Un/gather opening night

Last night was the opening of Linda Lou Murphy's un/gather performance and exhibition at the EAF. It was a nice night with a good crowd and reception. My installation sound suited the environment quite well, despite the fact it could scarcely be heard with a crowd in the space. I observed some nice moments when the conversations died away temporarily and the droney textures resurfaced with the occasional 'konk' and 'snap' of a dynamic sound element.

I'll be going into the space during the week to get some recordings/video doc done.

Many thanks to Linda for providing me with this opportunity, it's been a very good experience.

Apologies to Melentie for spilling wine on the wall.

Research progress report (presentation)

I delivered a belated progress report yesterday afternoon. It went down suprisingly well - I think for the fact it wasn't overly sweet and starchy and kept to relative consistency was a good thing. There was a bit of integestion in parts but thankfully nobody became Ill. I think the combination of garlic and chilli might have saved my skin around the end of the main course.

A pity the projector didn't work though.

All clear for thesis party fun time.

Ungather bumps into EAF

This afternoon I was at the Experimental Art Foundation wrangling with the boomy exhibition space which is admittedly ill suited for audio. The reverb is quite something - a good thing I don't use too much artificial reverb in my pieces! Thankfully the 'dry' character of my piece manages to work in consort with the natural reverb as a positive element, it seems to colour the space nicely. Some expert advise from EAF's resident install tech Michael was very helpful too. Nice Bose speakers.

It's always a bit unpredictable going into a space for the first time as you can't really predict what it's going to sound like. I'll be making some subtle refinements tomorrow morning then we can wait for the opening next Thursday.

Vinyl redux

It was in part the presence of Jeck that made me buy a new turntable, but frankly I think I'm making a reversion to recordings of dusty ether and grizzled analog. It's a Sound Research DJ1600m, about 5 years old, a good needle and belt drive. I found it in a pawn store down the road for $170, and the nice folks threw in a couple of vinyls of my choice - Bowie's Let's Dance and Emmy Lou Harris' Luxury Liner. Score!

This week is vinyl only, I don't know how I lived without it for the past three years.

Philip Jeck, Loudness and Sinking The Titanic

Over the weekend I saw Philip Jeck perform an impressive short set at the Jade Monkey with support from Adelaide's noise rock community. I have to state from the outset that the mix was way too LOUD - it made all three support acts practically unlistenable and made sections of Philip's set physically painful to experience. I know I'm probably whining, but I'm one of those individuals who wants a pair of decent ears in twenty years time, and if excessive mixes are going to be the norm from now on I'm going to splash out a couple of hundred dollars on some moulded earplugs.

Excess volume aside, Philip's set was astounding in its simplicity of process and technique. Drawing his material from two small portable turntables, Philip would pick out a piano melody, drum groove or guitar riff with a drop/lift of the needle or locking the groove, then process it using a sample and hold and a couple of effects pedals. Throughout the 30-minute set, complex textures were built up to the point of saturation, then new material was introduced as the former receded into a crackling ether. By the last five minutes it was becoming an increasingly hypnotic spectacle, then it all came to a dramatic conclusion with a sudden mute.

I also bought a copy of 'The Sinking of The Titanic' from Philip, it's the latest (and arguably definitive) interpretation of Gavin Bryer's 1969 work. It's difficult to get hold of, but I strongly suggest checking it out.

Sounds From Level Four on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro42f2N78Xo

A collaboartive new media work with Shoot Collective from 2006.

More info at: http://www.shootcollective.com.au

Ungather update

My sound pieces for Linda Lou Murphy's upcoming Un/Gather exhibition cum-performance at the EAF are nearly finished. I don't understand all of the flak Gargeband cops, its video feature is remarkably simple and runs quite smoothly. As long as you don't start feeding DV files into it.

Research presentation postphoned

Too much work.

Presentation postphoned until further notice.

Philip Jeck at The Jade Monkey

In what may very well be my gig of the year, reknowned UK multimedia composer and turntablist Philip Jeck plays the Jade Monkey this Saturday 17th May. I'm very excited about this - Jeck falls into a simalar category to Christian Marclay and his subversive visionary ilk.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Jeck

http://www.philipjeck.com/

Demo: This is a test again (sigh?)

New demoes for the (working title) Carpet of Leaves have been uploaded to my singer-songwriter-ey MySpace joint at:

http://www.myspace.com/tristanlouthrobins

An album might even eventuate from this exercise at some point.

Noise Improvisations

I've been spending the last hour playing aorund with some noise samples in the Sumi_matic (Max 4 version because the 5 version is clicking for some reason.)

I'll forever be amazed just how much you can get out of a simple little bit of noise.



Using a five-second 'proto-snare' noise sample, it is uploaded to the Sumi_matic's 8 loopers at fixed playback speeds; the first four at around 400 loops p.s - which is how the buzzing effect is emulated. The remaining four loops are set at around 90 loops p.s, giving these a more rumbling but slightly harmonic sound. The improvisation below is just me playing around with the playback speeds. I'm quite pleased and suprised by the results. Also the filter in Sumi_matic is set to a resonant envelope, hence the (erm) resonant sound.

Noise Improvisation #1 [3:00]

A weekend productive

After watching Blade Runner for the first time in eons last night, I feel inspired to clear the decks of a scurvy afflicted lot of work. How a quasi-Blade Runner reference and pirate metaphor is relevant isn't really important, what matters is an impending post-graduate presentation this coming Wednesday, sound pieces for Linda Lou Murphy, preparing a tutorial and networking in Germany. So far so sporadic, as I get distracted by Elvis Costello's new album, a splendid vista from my ninth floor uni office and a torrent of emails requesting my thoughts on life the universe and everything. Good thing I had some coffee, and why do I have a DVD of The Mighty Boosh in my bag? Oh well, I'll probably head down to Mapo on Gouger Street for a drink later and forget about my priorites.

:/

The curios of teaching

I just finished my first fortnight of teaching. A strange fuzzy experience it has to be said, repeating the same tutorial five times over has re-inforced my love of repetition and generative ornamentation.

..and excessive wordiness.

Why the new skin?

Why have I changed the layout of this blog again? Well, there's a new website on the way so I feel the need to synchronise things. Should be launched around the time of Linda Lou Murphy's EAF opening (which I'm contributing sound for) in late May.

Drunken folder and notes

Helpmann Academy meetings are a curious affair - arts agendas suffused with a surplus of fine wines. Pity about Edward James' notes.

Sumi_matic and Sky Falling get Max 5 treatment

Totally possible Germany

Tickets booked.

Sorted.

Accomodation.

Sorted.

(Requires a bit more money - then good.)