Derek Holzer live at Musrara Mix #11 Festival, Jerusalem, IL 25.05.11 (edit) by macumbista

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DEREK HOLZER (US/DE) – MULTIPLACE OPENING 2. 5. 2011 from Fórum 4AM on Vimeo.

Vzhledem k vývoji celého vystoupení doporučuji všem vizuálně naladěným divákům zhlédnout především druhou polovinu klipu.

“Derek Holzer se v projektu Tonewheels inspiruje pionýrskými díly elektronické hudby 20. století (ANS Syntetizér, Variophone, Oramic systém).” Vyrobil GUERILLA.film

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Musrarmix #11 Festival, The Naggar School of Photography, Media, New Music, Animation and Phototherapy, Jerusalem IL

PERFORMANCE 25.05.11, 20.30
More than just noise, a Macumbista live performance summons the chaotic, generative powers of a self-made, analog modular synthesizer in an improvisational setting which explores the physical affects of volume, frequency and complexity. For fans of Maryanne Amacher, Bernard Parmegiani, Eliane Radigue and Slayer.

TALK/WORKSHOP/PRESENTATION 26.05.11, 14.00
A few years ago, I largely abandoned the digital sound world to spend time building a modular analog synthesizer which reinterprets and hybridizes the forms and functions of the famous Serge and Buchla systems of the 1970s. In this presentation, I will explain the different functions of this Macumbista Modular as well as give attendees the chance to create generative sound patches on the instrument.

Plus some other stuff I will write about on my return for security reasons.

Recent Travel

Spent last week (16-20.05.11) in Riga, teaching  Pure Data lessons to the video students of the Riga International School for Economics and Business (RISEBA)–or trying to, at least. Sometimes it’s hard to get very far when MTV clips are the height of sophistication for most of the workshop participants, but we did alright. The school had this amazing “professor’s apartment”, done up with the remainders of the wood furniture factory which used to occupy the building. Probably the only time in my life I will be in possession of a penthouse suite!

Previous to that, there was a series of TONEWHEELS gigs in Brno, Prague and Orleans. The Brno one was probably the best, and with it came the chance to talk lasers and sound with Australia’s “ZZ Laptop” himself, Robin Fox. Great set, friendly bloke, enthusiastic audience. All-in-all a good night.

TONEWHEELS Live

02.May.2011 – Multiplace Festival, Brno CZ
03.May.2011 – Školská 28, Prague CZ
07.May.2011 – Fête01, Orléans FR

SoundBoxes Workshop

09-10 June.2011 – Proximos Festival, Tenerife, Canary Islands ES

Descubre las escondidas calidades sonicas de los objetos de la vida cotidiana en estos dos días de taller, combinando las artes de la electrónica, ruidismo, escultura y collage. Los elementos básicos del taller serán una caja de madera, un altavoz, un pequeño amplificador y un micrófono de contacto (piezo). A todo esto lo mas atrevidos podrán añadir sus propios objetos, gráfica personalizada, imágenes, memorias e ideas para crear una única caja de ruido electro acústica.

INSCRIPCIÓN AQUÍ

Other News

A friend of mine was murdered here in Berlin last week. Up to now, I believed this to be one of the safest cities I have ever lived in. She will be missed. Ladies, if your country doesn’t allow you to carry a handgun, please learn kung-fu.

Regenwald 2011 was coordinated by DEREK HOLZER [US/DE] and MADS BECH PALUSZEWSKI[DK] for Club Transmediale 28 Jan – 05 Feb 2011. The players were DIANA COMBO [PT], ALAN GLEESON [IR], LARS LUNDEHAVE HANSEN [DK], DEREK HOLZER [US/DE], MACDARA Ó MAOLBHUAIDH [IR], JOÃO MIGUEL PAIS [PT], PETER VOTAVA [AT], CHRISTIAN ZOLLNER [AT]. Photos by Mads.

