…I’ll be here:

With no internet. See you again after 3 August.

Now Playing

aluk todolo–finsternis[2009 v2]
aporea–na rekah vavilonskih cs [1988 self released]
bee mask–hyperborean trenchtown lp[2009 weird forest]
cluster–cluster 71[1971]
henrietta collins and the wifebeating childhaters–drive by shooting[1987]
kinit her–glyms or beame of radicall truthes[2009 hinterzimmer]
moondog–moondog on the streets of new york[1953]

Rokolectiv Soundcamp
Star Dome, Rucar, Romania
27.07 – 02.08.2009

Artists:
Suzana Dan, Sergiu Doroftei, Camil Dumitrescu, Ion Dumitrescu, Derek Holzer, Catalin Matei, Eric Minkkinen, Paul Popescu, Daniel Stanciu

With support from AFCN – Romanian Ministry of Culture

Partners: MNAC Lab, Ableton Live, Collectif Mu, CTM Berlin, Star Dome s.r.l.

Rokolectiv Soundcamp is a seven days artistic residency for sound experiments and field recording. Ten artists will work out of the urban context in a studio hosted by the prototype of the Star Dome in Rucar, an innovative house turned into a space for artistic residency. Star Dome is a modular dwelling, one of the few sustainable architecture structures in Romania.

Rokolectiv Soundcamp promotes an artistic and cultural research, an investigation of the natural landscape with its acoustic and language peculiarities. The project consists of individual field recording sessions, as well as workshops, panels and debates for and with the artists involved. The works realized during the residency will be gathered on a promotional CD.

Rokolectiv Soundcamp is the follow up of European Sound Delta, a broader sound art project co-organized by Rokolectiv in summer 2008, when international artists took part in a mobile residency navigating upstream on the Rhine and Danube.

If you wish to say hi you are invited to join us at Rucar between July 27th and August 2nd. The access to the Romanian mountain resort can be done by public buses which leave daily from Bucharest or by train to Brasov, and then by local shuttles to Rucar.

For further info feel free to contact us at: info@rokolectiv.ro

Significant Other

An Estonian friend joked with me once that while some people carry around photos of their girlfriends, I have photos of my synthesizers. In keeping with that thought…after my almost completely disastrous weekend in Copenhagen (even the moon let me down), I decided to focus on something real this week. So this is a preview of a new case I’m working on–a clone of the Buchla 200e. Still some things left to do, as you can see, before I start putting the modules in. Big thanks to Ingo Fröhlich for help with the woodwork!

Now Playing

cabaret voltaire–2×45[1982 rough trade]
emeralds–allegory of allergies[2007 gods of tundra]
hive mind–a feast within cs[2009 gods of tundra]
jarboe–mahakali[2008 the end]
mircea eliade–shamanism: archaic techniques of ecstasy book[1964]
mrtyu!–ornate shroud[2009 fauna sabbatha]
nadja & black boned angel–nadja & black boned angel[2009 20 buck spin]
neurosis & jarboe–neurosis & jarboe[2003 neurot]
swans–children of god+world of skin[1997 young god]
swans–filth+body to body, job to job[2000 young god]
yellow swans–mort aux vaches[2009 staalplaat]

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)

Midnight Sun?

At 6am this morning, with about two hours sleep the night before, I left Malmö and the Art of the Overhead event and flew to Bergen, Norway. After a quick nap and yet again the price shock (EUR 8 for a beer!), I realized that it was 11 at night and the sun hadn’t really gone down yet. Crazy…

I will post some videos and reviews of the Overheads event later on, but first I must repeat the mantra I learned–quite painfully–during my time in Sweden:

I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again. I will not tour without my own mixer ever again.

Three days lost and a one performance ended after 5 minutes due to stupid technical problems with borrowed mixers. Luckily I borrowed yet another mixer and managed to make it up to the very patient audience on the second night of the festival.

Up and Coming!

