Saturday, December 18, 2004
I redid my web site
In the process of recompiling my resume and CV I decided to redo my website. The content is all still there but with new photos and a new look. Check it out and let me know what you think.
Thursday, December 16, 2004
The Art of David Tudor
The Getty has an amazing collection of Tudor's works.
Sunday, December 12, 2004
King Diamond, grandmaster of the oral tradition
This is the funniest thing I've ever seen. Someone should tell King Diamond that if you are trying to be spooky, saying "it's like, whoooooo" or "I was like, no way" is not spooky. The makeup is not spooky either.
Releases and events
Mimeograph Recordings is releasing documentation for two shows I curated in Seattle. Following are the press releases:
Threshold of hearing/
Threshold of pain 4-disc CD-R set
This four-disc set documents two group shows that happened at Seattle’s late, lamented Polestar Music Gallery.
The theme of 2002’s Threshold of hearing show was live, minimal, quiet electronic sound works. The pieces on 2003’s Threshold of pain are done by the same artists. They are live, electronic, minimal in form, but in contrast very loud.
The works vary widely: glitchy computer-generated textures, sparse pure electronic soundscapes, and delicate electro-acoustic pieces are all featured.
The featured artists are Steve Barsotti, Mateo Chavez, Jake Elliott, inBOIL, Vance Galloway, Model 563, and watfiv. Alex Keller curated the shows and prepared this CD release.
This set is uniquely packaged in a clear four-disc jewel box and wrapped in a vellum band.
SST: Surround Sound Transmissions
DVD-R Video disc
Surround Sound Transmissions, a DVD-Video disc that will play on any device that plays DVD-R discs, is one of the very few electronic/ electro-acoustic albums to be released in full surround sound. It documents a 2002 group show at Seattle’s late, lamented Polestar Music Gallery.
The artists use the surround medium in surprising, innovative ways. A few pieces separate sounds in all channels; a few use subtly different sounds to unusual effect. The sound sources include a party, insects, gritty electronics and digitally processed sound.
The featured artists are Steve Barsotti, Christopher DeLaurenti, Vance Galloway, inBOIL, Intonarumori, Alex Keller, Ben Larson, Eric Ostrowski, TCOR, and Kelli Wise. Alex Keller curated the show and prepared this CD release.
Threshold of hearing/
Threshold of pain 4-disc CD-R set
This four-disc set documents two group shows that happened at Seattle’s late, lamented Polestar Music Gallery.
The theme of 2002’s Threshold of hearing show was live, minimal, quiet electronic sound works. The pieces on 2003’s Threshold of pain are done by the same artists. They are live, electronic, minimal in form, but in contrast very loud.
The works vary widely: glitchy computer-generated textures, sparse pure electronic soundscapes, and delicate electro-acoustic pieces are all featured.
The featured artists are Steve Barsotti, Mateo Chavez, Jake Elliott, inBOIL, Vance Galloway, Model 563, and watfiv. Alex Keller curated the shows and prepared this CD release.
This set is uniquely packaged in a clear four-disc jewel box and wrapped in a vellum band.
SST: Surround Sound Transmissions
DVD-R Video disc
Surround Sound Transmissions, a DVD-Video disc that will play on any device that plays DVD-R discs, is one of the very few electronic/ electro-acoustic albums to be released in full surround sound. It documents a 2002 group show at Seattle’s late, lamented Polestar Music Gallery.
The artists use the surround medium in surprising, innovative ways. A few pieces separate sounds in all channels; a few use subtly different sounds to unusual effect. The sound sources include a party, insects, gritty electronics and digitally processed sound.
The featured artists are Steve Barsotti, Christopher DeLaurenti, Vance Galloway, inBOIL, Intonarumori, Alex Keller, Ben Larson, Eric Ostrowski, TCOR, and Kelli Wise. Alex Keller curated the show and prepared this CD release.
Friday, December 10, 2004
"God Is With Us": Hitler's Rhetoric and the Lure of "Moral Values"
A government should be moral in its actions. A theocracy, however, isn't necessarily moral.
goodbye, Wigu
Today is a sad sad day - my favorite webcomic will be ending soon. Wigu is always very funny and occasionally
mind-blowingly hysterical. Check it out, especially my favorite, which is
posted on my refridgerator: http://www.wigu.com/?date=20040510
mind-blowingly hysterical. Check it out, especially my favorite, which is
posted on my refridgerator: http://www.wigu.com/?date=20040510
Friday, December 03, 2004
The 10 Least Successful Holiday Specials of All Time
Oh, this is beautiful. And so seasonal too!
My favorite, maybe:
Ayn Rand's A Selfish Christmas (1951)
In this hour-long radio drama, Santa struggles with the increasing demands of providing gifts for millions of spoiled, ungrateful brats across the world, until a single elf, in the engineering department of his workshop, convinces Santa to go on strike. The special ends with the entropic collapse of the civilization of takers and the spectacle of children trudging across the bitterly cold, dark tundra to offer Santa cash for his services, acknowledging at last that his genius makes the gifts -- and therefore Christmas -- possible. Prior to broadcast, Mutual Broadcast System executives raised objections to the radio play, noting that 56 minutes of the hour-long broadcast went to a philosophical manifesto by the elf and of the four remaining minutes, three went to a love scene between Santa and the cold, practical Mrs. Claus that was rendered into radio through the use of grunts and the shattering of several dozen whiskey tumblers. In later letters, Rand sneeringly described these executives as "anti-life."
