sonicseaweed.ca

Concert #10: Circus Maximus

Scott — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 14:56:58 +0000

Co-presented by the Western Front, the experimental Music Collective (eMC), Intermission Artists Society, and Video In | Video Out (VIVO)

Circus Maximus is a spectacle to be experienced, absorbed and internalized. Roving performers, musicians, and video artists will collaborate to produce penetrating soundscapes and visuals–a three-ring circus, all under the command of an outrageous ringmaster. Audience members are encouraged to attend in circus-themed attire!

Circus Maximus Concert Poster »

The experimental Music Collective (eMC composers Scott Amort, Gordon Fitzell and Lisa Miller) and Intermission Artists Society (video performers Marianne Bos, Mark Brady and Julie Gendron) combine forces with Edgeffect (musicians Jeremy Berkman, Gordon Fitzell, Dan Gaucher, Francois Houle, Lisa Miller and Stefan Smulovitz), performance artists Thomas Anfield, Kevin Bergsma and Andrew Laurenson, and set designers Kate King and Andrew Scott to create a bizarrely twisted performance/installation.

A reflection of our highly splintered and volatile society, Circus Maximus is an invitation to rethink the system of values by which we gauge our desires to celebrate or condemn societal violence.

For tickets, call 604 876-9343 ($15.00 reg / 12.00 WF members / 7.00 students). For further information, visit www.front.bc.ca.

Concert #9: Save the Drag!

Scott — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 14:22:00 +0000

Saxophonist David Ghazi will be performing a concert of contemporary music at Mondragon Bookstore and Coffeehouse in Winnipeg on Wednesday, February 22, 2006. The program will feature works by Scott Amort, Elliot Carter, Gordon Fitzell, David Ghazi, Christian Lauba, Etienne Rolin, and Jacob Ter Veldhuis. The concert is part of a fundraising campaign to save Mondragon — a great local restaurant and important cultural resource. The show starts at 7:00 p.m., admission is by donation.

Save the Drag! Concert Poster »

Concert #8: Metronome Mania

Scott — Mon, 11 Apr 2005 14:15:13 +0000

On Monday April 11th the University of Manitoba’s Duckworth Quadrangle (”The Quad”) will host an unusual musical event. The experimental Music Collective (eMC), together with a myriad of local musicians, will mount a rare outdoor performance of legendary Hungarian composer Gyorgy Ligeti’s Poeme symphonique for 100 metronomes.

Considered by many to be the “black sheep” of Ligeti’s oeuvre, Poeme symphonique features a score comprising little more than a set of directions for winding and releasing 100 pendulum metronomes. The result is a rich and intricate exploration not merely of rhythm but of time itself.

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Metronome Mania Concert Poster »

Poeme symphonique is a product of the composer’s brief flirtation with indeterminacy and Dadaism during the 1960s. His ongoing fascination with machinelike rhythms, however, pervades many of his works, including his inimitable Chamber Concerto and striking Second String Quartet.For this performance, metronomes will be positioned at strategic locations throughout the University of Manitoba’s expansive quad. At the command of conductor Aaron Sivertson, the machines will be wound and released. At first an active, grainy texture will fill the space. As the piece progresses, slowly shifting polyrhythmic masses will begin to reveal themselves. One by one, the metronomes will eventually wind down, resulting in a gradual thinning of the texture. When the last metronome has sounded its last click, the piece is over.

Part of the beauty of the work lies in the paradox of its being both predictable (with respect to overall form) and unpredictable (with respect to local details). Such a web of multifarious textures is only attainable, however, if one is willing to relinquish control to the machines.The aim of the project is to inspire a greater awareness of time and sound. Time surrounds us, permeating our lives so thoroughly that we often become unaware of its presence. On occasion, circumstances compel us to contemplate the nature and implications of time. This may be one of the fundamental challenges of the human experience, for to contemplate time is to reconcile the seemingly infinite universe with our own mortality.Similarly, for all those who hear, sound is omni-present, yet we actually listen to very little of what we hear. Take a moment now to tune in to your aural surroundings. Observe the many sounds of which you were unaware just moments ago: the fan whirring above you, people laughing beside you, leaves rustling in the breeze. We possess the ability to listen pluralistically — why don’t we? Is it that we no longer need to (unlike our ancestors, whose safety depended on attentive listening)? Are we overwhelmed by aural overload? Why is it so challenging to simply listen?

