The Bailout

"The Bailout" is a piece for a Saxophone quartet and live sound manipulation using the LiSa and JunXion software, developed by STEIM in Amsterdam. The piece is written by me and Ties Mellema and it is inspired by the history of the auto industry in Detroit and the "auto bailout" by the US government. It will première March 20th in a concert that I am doing with the Amstel Quartet in the Detroit Institute of Arts.

When the saxophones play a loud note, they start one of the sound files I have collected; text fragments from opponents and advocates of the bailout plan such as Rush Limbaugh, Bush, Obama and Rick Wagener, the CEO of GM, and excerpts from old movies describing Detroit and its Auto industry during the twenties and sixties. In this way the instruments "talk" and "discuss" with each other. I am manipulating sounds using the Wiimote and the Korg Kaoss Pad (as midi controller).

http://www.dia.org/
http://www.amstelquartet.nl/
http://www.ivobol.nl/

Animal Collective

My friend Jon records really interesting Cd's for me. I don't like all of them, for example I had to get used to "Sung Tongs" from Animal Collective. It was too psychotic for me, really weird urban mushroom folk music, although I was attracted to it in some strange sense. Last year he gave me the solo album "Person Pitch" by AC band member Panda Bear. I absolutely love it, Brian Wilson-like hypnotic drony golden pop music with beautiful loops and a fair deal of healthy weirdness. I like the rawness of the album, the material is not 100% developed but that has its charm. This made me ready for "Merriweather Post Pavilion" the new AC album which I bought on Itunes last week. The songs are much more developed and worked out compared with Panda Bear's album. It has a distinctive sixties feel although the music is also contemporary, a bit like Beatles and Brian Wilson with samplers instead of guitars. The songs are melancholic but make me happy too, darkness with a golden shiny line, it is still weird but accessible.

I had a similair experience with Stereolab, another band that Jon introduced me too. I was very irritated with the repetitiveness but at a certain moment it hit me and I started loving it. Funny how some music is great from the beginning and other stuff has to grow on you.

Animal Collective

Best band names

Usually the best bands have the lamest names. that's not always the case, though. Here are some of my all time favorite band names - and most are bands I like a lot. What are your favorites?

Ladyfuzz

Throbbing Gristle

The Violent Femmes

The Butthole Surfers

The Velvet Underground

The Breeders

Touched by a Janitor

The meat puppets

Dead Kennedys

Sex Pistols

Drowning, Not Waving

Beastie Boys
Revolting cocks

Superchunk
The Darkness

The Hope Bombs

The Nipple Erectors

And my favorite names for back-up singers and bands: The Pips, The Scorchers, The Bad Seeds, The Homewreckers

 

 

Hip-Hop in China

New York Times Clip about Underground Hip-Hop in CHina

http://www.myspace.com/rhymebot

The Open Rights Group

This is about Europe...but the same discussion has been going on in the States..very important!! Hope this is not too much off topic Jim...