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various artists–brass pins & match heads: international 78s[2011 mississippi]
various artists–ivory coast soul: afro funk & soul in abidjan 1972-82[2010 hot casa]
various artists–those shocking shaking days: indonesian funk 1970-78[2010 now-again]

Regenwald2011 at Club Transmediale from macumbista on Vimeo.

By Derek Holzer & Mads Bech Paluszewski

Regenwald 2011 was a contemporary re-interpretation of David Tudor’s series of compositions from the 1970’s entitled “Rainforest”. It used different types of sonic transducers to play sounds through a series of resonant metal objects suspended in the space. Additionally, two 8×8 matrix mixers allowed the sound from any of the objects or performers to be sent to any other node in the network, making the whole piece an experiment in generative chaos.

Regenwald 2011 was developed prior to the festival in a workshop format over a period of five days. The opening night presentation featured a live session with the system,
while the installation running during the week employed recordings made with the system. The audience was free to move around the performance space, engage in conversations and explore the sonic objects, thus adding new life to the rainforest.

Regenwald 2011 was coordinated by Derek Holzer and Mads Bech Paluszewski, and was a joint production of CTM.11 and Tuned City / DOCK e.V.

The Players:
DIANA COMBO [PT]
ALAN GLEESON [IR]
LARS LUNDEHAVE HANSEN [DK]
DEREK HOLZER [US/DE]
MACDARA Ó MAOLBHUAIDH [IR]
JOÃO MIGUEL PAIS [PT]
PETER VOTAVA [AT]
CHRISTIAN ZOLLNER [AT]

With Thanks To:

Robert Dahlke, Jan Rolf, Carsten Stabenow, Oliver Stabenow, West Germany

Neanderthal Electronics group presentation
Vinyl-terror & -horror
Macumbista
Avant-Reguard (DJ set)

Monday 28 February 2011, doors 19.00 show 21.00
Madame Claude Lübbener Str. 19, X-Berg 10997 Berlin

Sorry for lack of updates lately, been in constant motion since new years. News will follow shortly.

Regenwald 2011: a workshop/installation/performance in the spirit of David Tudor

with Derek Holzer (USA/DE) & Mads Bech Paluszewski (DK)

*Overview*

Regenwald 2011 is a contemporary re-interpretation of David Tudor’s series of compositions from the 1970′s entitled “Rainforest”. It uses various types of sonic transducers to play live sounds through various resonant objects in the performance space, as well as through architectural features of the space itself. Additionally, an 8×8 matrix mixer allows the sound from any of the objects to be sent to any of the performers, making the whole piece an experiment in generative chaos.

Regenwald 2011 will be developed in a workshop format with up to 8 participants over a period of several days. The resulting work should shift between relatively static installation-like moments and performative sections where the artists seek new relationships with the objects and each other. The audience is free to move around the performance space, engage in conversations and explore the resonant objects, thus adding new life to the rainforest.

A opening night presentation will introduce the concept of Regenwald 2011 and the context of “Schematic as Score” as seen in the works of both David Tudor and John Cage.

*Documentation*

A rough schematic of a previous transducer system (Regenskog 2010) can be seen here:
http://macumbista.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/regnskog_notext.png

Documentation of Regenskog 2010 can be found here:
http://macumbista.net/?p=1840

*Dates*

28 January – 01 February, 12:00-19:00 daily: Regenwald 2011 workshop in West Germany, Kottbusser Tor, Berlin

01 February 21:00 opening Regenwald 2011 presentation/performance, West Germany, Kottbusser Tor, Berlin

02 February – 05 February 18-22:00 daily: Regenwald 2011 installation, West Germany, Kottbusser Tor, Berlin

*Participate*

The Regenwald 2011 workshop is open for 8 participants who will be selected and notified on or before 16 January 2011. There is no fee to participate. Applying participants should be:

–Comfortable working in a collaborative environment
–Knowledgeable in the basics of acoustics
–Proficient in one or more chosen analog or digital sound instruments and/or systems for working with sound
–Capable of bringing any equipment they require beyond the basics of the transducer system (instruments, mixers, computers, etc etc)