In bringing these ideas to a public space, we hope to offer a fresh perspective on time to an audience that may not otherwise choose to engage such ideas through music.

Concert #7: Rumble in the Urban Jungle

Scott — Fri, 18 Feb 2005 18:39:15 +0000

RUMBLE IN THE URBAN JUNGLE was a short-lived but high-octane subterranean multimedia installation. Armed with a battery of audio and video gear, a group of Vancouver’s leading improvisers invaded the public space below Robson Square, transforming it into an interactive electronic spectacle. Passers by were drawn down into the space where they themselves became part of the spectacle, unwittingly turning the absurdity of urban life on its head. Performers included Ben Wilson, Mark McGregor, Giorgio Magnanensi, Khan Lee, Keith Hamel, Gordon Fitzell, and Marianne Bos. This audio-visual assault was made possible by a New Music in New Places Grant, courtesy of the Canadian Music Centre and the SOCAN Foundation.

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Concert #6: Shaft

Scott — Mon, 29 Nov 2004 17:01:04 +0000

Description coming soon…

Shaft Concert Poster »

Concert #5: One

Scott — Tue, 20 Apr 2004 18:35:42 +0000

The eMC, together with contributing composers from a dozen countries, produced an outdoor sound installation in honour of the Dalai Lama’s visit to Vancouver. Our aim was to fashion a sonic manifestation of His Holiness’s messages of peace, non-violence, inter-religious understanding, compassion, and universal responsibility. In particular, the project mirrored the topic of His keynote address: “Tibet in the Contemporary World.” Using both traditional and modern instruments (Tibetan singing bowls and electronics) we attempted to impart the relevance of His Holiness’s spiritual teachings in today’s world. The music featured long transformations of meditative tones, yielding a continuous and gradually evolving stream of tranquillity. The slow-moving nature of the music created a meditative environment; listeners left the environment peaceful, focused, and energized.

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One Concert Poster »

Concert #4: Exit

Scott — Sat, 07 Feb 2004 18:30:02 +0000

[acoustics ~ electronics]

Flute, saxophone, Tibetan singing bowl, electric bass. Music by Amort, Fitzell, Hannesson, Hedekar, Lauba, Morlock, Newsome, Radford and Steenhuisen.

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Exit Concert Poster »

Concert #3: Bent

Scott — Fri, 28 Nov 2003 21:27:19 +0000

Bent achieves sonic anarchy by short-circuiting battery-powered musical toys and talking games. Previously unintended sounds are activated, randomly processed, layered and combined with iconic visual material in an attempt to embrace chaos.

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Bent Concert Poster »

Bent is:

Shawn Cashin
Giorgio Magnanensi
Andrew Scott
Jason Theissen
(circuit-bent toys)

David Murphy
(live video)

Concert #2: Hospital

Scott — Fri, 07 Nov 2003 21:20:21 +0000

Hospital is an internationally recognized harsh noise ensemble notorious for bridging free improv with structured composition. Since forming in 1998, the Vancouver-based band has released five CDs on Noisebludgeon Recordings, the most recent being a collaborative effort with California’s Bastard Noise. Hospital has toured Japan, Australia and Europe, sharing the stage with the likes of Merzbow and KK Null.

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Hospital Concert Poster »

Hospital is:

Masa Anzai - sax, electronics
Ben Wilson - drum machine, electronics
Chris Kelly - laptop, electronics
Mike Moffat - bass, electronics
The Rita - electronics, visuals.

Concert #1: Tangled in the Seaweed

Scott — Tue, 28 Jan 2003 21:12:26 +0000

Facilitated by the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Ottawa, the inaugural eMC concert featured Dutch harpist Idske Bakker of Insomnio and Vancouver percussionist Bruce Henczel amidst a dazzling array of electronics. Music by Heeneman, Polzoni, Henczel, Fitzell, Hannesson and de Leeuw.