Despite a few golden moments, can't help but be disappointed by the recent Gregor Schwellenbach Kompakt chamber instrument remix project. With Voigt's clear interest in classical music one hoped for better, but it comes off - for the most part - limp, like so much techno played by neo-classical types on real instruments (Hauschka, Brandt Brauer Frick, etc).
But - couple of standout tracks, particularly Closer Musik's 'Departures', which with the bleeps stabbed out on high-low piano, works a treat. Kinda like Mazulis. The tension doesn't really go anywhere with the cello however... No sign of embedding, and can't beat the original:
I saw them play it live in Hoxton back in 2002, they were very humble in a small under-populated dive. Were shaking everyone's hands and getting appreciative backslaps after their show. 'Departures' was the finale.
Also reminiscent of Escape From New York on piano:
The masters of classical techno, and more, are Zeitkratzer:
Yoshio Machida: Scape Dance (Amorfon)
Patient Feldman-esque tin-pan improvisations and processed digital tin-pan digitalia accompany strange pastel visual cut ups on DVD. More on Amorfon, "the music adventure label and hair salon", soon.
Learned that Seth Horvitz's Eight Studies for Player Piano was 'performed' at Mutek. interesting the idea of attending a concert without human performer. Basic Sounds attended and said this:
Seth Horvitz opened A/Visions 2 with his “Eight Studies for Automatic Piano.” Performed live without the presence of a human on stage, a single computer controlled piano played minimal repetitive rhythmic compositions. Visually you could see the keys going down on the piano, as if a ghost was playing. Projected behind the piano was a large linear line mimicking the keys, which helped the audience members have a better understanding of what was happening on stage.
'Helped the audience members have a better understanding of what was happening on stage' - in other words, plain old music is difficult to receive without assistance. Mediation is required.
Did Nancarrow have purely musical performances? None that I can find. Here's 'Study #21'
Instead we get reductions, realisations or transcriptions, as though the music can't be left to stand unplayed by human, that it only gains life / credibility once performed by living being. Here's the above '#21' arranged for trumpet, bassoon and guitar.
Even techno isn't allowed to take place without human agent - be it Ableton button pusher or DJ. I heard a rumour that Kraftwerk would play chess when performing live (nowadays, not with their old contraptions)
I attended a performance of Rytis Mazulis' player piano music at Huddersfield Festival in 2007 and they just played it through a stereo. Accompanying it however was a fluxus performance of somethign by fellow Lithuanian Georges Mancuinias which aside from their nationality had nothing to do with Mazulis' music.
Can't recall what the Maciunas piece was, but it wasn't this, which would have been much more approriate.
Performer-less performances of classical electronic music still takes place. Stockhausen's final published work Cosmic Pulses was staged at the Proms no less. The Melbourne Recital Centre has staged Xenakis works in their smaller room. I wonder whether they're performed in darkness or accompanied by some kind of pyrotechnics? Stockhausen was probably keen on the latter.
Just as my displeasure with the music world was reaching a peak - MP3 exhaustion and related quandaries - as articulated by mnmlssgs here, the new(ish) Mazulis recording arrived in my letterbox!
Beyond the music, which is startlingly original, confusing, strange, thrilling, and annoying, this release as product is professional and convincing. We're given detailed biographies of both artists and passionate accounts by both composer and performer of their excitement in one another's work. Flautist Manuel Zurria became obsessed with Mazulis' music, contacted him, they exchanged many emails, Zurria worked on the project (transcribing and recording all works live), before finally meeting Mazulis in person. Mazulis was awed by Zurria's technique, and amazed at his realisation of his music. This artistic satisfaction and pride comes across in these notes, and in the smiling portrait of the two artists.
In addition, there's a faintly cosmic vibe to some of the notes, 'recorded at night, on Pleanet Earth', making the whole thing warmer and more approachable. The music is formidable, but rich with meaning and sufficient hooks to penetrate.