Please send an email to regenwald2011@clubtransmediale.de by 12 January with the following information:

–Name, location and short bio (max 100 words)
–Short statement of interest (max 300 words)
–Short description of your chosen instrument or system (max 300 words)
–Links to audio/video documentation of one solo work and one collaborative work you have made

*Workshop Leaders*

Derek Holzer (1972) is an American sound artist living in Berlin, whose current interests include DIY analog electronics, sound art, field recording and the meeting points of electroacoustic, noise, improv and extreme music. He has played live experimental sound, as well as taught workshops in noise art technology, across Europe, North America, Brazil and New Zealand.
http://www.macumbista.net

Danish sound artist and cultural producer Mads Bech Paluszewski (1977) works with circuit bending, sound installations, tactile acoustics and performances from his Copenhagen base. Solo and as a member of several groups of experimental audio/visual music and performance groups, he has performed at many Nordic music and sound art festivals. He has also held several workshops in circuit bending and user driven sound installations in Denmark.

*Partners*

Regenwald is a join production of DISK/Club Transmediale and Tuned City/DOCK e.V.
http://www.clubtransmediale.de
http://www.tunedcity.net

Watching Tomoko Sauvage Performance/Installation @ Grimm Museum Berlin (photos by Laura Gianetti)

Miss Tomoko was a fabulous host during my last stay in Paris, especially when she indulged my obsession with second hand stores and flea markets. The TONEWHEELS gig at the Art Museum of Dijon went strange, basically I was asked to turn it down about 5 minutes into the set, when I was only a quarter of the way up! Seems the security guards were frightened I might “vibrate” the paintings in the museum (organizers, on the other hand, were cool and supportive). Talk/demo for the /dev/art series was a bit friendlier, with lots of questions and interest, and the final I-R-L gig was super, very good PA and responsive audience. Thanks to everyone who made it possible.

However, a funny thing happened on the way to the airport…

I almost forgot to mention that I missed my flight going to France! The long and the short of it is this: I hadn’t done the TONEWHEELS set since last spring, so I had forgotten how screwed up all my equipment was. I started checking it the day before my flight, and realized that I would have to remake everything…motor controllers, light-to-sound converters and all. Mostly because of stubbornness, I have to confess. I had tried to make a single unit of the whole thing before my USA tour and abandoned it the day before leaving.

This time I would not be defeated! I worked until the last possible minute, but to no avail. Then I called a taxi to the airport, which never showed up. I rebooked the flight (at my own expense!!!) for the next morning early, and spent the whole sleepless night (again…) building the SlenderTONEWHEELS box.

SlenderTONEWHEELS takes it’s name and super-70’s enclosure plus matching carry case from a Slendertone “fitness” machine, designed to stimulate your abdominal muscles with electrical pulses while you perform such rigorous labor as eating popcorn while watching Saturday Night Live. I found the device at a flea market in Helsinki last winter and had been dying to use it for something. So at the cost of a missed flight, I managed to put a 6 channel Arduino-based PWM motor controller and four light-to-sound-converters inside just in time to show off for the Frenchies.

Now that I’m home I can start preparing for the next two upcoming workshops at NK Project Berlin plus a Tuned City trip to Tallin, as well as thinking how to concentrate more on crafting unique sound boxes to sell rather than traveling so much for gigs and workshops. Not that I don’t like playing and teaching, it’s just that I start to feel so un-grounded these days. Maybe missing flights is a sign I need some rest…

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krzysztof penderecki–threnody to the victims of hiroshima(tren ofiarom hiroszimy)[1960]

Although this sounds absolutely nothing like what people in the room actually experienced, I’m posting this mixing desk recording of my set at the UH Fest just to give an idea. Get ready for slooooooow development…

www.fest2010.uh.hu/music/recordings/406_derek_holzer@uh2010.mp3

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mv & ee–bollywoe[2010 child of microtone]
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