My second interview for the Italian Digicult magazine has appeared today. This one relates to the idea of “media labs” and the sommercampworkstation event I co-organized last July:

…When I lived in Holland I tried to make a medialab. I find the idea of a medialab connected to a fixed place is a bit archaic, a bit dated. Personally, I don’t want to criticise other forms of practice in medialabs, but I’m very interested in transitory situations. I’m interested in creating multi-use areas that are quick and temporarily autonomous. In creating a transitory situation like “let’s do something quick, in on week”, you must not worry about the problem of being continuously eco-friendly or about long-term issues. For example, in the 80′s there were many initiatives, now they have stopped and they keep sucking up locations, money and oxygen. I’ve seen a lot of situations like these and they bore me, as well as being a complete waste. I believe that to create temporarily autonomous situations is more exciting. It’s a way to use the best elements of existing organisations, to take portions of them, configure them and make the next step…

Derek Holzer, from Sommercamp+Workstation. Temporary autonomous culture
by Valeria Merlini

DIGIMAG  47 / SEPTEMBER 2009
www.digicult.it/digimag_eng/index.asp

Now Playing

coalesce-ox[2009 relapse]
jesu-infinity[2009 avalanche]
jim o’rourke-the visitor[2009 drag city]
john wiese-circle snare[2009 no fun]
keith fullerton whitman-taking away cs[2009 digitalis]
merzbow-hiyodori(13 japanese birds part 9)[2009 important]
philip jeck-spool cs [2009 tapeworm]
rorschach & neanderthal-split 7”[1991 vermiform]
rorschach-needlepack ep[1991 wardance]
social distortion-white light, white heat, white trash[1996 sony]
tiny vipers-live at black box, belfast a few weeks ago
tiny vipers-life on earth[2009 sub pop]

09.08.2009 – 21 uhr – ausland – Lychener Str. 60 – 10437 Berlin

http://www.ausland-berlin.de/

This evening starts the sommercamp
workshop marathon (workshops take place 10-16 August at Haus der Kulturen der Welt). Artists
and workshop leaders will introduce themselves with short performances.

With:

Jessica Rylan (US)
– complex/chaotic systems in analogue circuits –
http://www.irfp.net/

Ciat Lonbarde/Peter Blasser (US)
– deerhorns –
http://www.ciat-lonbarde.net/

Hildur Gudnadóttir (IS)
Halldor Ulfarsson (IS/F)
– halldorophones –
http://www.hildurness.com/
http://www.myspace.com/halldorophone

Tore Honoré Boe (N/E)
– acoustic laptops –
http://kunst.no/origami/boe/2.3-010.html

Dave Griffiths (B)
– live coding –
http://www.slub.org/

Martin Howse (UK/D)
– EM interventions –
http://1010.co.uk/org/

Derek Holzer (US/D)
– TONEWHEELS –
http://www.umatic.nl/tonewheels.html

WORKSHOP INFO

http://www.sommercampworkstation.de/?page_id=10

I have a new instrument-building workshop coming up 10-16 August 2009 at Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin. See details below. Co-conspirators in the Sommercamp Workstation project include Martin Howse, Carsten Stabenow and Medialab Prado (Madrid).

Please also check out Martin Howse’s upcoming Breakthrough event, 27 June also here in Berlin.

Sommercamp Workstation workshop cluster B

Re:Discovering Sound — an Instrument-building Workshop

The process of instrument creation sits in direct opposition to the
that of instrument virtuosity. Rather than bend one’s artistic
expression around the rigid, predefined form of a traditional music
instrument, imagination takes flight and new possibilities are created.
Like Neanderthals or small children, we are astounded that the sounds
we have invented are actually our own.

This collection of three simultaneous workshop nodes-DEERHORNS, HALLDOROPHONES and ACOUSTIC LAPTOPS-explores
the use of radio waves, the electromagnetism of the human body, strings
under tension, the resonance of hollow structures and various found
objects to invent new types of sound instruments. Each of these deeply
personal creations is free to live in ignorance of any musical
theories, thus having the potential for both sonic and visual
excitement.

