Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Eastern recordist jibes and crammed meditations

update on the Sublime Frequencies night last friday:
Neung Phak didn't play as most of the band were elswhere scattered over Euroland.

Although the night itself in OCCII wasn't busy, it proved a great opportunity to meet Alan Bishop and Mark Gergis and talk over some idea's for my project, plus you don't get many chances to share a cab with them Sun City Girls either, so why not? We kinda came up with a new blackspot for a possible future SF release: The Philippines! The street and media culture of this hidden pearl definitely has to get some attention, let's hope they will shine some light on it, perhaps bring back some forgotten artist...but seeing their enthousiast reaction, I reckon they will. Sweet!
That was one thing but the other idea that popped up from Alan's head was the recording of music in the Punjab area, which is the troubled borderstretch between India and Pakistan, surrounded by the Kashmir and Rajasthani states. Like, exactly where I am heading after the summer, plus matching my own musical documentation project. It's all too early to tell, but an idea is certainly brewing now, more and more clearly. Soon oh soon, more will be known.

The other night, I went to the OT301 to especially see the illustre Otomo Yoshihide and Sachiko M play moozak in their intricate Japanese ways. That is, if it's music what you can call it as I'd rather go with *making playfull sounds*, just to annoy the arty fartsies who all tried too hard to look interested without getting the context. I mean, audio art is for enjoying and feeling, yet one's outgoing enjoyment is the norm-non-grata somehow, bar the few people who go along ion it...... anybooooo they played together with Axel Dorner on heavily amplified trumpet and Martin Brandlmayer on drums. Imagine a steady hissle with sinetones, breathing and occasional drumstrokes....a nice recipy for meditational listening....if you're sitting that is. While standing up, closely surrounded by others...the meditational value loses itself rapidly. Pity, it was a good set. At least it was fun looking at the arty farty people trying too hard to understand the music instead of enjoying it. I especially digged Otomo's playfull sounds on empty decks, using tin wire, a tourist card and any other unusual pieces for in a concert. Kindergarten time for the artistic inept. After this lull, Morten J. Olsen (also part of improv outfit Moha!) did a slamming drum session with Nicolas Field taking up the other drum kit. Drumming in duality, the duel not being fought but celebrated into an orchestrated mess. 3rd person in this session was Bjoernar Habbestad, who had his brazen flute linked up to electronics for playing in a frantic manner, which he did. Amazing stuff, such a set-up not being the norm and all, but these walls of chaos and added jiggery sounds surely were a nice bonus....You do get to realise that if by the end of a monday nite you are still holding a beer in your hand, you'll get another monday morning feeling the day after. Post mortum morning mood that gave thought for food.

Did some live recordings on the nite, will put em up here soon enough -but don't I always say that?-

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