nemo, Andrew Stanton/Lee Unkrich, USA
Spirited Away, Hayao Miyazaki, Japan
::: ::: ::: :::