Next Life
Snöras
Derek Holzer and John Hegre
21.00, 30 May 2009
Landmark
Bergen Norway

Can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to this one. John Hegre (of Jazkammer) has been one of my favorite people and favorite experimental musicians for years now, so playing a duo with him could end up being the highlight of this tour! Thanks again to Piksel & Ny Musikk for organizing both this and the Neanderthal Electronics workshop I’m doing here this week.

fOO_bar!
w/ macumbista (us/de)
column one (de)
‘Systems Crash’
NEANDERTHAL ELECTRONICS PARTY!!!
21.00, 5 June 2009
WORM
Rotterdam, the Netherlands

‘fOO_bar’ is the public interface of WORM’s medialab moddr_ >> a combination of presentation, installation and performance of digital art and music, showing current interests from the lab without excessive 2.0_fluff – enjoy true interactivity and have a drink while you’re at it…

This night we host the closing event of our ‘Neanderthal Electronics’ workshop by Derek Holzer, with a presentation of the projects created during the week and a Stone-Age style group noise performance.
Live on stage we have COLUMN_ONE and Macumbista, and we start the evening with “Systems Crash” – a new series of public lectures jointly organized by Piet Zwart Institute Media Design and WORM.

Plus earlier in the week I get to see Mudboy open for Lightning Bolt, and on the weekend I go play with the analog synths at the WORM studio. Who says life on the road is all that rough?

Now Playing

Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers – The Power of Myth (TV)
Emeralds – What Happened [2009 No Fun]
Jana Winderen – Heated [2009 Touch]
Jana Winderen – Surface Runoff 7″ [2009 Touch]
Jason Crumer – Ottoman Black [2008 Hospital Productions]
Mika Vainio & Lucio Capece – Trahnie [2009 Editions Mego]
Minsk – With Echoes in the Movement of Stone [2009 Relapse]
Nate Young – Regression [2009 Ideal Recordings]
Natural Snow Buildings – Daughter of Darkness 5XCS [2009 Blackest Rainbow]
Nicholas Szczepanik – The Chiasmus [2009 Basses Frequences]
Our Love Will Destroy the World – Stillborn Plague Angels vinyl [2009 Dekorder]
Pärson Sound – Pärson Sound [1968]
Peter Wright – Snow Blind [2009 Install]
Prurient – And Still, Wanting [2008 Hospital Productions]
Prurient – The Black Post Society [2008 Cold Spring]
Stephan Mathieu – The Key to the Kingdom 7″ [2009 Dekorder]
Stephen O’Malley – Keep an Eye Out [2009 Table of Elements]
Sunn O))) – Monoliths & Dimensions [2009 Southern Lord] (bit of a dud, really…they are overcome by their own artiness…)
Swans – Omniscience [1992 Young God]
Unknown 1970s Thai psychedelic orchestra
Wolf Eyes – Always Wrong [2009 Hospital Productions]

Neanderthal Electronics workshop Derek Holzer

Slideshow from the Neanderthal Electronics workshop last week in Berlin, photos by Farahnaz Hatam/NK. There are still places for the Norway and Netherlands workshops open!

BERGEN, NO

***DATES: Monday 25 May – Friday 29 May 2009 10.00-16.00 daily
***LOCATION: Lydgalleriet, Østre Skostredet 3, Bergen, Norway
***COST: 500 NOK (approx 56 EUR)
***FINAL PRESENTATION: Friday 29 May, 19.00, Lydgallerie
***REGISTRATION: post@lydgalleriet.no +47 48 23 78 88
This workshop is a collaboration with Piksel.no

ROTTERDAM, NL

***DATES: Monday 1 June – Friday 5 June 2009 11.00-18.00 daily
***LOCATION: WORM, Achterhaven 148, Rotterdam
***COST: 50 EUR
***FINAL PRESENTATION: Friday 5 June, 21.00, WORM, 5 EUR entry
***REGISTRATION: workshop@moddr.net

TONEWHEELS at The Art of the Overhead, Malmö

I will be in Malmö, Sweden next week to perform the TONEWHEELS set at the Art of the Overhead festival…an event dedicated entirely to sonic and visual arts with the overhead projector!

http://www.overheads.org/

S C H E D U L E

S E M I N A R
MONDAY May 22
10.00 – 12.00 Home Made Media Archaeology at Stapelbäddsparken with prof dr. Verena Kuni (de)
The seminar is presented in collaboration with MEDEA, Collaborative Media Initiative, Malmö University.

