Discovering Dimensions with Laima Lisauskienė

Tags

Ambient, Drone, Experimental

Sonagrama magazine published a very introspective article on my online friend (and mix-making diva) Laima Lisauskienė. I’ve copied a portion of it below – please see the link @ the bottom for the entire article.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
I’m Laima Lisauskienė from Lithuania’s capital city, Vilnius. I studied Fine Art during my secondary education at the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art and went on to attain degrees in visual design at Vilnius Academy of Arts. Visual communication has been a key component throughout my education and professional career and remains central to my work in areas such as graphic design, corporate branding and advertising. Since 2010, I’ve been a member of the Lithuanian Graphic Design Association (LGDA). In addition, I have a long-standing interest in music and sound culture, which is the primary focus of this article.[1]

I love exploring the ways in which different media platforms can be used not only to distribute music, but also enhance communication between musicians and audiences in fresh and exhilarating ways. I am proud of my Lithuanian heritage and greatly enjoy visiting other countries and collaborating with musicians and other creative people from different cultures. In the past, I’ve had the good fortune to travel extensively in countries such as Egypt, Germany, Spain and the UK. I had a wonderful time living in Bilbao, whilst working as a design consultant for an international conference on art and technology Technarte 2015. Consulting on Technarte was both a stimulating project in itself – combining art, technology and science – as well as an ideal opportunity to explore and expand my fascination with sound and music.[2]

After working on Technarte, I returned to Vilnius in late 2015 and was invited to create radio programmes for an innovative online music streaming project Radio Kaos Caribou (RKC), based in Ermont, France. Creating my fortnightly radio show Dimensions involved investing a considerable amount of time, energy and resources into discovering and acquiring music created by talented artists working, for the most part, under the radar of the mainstream music industry. I consulted professional audio design engineers and learned new skills, using technical expertise and resources of a well equipped sound studio to create my own Dimensions mixes. As a result, the compilation audio file for each show was specifically designed and engineered for my regular one hour slot on RKC. The inaugural Dimensions #1 show was first broadcast online 26 March 2016.[3]

Whilst crafting Dimensions radio shows for RKC, I also worked on a four-day sonic arts event Music Tech Fest (MTF) Berlin 2016 and this further enhanced my appreciation of experimental music and sound culture more generally. During MTF Berlin, I was inspired by a number of artists, notably the talented electronic musician and multimedia artist Robin Rimbaud (aka Scanner) after attending an exclusive preview described as ‘sketches’ of his permanent sound installation ‘Water Drops’ for Rijeka airport, Croatia.[4]

It was a joy to meet Robin and speak with him backstage at the festival. He kindly agreed to contribute a selection of his unique experimental music to include in my shows, such as the composition ‘Middlesex Voices Interlude’ featured in Dimensions #7 and, more recently, one of his latest albums ‘Mass Observation (Expanded)’. I am grateful to Robin for supporting Dimensions over the years and our continued collaboration.[5]

Overall, my positive experience of MTF included previews of work by contemporary artists – such as Benjamin Heidersberger, Bernd Deckers, David Fernandez, Greg Beller, Johannes Wernicke, Rikard Vilhelm Lindell, Robin Rimbaud and others – using the latest technologies in the sonic arts showcased at the festival, and this had a huge impact on Dimensions.

The growing experience and creative potential, discussions with practitioners and theorists in the sonic arts and design world, the expanding library of compositional works (audio, images, video and text), and the desire to reveal new music and narratives led me to realize my personal endeavour to transform Dimensions into a multifaceted, independently curated transmedia project.

© Tadas Kazakevičius, Lithuania, 2019

Momentum

As the year 2017 came to end, I left everything behind, transitioning from the eclectic ethos of RKC to a tranquil space that enveloped and allowed me to dream during sleep and waking hours. A most extraordinary dimension of time and space. I completed one path and embarked on a myriad of new ones, including new directions and vistas for Dimensions. I wanted to offer contributors and listeners a new approach or, if you will, portals to the conceptual context, core themes and content of future Dimensions.

