another way to remember things

Richard Pinnell on improvised music downloads in The Wire

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 11:18:20 +0000

Unofficial Channels: Free Improvisation

As improvised music has just about recovered from being dragged kicking and screaming into the digital age, its practitioners and proprietors have embraced the internet as a platform for distributing music. For financial, logistical and political reasons, finished music is increasingly being offered for free consumption. Benedict Drew’s A Folding Table album, released at benedictdrew.com, quickly attracted more listeners than any CD release might have been capable of. It came complete with artwork and was offered at a CD quality bitrate. This last factor is crucial. While many Improv musicians long gave up hope of making money from CDs, the unpredictable quality of illegal downloads remains a bugbear. The falling cost and complexity of setting up a website gives musicians a quick and simple way of getting music out there on their own terms, and with more listeners comes more invitations to play live – the preferred reward for many improvising musicians. Others offering finished works for free include Mattin, whose entire w.m.o/r and Dexetea labels are available for free at mattin.org, and Vienna based laptopper Tim Blechmann, who offers a number of complete recordings from tim.klingt.org. Both contribute to klingt.org, a communal resource used by many improvisors to make music available for free.

Netlabels offering free Improv downloads are springing up by the day. The cream of them includes homophoni.com, a label with the simple philosophy of presenting only the best music they can find – effectively a normal label without the physical objects and with just as much attention paid to the visual presentation of the work. In the UK, compostandheight.com covers Improv and creative field recording and makes quality new music available at quite a rate.

Unsurprisingly, few CD labels have made the move to digital only releases, but taking a copyleft stance, labels like taumaturgia.com and unrevenu.free.fr have made new CD releases simultaneously available as free downloads. The former recently released a superb recording by Radu Malfatti and Taku Unami, the latter an excellent first solo by double bassist Guillaume Viltard.

A few musicians have begun to explore the potential of the internet in a different manner. Benedict Drew, Paul Abbott and Seymour Wright have chosen to document their every get-together online. Their suspended-pole-holds-tree.tumblr.com site contains an archive of their informal playing sessions, alongside drawings and even photos of what the trio had for lunch, so sharing more than just the music with the listener. The downloadable format means that the musicians do not have to worry about creating something that fits neatly on a CD. Perhaps through this project a glimpse of the future can be found.

Richard Pinnell

Richard Pinnell piece in The Wire about improvised music...

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 11:13:00 +0000

Richard Pinnell piece in The Wire about improvised music downloads. www.thewatchfulear.com http://www.thewire.co.uk www.thewatchfulear.com http://www.thewire.co.uk

sympathyfortheartgallery: sexartandpolitics: Chun Yun -...

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 22:56:53 +0000

sympathyfortheartgallery:

sexartandpolitics:

Chun Yun - Constellation No. 3 at Venice Biennale, 2009

his ongoing work of ‘constellation’ consists of various household electrical appliances divorced from their usual function and installed in a dark room. their flashing indicator lights comprise a small universe.

Click through to see what it looks like with the lights on.

Underground Drawing A film by Candida Richardson about the New...

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:20:57 +0000

Underground Drawing

A film by Candida Richardson about the New York artist William Anastasi.

John Baldessari at frieze art fair.

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:47:14 +0100

John Baldessari at frieze art fair.

Longplayer live at the Roundhouse

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:38:50 +0100

Longplayer live at the Roundhouse

YYAA Wojciech Bruszewski 1973

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:41:16 +0100

YYAA Wojciech Bruszewski 1973

R.I.P. Wojciech Bruszewski

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:04:59 +0100

Wojciech Bruszewski-1947-2009

http://www.lux.org.uk/blog/wojciech-bruszewski-1947-2009

Paul Kos (American, b. 1942). Sound of Ice Melting, 1970. Two...

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:38:23 +0100

Paul Kos (American, b. 1942). Sound of Ice Melting, 1970. Two twenty-five-pound blocks of ice, eight boom microphone stands, eight microphones, mixer, amplifier, two large speakers, and cables. Dimensions variable. Collection of the artist.

Robert Ashley “She Was A Visitor” via ubu web

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 17:11:38 +0100

Robert Ashley “She Was A Visitor”

via ubu web

A lengthy 1963 interview with Duchamp about chess and his first...

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:35:28 +0100

A lengthy 1963 interview with Duchamp about chess and his first ever retrospective (at the Pasadena Art Museum) (via http://www.frieze.com )

unter_radio 6 : listen online.

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:08:00 +0100

unter_radio 6 : listen online.

i dont normally reblog stuff but this is excellent. Great essay...

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:22:14 +0100

i dont normally reblog stuff but this is excellent.

Great essay on Google streetview, with selected pictures: Art Fag City » IMG MGMT: The Nine Eyes of Google Street View

via sympathyfortheartgallery

Photo

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:03:47 +0100

Tuesdayjuly2821:30-22:30JOHN...

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:01:55 +0100

Tuesday
july28
21:30-22:30
JOHN BUTCHER
SPECIAL
Resonance104.4fm
archived
www.benedictdrew.com

John Butcher @ Bohman Brothers Fest 2009, BAC London

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:15:01 +0100

John Butcher @ Bohman Brothers Fest 2009, BAC London

LISTEN ONLINE: UNTER_RADIO 3: IN CONVERSATION WITH GUY...

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:19:26 +0100

LISTEN ONLINE: UNTER_RADIO 3: IN CONVERSATION WITH GUY SHERWIN

http://www.benedictdrew.com/unterradio3.html

Guy Sherwin in conversation on Unter Radio July 21st: 21:30-...

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:17:15 +0100

Guy Sherwin in conversation on Unter Radio July 21st: 21:30- 22:30 London Time

Guy Sherwin & Lyn Loo Abrasion Loops

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:14:33 +0100

Guy Sherwin & Lyn Loo

Abrasion Loops

Guy Sherwin & Lyn Loo Six 16mm film projection. live...

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 13:12:57 +0100

Guy Sherwin & Lyn Loo

Six 16mm film projection. live performance.
filmmakers Lynn Loo, Guy Sherwin and sound artists Sarah Washington, Knut Aufermann. performed at Bullion Theatre 16th July 2005 for Spice Festival.