P E R F O R M A N C E W E E K E N D
FRIDAY May 22
18.30 Exhibition Opening
20.00-00.00
Junichi Okuyama (jp)
Kunst
& Musik mit dem
Tageslichtprojektor (de)

Derek Holzer (us/de)
170
cm (fr)
Reassemble (uk)

SATURDAY May 23
14 – 17.00
Rune Søchting & Zeenath Hasan (dk)
Maria Karagianni (gr)
Alistair Gentry (uk)
Eva Elander (nl)
Jan Holmberg (se)

20.00-01.00
Goodiepal (dk)
Loud Objects (us)
Katrin Bethge & für diesen abend (de)
Milk Milk Lemonade (de)
Raumzeitpiraten (de)
Martin Haussmann (de) & Desinformation (se)

P S Y C H E D E L I C C L O S I N G P A R T Y
SATURDAY May 30
20.00 Finissage
Ohpia with Mickey Guitar (jp)
Kristian Nihlén (se)
John Wentworth
(se)
VJ Mako Ishizuka & DJ (jp/se)
“OH-istory! A Genealogy of The
Art of the Overhead” by Kristoffer Gansing & Linda Hilfling

O H P e n S u r f a c e W o r k s h o p
17-21 May
The Ohpen Surface workshop is an artist driven workshop. It works as an artist-knowledge-exchange where participating artists are developing their own projects for the festival, but also with the possibility of artists showing a specific technique to oth
ers. The workshop is co-organized and supervised by “Kunst und Musik mit den Tageslichts-projektor”.

ADDRESS:
Stapelbäddsparken – the large concrete building along Stora Varvsgatan, West Harbour, Malmö.

Now Playing

Hecker – Acid in the Style of David Tudor [2009 Editions Mego]
Peter Rehberg – Work for GV 2004-2008 [2008 Editions Mego]
Pita – Get Out [2008 Editions Mego version]
Whitehouse – Erector [1981 Susan Lawley]
jgrzinich – Time’s Arrow Landing [1998/2009 Maaheli Editions]
Saint Vitus – Saint Vitus [1984 S.S.T.]
Earth – Sunn Amps and Smashed Guitars Live [2006 No Quarter]

Northern Ireland, 26 April 2009

A long time ago, I promised myself that for every week I spend traveling to do workshops or gigs behind the computer or in front of electronics, I would give myself one day in nature. This was one of those rare times where it actually worked out. Thanks to Richard Davis from Queen Street Digital Studios in Belfast for the opportunity!

The show last Wednesday with Column One and Burial Hex went down well. Thanks to everyone who came out! Unfortunately for me, a cable crapped out on my recorder, so I only have my set in mono… The gig on the 10th with Pure and Habsyll at Raum 18 should be great too. Don’t let the new venue throw you…the only neighbors are a Turkish wedding hall, which means noise will never be an issue! But first, I have to survive the Neanderthal Electronics workshop at NK next week.

I’m looking for someone to sublet my flat in Berlin while I’m away from 20 May to approx 15 June. Rent is EUR 10 a night, minimum one week. Also, I’ll be passing through Paris on 8 June and would love to do a workshop or a gig. Get in touch if you can help either way!

Now Playing

Bodychoke – Cold River Songs CD [1996/2009 Relapse reissue]
Calcination – Calcination CD [2009 Utech] (Thx Antoine!!!)
Antoine Chessex – Terra Incognita amazing gatefold 12″ [2009 Amphissa] (Thx Antoine!!!)
House of Low Culture – Live from the House of Low Temperature one-sided, screen-printed 12″ [2008 2XHNI] (Thx Aaron!!!)
Merzbow & Pan Sonic – V CD (live at Victoriaville, 2002) [2003 Victo]
Merzbow – Karasu (13 Japanese Birds Part 4) CD [2009 Important]
Moss – Tombs of the Blind Drugged CD [2009 Rise Above]
Mudboy – Mudmux Volume One 7” [2008 DNT]
Haunted Castle – Sagging Skull and Street Beast CS [2006/2007 Self Released]
Einstürzende Neubauten/Sogo Ishii – Halber Mensch film [1986]
Victor Pelevin – Babylon post-Soviet Buddhist critique of New Russian advertising culture novel (???)
Vince Collins – Malice in Wonderland unbelievably twisted/perversely surreal animation [1982]

Upcoming Berlin gigs!