In January 2018, Dimensions entered a new phase as an independent music program broadcast monthly on Mixcloud, incorporating new and exclusive material from a diverse array of music labels.[6]

‘Being in and moving around the city, navigating through a myriad of criss-crossing lifeworlds and meaning-filled spaces. Adrift amid the fluidity of time, traversing pathways and places of an urban habitat both familiar and unknown. Fleeting memories of times past, in which the real and imagined converge and dissolve effortlessly into each other. The past is constantly being imported into the present. Broken shells of a forgotten time, fragments of ever-changing identities born of the desire to inhabit and understand the world. This urban journey and flux of experiences simultaneously evoke feelings of fragility, reticence, strangeness, and anticipation.’

. . . .

Read entire article

Advertisements

Generative Soundscape Radio

A Free Application For Listening To Continous Generative Soundscapes

http://www.thomasparksolutions.com/player

z o n e _ 2

z o n e _ 2 | 80:17

Part 2 (of 3) of our current mini-series (link to zone 1); – blending Ambient chestnuts & modern day sonance into experimental soundscapes.

……………………Zone utilized: Downtown (interpolating ‘Scape K’ by Thomas Park)

01 Oophoi – Icelight

02 Elin – Klangriket

03 Still Earth – Signs

04 Justin Vanderburg – Infection

05 Klimek – The Ice Storm

06 Peter James+Disturbed Earth – A Descending Calm

07 Oophoi & Paul Vnuk, Jr. – South Field/Khyber (edit)

08 Steve Roach – Stars Begin (edit)

09 Lena – Interlude in Bright Light – pt 2

10 Peter James – Still

11 Robert Rich+Markus Reuter -We Will Walk Away Unscathed

12 Disturbed Earth – Ginger

13 Exuviae – Primitive Binary

14 Tony Levin, David Torn & Alan White – Sleeping Horse

15 Organic Urban Soundscapes – Downtown

Download

Contemplation du Rien, by Mathieu Lamontagne & Emmanuel Toledo

The same guys were contemplating the void again, set apart from their time zones (Canada and Finland). There was nothing, no leftovers, stems or compositions, no pre-defined direction, only a new void, shimmering trails from our previous works; it was that time again, we were on a mission, united by a common goal. 

We formed something new and somehow valuable, starting to ‘fill that void’, and the usual back and forth process followed, once again; leading to “Contemplation du Rien” as it is now, the seventh chapter of our remote collaboration. 

Emmanuel Toledo  eeem.bandcamp.com

Released December 7, 2018 
All tracks by Mathieu and Emmanuel 
Cover art by Emmanuel

4 Compositions, by Ensemble D’Oscillateurs

[THE CRUX OF SONIC MATTER: A MUSIC FROM SINE WAVES]

When Nicolas Bernier first told me about the collection of old oscillators he had been accumulating for years, I wondered what kind of project would develop from it. It took years for these oscillators to find their place within Nicolas’ research. Accumulating quite a few of these instruments over the years, perhaps he realized that he could not play them all himself. Following the idea of curator and author Hans-Ulrich Obrist, who said “the connections and principles that produce a collection contain assumptions, juxtapositions, findings, experimental possibilities and associations. Collection-making, you could say, is a method of producing knowledge”: the Ensemble d’oscillateurs was born.

Much to my excitement, Nicolas approached me to assist him in making the whole thing possible: connecting the oscillators, designing practice exercises for performers to master their “instrument”, brainstorming staging possibilities for concerts, developing a method of notation for compositions, listing characteristics and parameters of each oscillator, and so on.

Back then, it was uncertain what sounds would come up of ten sine waves played by ten performers. The purity and simplicity of each signal, mixed with the imperfections of these old oscillators, led nonetheless to a level of complexity reachable by accumulation.