Participants may choose which node of the workshop they would like
to start with, however cross-talk and collaboration between these nodes
is encouraged. The workshop will end with a presentation/performance on
the final Saturday of the summercamp, and an “open day” on the Sunday
where the general public is invited to hands-on exploration of the
instruments which have been created.

Each workshop node is limited to 10 places, so please pre-register! (see below)

Workshop nodes:

1] DEERHORNS with Ciat Lonbarde/Peter Blasser

Without musical intention, there is still your body intention, and how
you place it in space. Firmness reflects, and so do all your other
movements. The Deerhorn project, created by electro-mystic Ciat
Lonbarde/Peter Blasser, is aimed at creating new instruments out of the
original radio Theremin concept. Participants will collaborate in the
construction of a playable, site-specific installation in the large
hall of the Haus der Kulturen der Welt.

http://www.ciat-lonbarde.net/

http://www.ciat-lonbarde.net/deerhorn/index.html

http://www.ciat-lonbarde.net/deerhornprovidence.mov

2] HALLDOROPHONES with Halldor Ulfarsson

Halldorophones are electro-acoustic string instruments which send the
sound from their pickups back into it’s body. When the sound has
traveled full-circle, it vibrates the strings again and creates an
infinite sustain which the player can affect in different ways.
Participants in this workshop will use found or constructed hollow
forms along with simple pickups, amps and loudspeakers to create their
own resonant instruments.

http://www.myspace.com/halldorophone

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

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

3] ACOUSTIC LAPTOPS with Tore Honoré Bøe

For many years, Tore “Origami Boe” has been creating, playing and
passing on his “acoustic laptops”: a selection of wood boxes with
various tiny objects attached; springs, stones, metal, rubber, string,
needles, memorabilia – amplified by old-school contact mikes and
pick-ups. Participants with & without musical interests will be
invited to create their own unique acoustic laptop to start touching
the sounds and drawing pictures in free air.

http://kunst.no/origami/boe/2.3-010.html

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2011575&id=1591068802&l=c8e56f53b0

Facilitation by Derek Holzer

Derek Holzer’s interest in new forms of sound creation and performance
have led him from computer programming in Pure Data to Theremins,
“Neanderthal electronics”, long-string instruments and the
possibilities of visual or drawn opto-electronic sound. For this
workshop, his main concern will be the synthesis of the different
approaches to instrument creation being presented.

http://www.myspace.com/macumbista

http://www.umatic.nl/tonewheels.html

http://www.vimeo.com/album/64426

Each workshop node is limited to 10 places, so please pre-register!
This registration is a first indication or preference, cross-talk and
collaboration between these nodes is encouraged.

The workshop fee is 50 Euro for the week.

Registration Form >>>>

Now Playing

l’Acephale – Malefeasance [2009 Aurora Borealis]
Ash Ra Temple – New Age of Earth [1976]
Burmese – Burmese is Dead [1998 Death Wish]
Burmese & Cadaver Eyes – Split [2008 Heart & Crossbone]
Carlos Reygadas – Silent Light [2007](film)
C.G. Jung – The Portable Jung (edited by Joseph Campbell)(book)
Drudkh – Microcosmos [2009 Season of Mist]
Gnaw Their Tongues & Lunar Miasma & Mrtyu! & Xela – Split CDR [2009 Insult]
Group Doueh – live at Sublime Frequencies tour (Rotterdam & Berlin)
Hail/l’Acephale & Fauna – live recordings from Northwest Folklife Festival
Herman Hesse – Narcissus and Goldmund [1930](book)
Hildur Gudnadottir – Without Sinking [2009 Touch]
Kevin Drumm – Sheer Hellish Miasma [2007 reissue Editions Mego]
Mircea Eliade – Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy [1964](book)
Mudboy – Music for Any Speed 7″ [2009 Lexi]
Stephen Hawking – A Brief History of Time [1988](book)