Now Playing

Josh Lay – Heirophant (Sentient Recognition Archive)
Nicholas Szczepanik – Mi Otra Mitad 3″ CD (Basses Frequences)
Monno – Ghosts 12″ (Conspiracy)
Herman Hesse – Steppenwolf (book)
Carl Gustav Jung – Man and His Symbols (book)
Robin Hardy – The Wicker Man (1973)(film)
Daniel Higgs – Hymnprovisations for Banjo by the A.I.U. with Piano and Raindrops (iDEAL)
The Bastard Noise – Rogue Astronaut (Gravity)
Xasthur – All Reflections Drained (Hydra Head)

Noise=Noise, Goldsmiths London, 18 March 2009 from macumbista on Vimeo.

Live AV noise performance “Noise=Noise” at Goldsmiths University, London. Hacked hardware, screaming circuits, hypnotic digital flickers. Video features Mick Grierson (video performance), John Bowers (GEM video + noise), Julien Ottavi (kung-fu wii), John Richards (cracklewig + light&sound) and Derek Holzer (optoelectronic tonewheels). Organized by Ryan Jordan. No thanks to the wanker tools at the Student Union who forced us to change venues midway through…

Side note: I’ve been having a bitch of a time getting videos to play right with Vimeo. They stutter like mad. If anyone has any advice for me on how to encode stuff so that you don’t need the latest dual-core to watch a simple video, let me know…

Now Playing
Victor Pelevin – The Sacred Book of the Werewolf (novel)
Barn Owl – From Our Mouths a Perpetual Light [2009 Digitalis]
Habsyll – MMVIII [2009 PsycheDOOMelic]
Isis – Wavering Radiant [2009 Ipecac]
Kevin Drumm – Malaise [2009 Hospital Productions]
Merzbow – Suzume (13 Japanese Birds Part 1) [2009 Important]
Merzbow – Fukurou (13 Japanese Birds Part 2) [2009 Important]
Merzbow – Yurikamome (13 Japanese Birds Part 3) [2009 Important]
Roman Polanski – Rosemary’s Baby (film)

18 MAR: NOISE=NOISE, Goldsmiths, London UK

6pm-9pm Wednesday 18 March 2009 FREE
Small Cinema, Goldsmiths University
FREE

John Bowers
Disinformation
Mick Grierson
Derek Holzer
Ryan Jordan
Martin L
Julien Ottavi
John Richards

19 MAR: TONEWHEELS lecture+performance, Thursday Club @ Goldmsiths, London UK

6pm Thursday 19 March 2009
Seminar Roooms, Ben Pimlott Building, Goldsmiths University
FREE

20 MAR: Blinking Ears presents Electroacoustic Performances, E:Vent Gallery, London UK

8:30pm-1am Friday 20 March 2009
E:vent, 96 Teesdale Street
5 POUNDS

Derek Holzer
Joel Cahen
Leafcutter John
Lina Lapelyte
Peter Cusak
+ DJ Alex Czinczel

24 MAR: Future of Sound/Future of Light, Goldsmiths, London UK

Symposium: Media Resources Building, Screen 1, 2pm-6pm, Free

Andrey Smirnov (keynote speaker) http://asmir.theremin.ru/
Jo Hutton myspace.com/johuttonmusic
Derek Holzer www.umatic.nl/tonewheels_historical.html
Rob Mullender http://silentlight.blogspot.com/
Dr. Mick Grierson mickgrierson.co.uk/

Show: The Great Hall, 7pm-10pm, Free

The Sancho Plan thesanchoplan.com
United Visual Artists uva.co.uk
Scanner scannerdot.com
Sophie Clements sophieclements.com
Andy Cameron futureofsound.org/4.htm
body>data>space bodydataspace.net/

Now Playing
Tomas Alfredson – Låt den rätte komma in (Let the Right One In) film [2008]
Michelangelo Antonioni – Il Deserto Rosso (The Red Desert) film [1964]
Pussygutt + Story of Rats – Sea of Sand [2007 Olde English Spelling Bee]
Wolves in the Throne Room – Black Cascade [2009 Southern Lord]
Light – A Million Dead Beneath the Ice [2008 self released]
Mudboy – This is Folk Music [2005 Last Visible Dog]
Skepticism – Aes [1999 Red Stream]
Various Artists – Destroyers from the Western Skies [2005 Killzone Records]
Jason Kahn & Asher – Vista [2008 AND/oar]
Jeph Jerman – Metal Drift [Fissur 05]
Loren Chasse & Michael Northam – The Otolith [2008 Helen Scarsdale Agency]
.murmer – We Share a Shadow [2008 Helen Scarsdale Agency]