As the first composer who had the chance to compose for the ensemble, I had the chance to have the keys of the studio where the oscillators were kept. I spent hours there, alone, going back and forth between the oscillators, notating each adjustment, each manipulation, and imagining how one sine wave—one thin line—can become surrounded by a cluster of moving lines, when the oscillators are simultaneously being manipulated by multiple performers. The main challenge was to make this information readable by performers the same way a classical music score would. I managed to come up with a simple way of notating the limited available parameters, while notating the usable flaws in several oscillators that I wanted the performers to recreate.

The ensemble then began weekly rehearsals for what became its first “commission”. Experiencing the interpretation of my score, along with feedback from the performers, led me to improve the notation. During these rehearsals, the ensemble also improvised by following a guiding software that I was programming: this main section of the piece allowed them to improve their playing, forced to respond quickly to the events proposed by the software, enhancing their listening, with Nicolas controlling the mixing mixing desk onstage.

Following Nicolas’ interest in primitive technologies, history of electronic sound and the evolutions of its aesthetic, the Ensemble d’oscillateurs became a laboratory in search of a sine wave aesthetic: the ensemble took an interest in pieces from the repertoire (‘Jar Piece’ by Pauline Oliveros, 1966), but also in graphic scores (‘December 1952’ by Earle Brown, 1952; ‘SYN-Phon’ by Candas Sisman, 2013). The latter, which closes this album, was actually not written for one specific instrument. A collective work has been accomplished around the interpretation (literally) of the graphic notation: assigning a line to an oscillator, while some others are shaping the sound of a circle or quickly stepping in to give a sonic life to an array of connected dots.

“Listening” is the key word for the Ensemble oscillator. An absolute control of the musical material is not the primary goal. Performers are indeed guided by notation but due to its nature of purity and simplicity, an active listening is required. Just like in musique concrète, it is the matter that makes the music; the accumulation of this matter is the music. Forcing a deep listening—a heightened awareness of the sonic environment, significant to Pauline Oliveros’ work and theory—the listener will necessarily perceive micro-changes, subtleties, and fine details. Even if the music of the ensemble is more gestural than drone music, a strong link does exist in the way of absorbing this music made of non-extravagant musical matter.

With the aim to create a repertoire made specifically for the ensemble, to forge relationships between the new and the old, and to explore new ways to make music with these old devices, two more composers were invited to write music especially for the ensemble: Xavier Ménard and Francisco Meirino. This album consists of performances of three pieces custom-made for the Ensemble, and one arrangement of a graphic score.

Being part of the creation of the Ensemble d’oscillateurs and composing its first piece was as challenging as it was stimulating. I could only foresee its potential back then. The work the ensemble has accomplished since is already significant. Following Nicolas’ vision, the ensemble has had workshops with some important artists like singer/saxophonist/director Joane Hétu, experimental DJ Martin Tétrault, producer Jean-Patrice Rémillard, and stage director Sébastien David. And this is just the beginning as already a lot of new projects are on the go.

With many interesting research-creation productions on the horizon, this unusual ensemble is certainly an exciting musical act to be followed.

— Kevin Gironnay, July 2018

.

TONUS Tribute, Part II

Happy 2019 everyone!

I hope this finds you well & ready to to take on the new year – may it bring out the best you have so that you may prosper & thrive!

I’ve been informed via internal email from our engineering staff that we have an impressive mix lineup ready to roll out this year, beginning with part 2 of what began as a 2 part mix (but is about to grow into a third installment) — an ‘e l e m e n t s‘ side project (and a blast to mix!).

Highly experimental, slightly caustic (in spots) & cutting-freakin’ edge . . .

Most all the compositions were w-a-y too long to be included on any mix – so they’re excerpted (x) with l-o-n-g fades, overlays & old-world, precision craftsmanship; rolling in @ 67:59 total running time.