When is Ayn Rand not funny?
A few days later:
Answering my own question, Ayn Rand is not funny when people try to apply her half-assed 'philosophy' to living societies.
But it would be funny if A Selfish Christmas were done in Rudolph-style stop-motion animation.
My favorite, maybe:
Ayn Rand's A Selfish Christmas (1951)
In this hour-long radio drama, Santa struggles with the increasing demands of providing gifts for millions of spoiled, ungrateful brats across the world, until a single elf, in the engineering department of his workshop, convinces Santa to go on strike. The special ends with the entropic collapse of the civilization of takers and the spectacle of children trudging across the bitterly cold, dark tundra to offer Santa cash for his services, acknowledging at last that his genius makes the gifts -- and therefore Christmas -- possible. Prior to broadcast, Mutual Broadcast System executives raised objections to the radio play, noting that 56 minutes of the hour-long broadcast went to a philosophical manifesto by the elf and of the four remaining minutes, three went to a love scene between Santa and the cold, practical Mrs. Claus that was rendered into radio through the use of grunts and the shattering of several dozen whiskey tumblers. In later letters, Rand sneeringly described these executives as "anti-life."
When is Ayn Rand not funny?
A few days later:
Answering my own question, Ayn Rand is not funny when people try to apply her half-assed 'philosophy' to living societies.
But it would be funny if A Selfish Christmas were done in Rudolph-style stop-motion animation.
Thursday, December 02, 2004
AMODA event
Brent Fariss sent this to me - promises to be a great show.
We are excited to announce the next AMODA Performance next Sunday (December 5, 2004 - 8pm). This one features (former Austinite) Olivia Block, now living in Chicago. Some of you may remember Olivia from her work with the Marble Index and Alial Straa. Olivia does some of the most exciting electroacoustic music these days. She has released several CDs on the Sedimental label that are all worth checking out. Olivia will be performing a composition that features flute, oboe, 2 bassoons, soprano saxophone, 2 violins, viola, cello, and electronics! Members of the Austin New Music Coop will be performing as the chamber ensemble. This event should not be missed!!!
Also on the bill is a collaboration between the Imbroglio Sting Quartet and William Meadows. Imbroglio and Meadows have played a lot in this town, but not nearly enough together. This performance will combine the sound of the quartet processed under Meadows electronics, creating a sound world that has to be heard to be believed.
Josh Russell will be opening up the show. He recently moved to Austin, but has been active on the national experimental scene for some time with his own music and running bremsstrahlung recordings. bremsstrahlung has put out the 2 critically acclaimed "lowercase music compilations". Josh will be doing a solo electronic set that is sure to fit wonderfully in this line-up.
The show will take place at the Arthouse at 700 Congress at 8pm. They have an ongoing installation called LOUNGE that has turned the gallery into a performance lounge, making a very exciting atmosphere.
For more information, go to http://www.amoda.org/performance
We are excited to announce the next AMODA Performance next Sunday (December 5, 2004 - 8pm). This one features (former Austinite) Olivia Block, now living in Chicago. Some of you may remember Olivia from her work with the Marble Index and Alial Straa. Olivia does some of the most exciting electroacoustic music these days. She has released several CDs on the Sedimental label that are all worth checking out. Olivia will be performing a composition that features flute, oboe, 2 bassoons, soprano saxophone, 2 violins, viola, cello, and electronics! Members of the Austin New Music Coop will be performing as the chamber ensemble. This event should not be missed!!!
Also on the bill is a collaboration between the Imbroglio Sting Quartet and William Meadows. Imbroglio and Meadows have played a lot in this town, but not nearly enough together. This performance will combine the sound of the quartet processed under Meadows electronics, creating a sound world that has to be heard to be believed.
Josh Russell will be opening up the show. He recently moved to Austin, but has been active on the national experimental scene for some time with his own music and running bremsstrahlung recordings. bremsstrahlung has put out the 2 critically acclaimed "lowercase music compilations". Josh will be doing a solo electronic set that is sure to fit wonderfully in this line-up.
The show will take place at the Arthouse at 700 Congress at 8pm. They have an ongoing installation called LOUNGE that has turned the gallery into a performance lounge, making a very exciting atmosphere.
For more information, go to http://www.amoda.org/performance
welcome
As part of my new website I wanted to have a blog that I could use to post upcoming events, tasty news memes, etc etc.
In case you have arrived here from elsewhere my URL is http://www.alexkeller.net.
I'm off tonight to see Jacob Green and Josh Ronsen at the Church of the Friendly Ghost. They are performing with butoh dancers. The costumes are supposedly provocative.
* later *
great performance by Jacob and Josh. It was very linear - their sounds complemented one another, sparse and tasty. The butoh dancers were also on the ball tonight - very smart work. I love the restrained tension in butoh.
For the record, 'provocative' was synonomous with 'minimal' tonight.
In case you have arrived here from elsewhere my URL is http://www.alexkeller.net.
I'm off tonight to see Jacob Green and Josh Ronsen at the Church of the Friendly Ghost. They are performing with butoh dancers. The costumes are supposedly provocative.
* later *
great performance by Jacob and Josh. It was very linear - their sounds complemented one another, sparse and tasty. The butoh dancers were also on the ball tonight - very smart work. I love the restrained tension in butoh.
For the record, 'provocative' was synonomous with 'minimal' tonight.
