Hello
Time to look back at last month and share stories and adventures.
Tone Science Liverpool
I’m delighted to report that the debut Tone Science Festival in Liverpool was a massive success, with a capacity crowd enjoying five live performances by a host of artists, concluding in a group performance of La Monte Young’s “Composition 1960 #7.”
Each of us performed live sets focusing exclusively on the use of modular synths as our instruments, and it was rewarding to discover what different sonic voices each of the acts offered, even when sometimes using similar equipment too. I improvised mine completely and wasn’t sure what to feel until I stopped playing, so the applause was quite reassuring!
The entire event was recorded, and if all goes well it will be out as a double CD later this year, featuring everything that happened on the night. This is hopefully some reward to those people who were obviously unable to make the trip to Liverpool. We are currently in conversation regarding the next show too.
A.I. Music in Electronic Sound Magazine
The British music journal Electronic Sound Magazine has happily reached issue no. 100, and is celebrating with the theme of FUTURISM, including a double CD featuring 23 tracks, 10 of them previously unreleased. The 23 tracks were inspired by visions of the future, from cyber worlds and life on other planets to AI excursions and madcap B-movies. I contributed an exclusive track, alongside some truly great artists.
It seems almost inevitable that so much more of our future will be automated, mostly likely in the most mundane of situations. At present we’ve adapted to bots answering our technical questions on websites and robot shopping deliveries, but where does that leave music composition? For my track, “Road Gangs of His Dirt,” I used software that automatically generated the harmonies and rhythms. Naturally I made decisions, but the source of all the material was automatic, down to the software picking random radio stations to sample. Even the ridiculous title was automatically generated.
Other artists feature include Meat Beat Manifesto, Wrangler, John Foxx, Hannah Peel, Blancmange, Ian Boddy, Gazelle Twin, Benge and many more. Pick up a copy here.
Live at Cafe Oto London October 2022
You can now watch back in full a live performance of mine on my channel from October 2022, in collaboration with my dear friend, the Italian composer and artist Roberto Paci Dalò. It was recorded live at London’s Cafe Oto as part of the Suono Grasso Festival.
We completely improvised the set together, and especially since it was almost impossible to soundcheck, since local neighbours were complaining about the noise, having just moved above this popular music venue. Yes, really.
The Magician’s Hat Vol.3 Film
Everyone enjoys something for free, I think. For a recent Bandcamp Friday, where artists and labels are given 100% of sales proceeds for the day, I offered up a new compilation.
“The Magician’s Hat Vol.3 Film” is the third in a series of free compilations to explore my rather vast back catalogue. I’m frequently asked what music I would recommend of my own to listeners, so this is another little helpful guide. This episode features cinematic works drawn from my catalogue of releases.
The opening piece, “Roads (Unreleased)” is taken from a completely unreleased score for a German movie from an award-winning German film director. “Frank Explores Again,” “Alien Tourist,” and “The Perpetual” are excerpts from complete film scores that Scanner Fan Club members have full access to. It’s never too late to join up to enjoy over 40 exclusive releases, available only to these special supporters 🙂 Join up here.
The other two volumes are still available for free, focusing on ambient recordings and another on more beat focused material. I also hope you will enjoy them, and then pick up items from the catalogue that they are taken from.
To accompany the release I created a little video you also might enjoy. This clip features “The Punishment” (1973) by Pierre-Alain Jolivet, as opposed to the original film it was scored for in 2018.
Working with the Harry Smith Archive
I am currently developing a new project in collaboration with the Harry Smith Archive in the USA. Smith was an extraordinary figure – an American polymath, who was credited variously as an artist, experimental filmmaker, bohemian, mystic, record collector, hoarder, student of anthropology and a Neo-Gnostic bishop.
“The Anthology of American Folk Music” is perhaps his most famous contribution. the most important American mixtape ever made.’ (Pitchfork)‘ Make no mistake – there was no ‘folk’ canon before Smith’s work.’
I have access to his archive of works and will be creating original live scores to them in performance over the next year. This clip is taken from his “Early Abstractions” which is a collection of seven short animated films created by Smith between 1939 and 1956. They were recorded with no sound.
If you are interested and would like this show to take place, then please get in touch. We have access to a wide selection of prints of his films and some 4K transfers. Now, watch this little clip and enjoy the live soundtrack.
Back on the road in Europe
And now it’s May, and back on the road again. It all starts in Prague, with a show on 4 May at Dox for the PMP Festival. I’m working with a wonderful ensemble of musicians, performing the singular work of two classic American minimalist composers – with Terry Riley’s “In C” and La Monte Young’s “Composition 1960 #7.” Yes, that very same piece I performed at Tone Science with an electronic ensemble.
This show follows on from our hugely ambitious Stockhausen performance there in 2022. And this year, in an even riskier fashion, we are also performing Young’s “Composition 1960 #2,” which is probably one of the wildest of his scores, encouraging the performer to build a fire in front of the audience.
Ever safety conscious, don’t worry, the fire will be lit outside and the audio broadcast throughout the theatre space. Read more about La Monte Young here in a feature I recently wrote.
From Prague it’s a little train journey over to Vienna for a live show with the amazing bass clarinet player Gareth Davis, at the very elegant Rote Bar in the prestigious Volkstheater, on Friday 5 May.
Up early the next morning for another train journey to Bratislava where Gareth and I will be performing at A4, which will be my first ever show in this city. We will perform another unique collaboration on Saturday 6 May, alongside Alia Amnis.
It’s home for a night, then repacking the suitcase to travel to The Netherlands to go into rehearsals for a performance in Utrecht on Saturday 13 May. It’s an early evening performance at 17h00 of Stockhausen’s “Aus den sieben Tagen,” which is an expansive hypnotic work!
And since June is also close-by, please make a note in your diary if you are in London on Saturday 10 June for the WRF Festival, with a host of live music.
Thanks as ever for your support
Best wishes
Professor Scanner
:: listen :::
Jon Hassell: Further Fictions (Ndeya)
Between: Low Flying Owls (12k)
Jan Jelinek: Seascape (Faitiche)
The Young Gods: Play Terry Riley In C (Two Gentlemen)
::: read :::
Anna Cassel: The Tale of the Rose (Stolpe)
Victor Szabo: Turn on, Tune in, Drift Off (Oxford Uni)
Luis V Rey: The Led Zeppelin Tape Documentary (Imagine)
Mark Blake: Us and Them – The Authorised Story of Hipgnosis (Nine Eight Books)
::: watch :::
A Little White Lie: Michael Maren
Dinner in America: Adam Rehmeier
Crystal Fairy & The Magical Cactus: Sebastián Silva
Fall: Scott Mann