We’ve been previewing tracks from several about-to-be-released TONUS projects; so, as stated, there will be a part 3 (of sorts). It will take a slightly different turn, mix-wise, than its predecessors – look for it sometime within the month of March (complete with its varied & multiple Ides).

…………………………………..#DinGloriousDin

Download

.

01 Brian Eno – Neroli (x)

02 Frieband – Emanate, Pt 2 (x)

03 TONUS – Texture II (x)

04 Dirk Serries – Celestial Perfume

05 TONUS – IV (x)

06 TONUS – Texture III (x)

07 Serries, Verhoeven & Webster – Cinepalace 2 (x)

08 Reto Bieri – Holliger, Contrechant – II

09 ::vtol:: – 12_262 (drill-bit edit)

…..(a cool project itself, inspired by Soviet/Arctic deep-earth drilling)

10 Dirk Serries – Diffused Wire Appliance

11 Erik K. Skodvin – Corrin Den

12 Fantoom – Sluimer 1 (x)

13 Radian – Unje

Transition, by Plaster

“Transition” is the new studio album from experimental electronic producer Plaster. With less emphasis on complex sound design, Gianclaudio Hashem Moniri has taken a more minimal approach using only analogue gear and hardware in mostly live and improvised compositions. The result is a profoundly moving piece of industrial sonics, full of depth and emotion and a perfect soundtrack to the uncertain state we find ourselves in today.

“This album comes from a different perspective of Plaster’s past works in terms of emotions and sounds. My aim was to reduce the amount of complexity in order to maintain the tracks simple but effective. I wanted to be close to the people in daily life. Most of the tracks are pure improvisations using analog synths and hardware, there’s no additional editing or post-production adopting the way of thinking ‘Less Is More’.”

Casting off with the all encompassing throb of ‘Casual Encounter’ Plaster places the listener in the heart of a mechanized womb as he builds industrial soundscapes into a warm blanket of sound. The evolving intensity of ‘The Climbers’ drags us into his new dystopian vision, which is then fully realized by the discordant pulse of ‘Disconnected Heart’. As we submerge ourselves even further, suffocating in the depths of his industrial wasteland, shards of light begin to emerge, most notably in the closing beauty of ‘Children On The Cliff.’ At times intense, blissful, challenging and hypnotic, ‘Transition’ exists in an electronic hinterland, where amongst the post-apocalyptic debris, new life begins.

credits

Released March 2, 2018
Written, Performed and Engineered by Gianclaudio Hashem Moniri.
Painting and artwork concept by Dmytro Fedorenko
Design by Zavoloka
.

elements_art

Jazz…a uniquely American art form…America’s classical music. I dig it in pretty much all of its forms: avant-garde, bebop, trad, swing, third stream, vocal, ska, post-bop, latin, fusion, blues, hard-bop, free, cool & dixieland…to name a few.

And so here I present a new elements with some “old”, marquee names, incorporating Jazz, Funk . . . & funky Jazz.

As this is our final mix posting for 2018, I wish everyone a

Merry Christmas! (& a prosperous + healthy 2019)

80:24

Download

.

01 Stephan Micus – Words Of Truth

02 Bill Frisell – Sundust

03 Eberhard Weber – Street Scenes

04 Pat Metheny Group – Baracole

05 John Blake – Genesis

06 Wynton Marsalis – Black Codes from the Underground

07 Dexter Gordon/Johnny Griffin – Cake (live)

08 Andy Summers – The Last Dance of Mr. X

09 Dizzy Gillespie/Bradford Marsalis – Birk’s Works

10 Miles Davis/John Scofield – Speak

11 Medeski, Martin & Wood – Anonymous Skulls

12 Chick Corea – Dance of Chance

13 Jeff Beck – Head for Backstage Pass

14 Herbie Hancock – Hardrock (extended beats remix)

Manifestazioni, by Carlo Giustini

“A manifestation is an object that clearly shows or embodies something abstract or theoretical”

These are five untamed field recordings captured between the desolate streets of suburban Treviso in late June 2018.
Five explorations of the secret language whispered by its houses and by the slow and mysterious movements of its inhabitants exhausted by the summer heat.

Matter owns a hidden language, a dusty and ancient one.
Sound is matter.

Matter is a tactile manifestation of something that is higher, or at least something that lives hidden among the cracks of our everyday life.

Something vast, which is capable of moving matter and space.
Something speaking in codes.

The movements captured in this work are sometimes brusque, sometimes more tired and dragged.

These are five declarations of love towards a more real world of truth, a world that is hidden but that somehow manifests itself continuously through the familiar sound of objects and everyday life.

All five recordings are first single takes, recorded on worn out tape rolls found here and there.

All recordings captured with a rusty Phillips portable tape recorder and a contact mic.

JON HASSELL: POWER SPOT (ECM 1327)

A comment on a recent mix inspired me to post this review from 2012. Enjoy!

.

JANUARY 5, 2012 | TYRAN GRILLO

.

Jon Hassell trumpet
J. A. Deane percussion, alto flute
Jean-Philippe Rykiel keyboards
Michael Brook guitar
Richard Horowitz keyboards
Brian Eno bass
Richard and Paul Armin RAAD electro-acoustic strings
Miguel Frasconi flute

.

Recorded October 1983 and December 1984, Grant Avenue Studio, Ontario
Assistant  engineering: David Bottrill and Roman Zack
Produced and engineered by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois

.

American composer and trumpeter Jon Hassell is best known for his music of the Fourth World, which he describes as “coffee-colored classical.” The definition becomes clearer once you immerse yourself in the sounds of Power Spot. Hassell’s career is as varied as his education. A student of both Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pandit Pran Nath, he is known for overlooking idiomatic barriers in favor of something far broader. Nath left an indelible mark in Hassell, who turned to the master’s voice for guidance in his own playing. His unmistakable tones are achieved by singing into the instrument, thereby drawing clusters of sounds from a single exhalation. This recording is significant for a number of reasons, not least for indicating a moment in sonic history in which the electro-acoustic universe was beginning to spin some of its richer, more majestic galaxies. The music on Power Spot radiates like a supernova waiting patiently for the traction of celestial bodies to fan its clouds away, revealing softly spinning globes of breath and vapor. With such evocative titles as “Wing Melodies” and “The Elephant And The Orchid,” one feels almost overwhelmed by the range of possible imagery. And yet, like any question of mode or genre thereof, these words disappear behind the music’s waterfall.

At first listen the album may seem to blend into a broad wash of sound, but lean in closer and you begin to hear the details emerge. The title track is perhaps the most potent, opening this portal to a wellspring of beats and train whistles. Brian Eno’s amphibian bass slithers through a pond of liquid mercury, fading into the gaseous darkness from which it sprang. Otherworldly connotations are bound to reveal themselves, and nowhere more so than in “Passage D.E.,” which sounds for all like the soundtrack to a documentary of some undiscovered planet. Notable also is “Miracle Steps,” where live percussion provides marked contrast to the synthetic overlay, drawing in the process the album’s most beautiful cartography.

Power Spot is one protracted aerial view, a bubbling primordial soup of circuits and blips, funneled through such progressive sense of direction and atmosphere as only Hassell can activate. Unlike much of the knob-turning to grace the many electronic albums of the 80s, its sound is strikingly effusive and organic. In this ocean, one finds that the light of life shines brightest on the inside. It is a light that no clouds can obscure, a light that no darkness can close its eyes around. It is a journey of transience, of transport, of futurism and antiquity, of none of these things. Influential? More than words can say. Just listen to Paul Schütze’s Stateless, or the works of countless others who’ve clearly drunk from the Hassell font.

A perfect specimen.