sound poetry #1 : henri chopin, bob cobbing

"When I put the microphone into the mouth I have simultaneously five sounds: the air and the liquid in the mouth, the respiration in the nose, the air between each tooth and the respiration in the lungs … In 1974 I put into my stomach a very small microphone and it was a discovery – the body is always like a factory! It never stops – there’s no silence!" 
- Henri Chopin

Part one of Avant Gardening's exploration of the roots of audio poetry takes in aspects of the oevres of two prolific giants of the genre, Henri Chopin and Bob Cobbing, placing them within the context of the great flourishing of interest in intermedia, performance, the body and the associated topographic and sonic poetry explorations of the mid 20th century.

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Playlist :

1. Henri Chopin, 'Rouge', from Audiopoems
2. Henri Chopin, 'Extrême Tension' from Futura : Poesia Sonora compilation (1978)
3. Henri Chopin, 'La Civilisation Du Papier' from Futura : Poesia Sonora compilation (1978)
4. Henri Chopin, 'Hoppa Bock' from Audiopoems
5. Henri Chopin, 'Pêche De Nuit', from Audiopoems
6. Henri Chopin, 'Tête À Tête' from Audiopoems
7. Henri Chopin, 'L'Agrippe Des Droits', from Audiopoems
8. Henry Chopin & Bob Cobbing, 'Refreshment Break', from Miniatures compilation (1980)
9. Bob Cobbing, 'Blotting Music' from Oral Complex at the L.M.C. (Writers Forum Cassette No. 4) (1983)
10. Bob Cobbing, 'Trigram' from Oral Complex at the L.M.C. (Writers Forum Cassette No. 4) (1983)
11. Birdyak (Bob Cobbing & Hugh Metcalfe), 'Destruction in Art (Glasgow)', from Aberration (1988)
12. Birdyak (Bob Cobbing & Hugh Metcalfe), 'Destruction in Art (Aberystwyth)', from Aberration (1988)
13. Bob Cobbing, 'A Sandwich Poem, Consisting Of A Poem For Voice And Mandolin And Poem For Gillian', from Experiments In Disintegrating Language / Konkrete Canticle (1971)
14. Bob Cobbing, 'As Easy', from Text-Sound Compositions: A Stockholm Festival (1970)
15. Bob Cobbing, 'Hymn to the Sacred Mushroom', from Experiments In Disintegrating Language / Konkrete Canticle (1971)
16. Bob Cobbing, 'Ga(il s)o(ng)', from Experiments In Disintegrating Language / Konkrete Canticle (1971)
17. Bob Cobbing, 'Whisper Piece No. 4 "Whississippi"', from Text-Sound Compositions: A Stockholm Festival 
18. Bob Cobbing, 'Suesequence', from Experiments In Disintegrating Language / Konkrete Canticle (1971)
19. Bob Cobbing, 'Chamber Music', from Text-Sound Compositions: A Stockholm Festival
20. Bob Cobbing, 'Spontaneous Appealinair Contemprate Apollinaire', from Review OU: Cinquième Saison No 34/35 (1969)
21. Bob Cobbing, from ABC in sound (d - p - t), from Phonetische Poesie (1971)
22. Henri Chopin, '2500, les Grenouilles d'Aristophane', from Review OU: Cinquième Saison No 36/37  (1967)
23. Henri Chopin, 'Le Corps, Second Part, Brisure du Corps', from Review OU: Cinquième Saison No 30/31 
24. Henri Chopin, 'Le Corps, Third Part, Chant du Corps', from Review OU: Cinquième Saison No 30/31
25. Henri Chopin, 'Indicatif 1', from Review OU: Cinquième Saison No 26/27
26. Henri Chopin, 'La Fusée Interplanetaire' from Review OU: Cinquième Saison No 26/27
27. Henri Chopin 'Dynamisme Intégral' from Audiopoems
28. Henri Chopin, 'French Lesson' from Audiopoems
29. Henri Chopin, 'Double Extension', from Audiopoems

studies for player piano : the work of conlon nancarrow

"The expatriate American experimentalist composer Conlon Nancarrow is increasingly recognized as having one of the most innovative musical minds of this century. His music, almost all written for player piano, is the most rhythmically complex ever written, couched in intricate contrapuntal systems using up to twelve different tempos at the same time. Yet despite its complexity, Nancarrow's music drew its early influence from the jazz pianism of Art Tatum and Earl Hines and from the rhythms of Indian music; Nancarrow's whirlwinds of notes are joyously physical in their energy. Composed in almost complete isolation from 1940, this music has achieved international fame only in the last few years."
- Kyle Gann, author of The Music of Conlon Nancarrow

On the 100 year anniversary of his birth, Avant Gardening explores the work of this breathtakingly innovative, largely self taught 20th Century American composer, who lived most of his life in Mexico and famously stated he couldn't himself play the piano. The show includes excepts from a lively conversation between Nancarrow and his friend and supporter Charles Amirkhanian (himself a fascinating composer and radio-maker, who will no doubt be a subject of a future AG show), discussing the player piano as instrument, and associated musings on the connection to jazz rhythms, record collecting, mechanisation, getting rid of the performer, and "out-noting Weburn".

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Playlist:

1. Conlon Nancarrow, Contraption no.1 (1993)
2. Conlon Nancarrow, Study no. 30 for prepared piano (undated)
3. Conversation with Charles Amirkhanian (excerpt 1)
4. Conlon Nancarrow, Sonatina for Piano (1941) - Presto
5. Conlon Nancarrow, Sonatina for Piano (1941) - Moderato
6. Conlon Nancarrow, Sonatina for Piano (1941) - Allegro
7. Conversation with Charles Amirkhanian (excerpt 2)
8. Conlon Nancarrow, Study for Player Piano no. 14
9. Conlon Nancarrow, Study for Player Piano no. 18
10. Conlon Nancarrow, Study for Player Piano no. 19
11. Conversation with Charles Amirkhanian (excerpt 3)
12. Conlon Nancarrow, Para Yoko (1990)
13. Conlon Nancarrow, Study no. 50 (1991)
14. Conlon Nancarrow, Study no. 51 ("3750") (1992)
15. Conversation with Charles Amirkhanian (excerpt 4)
16. Conlon Nancarrow, Blues for Piano (1935)
17. Conlon Nancarrow, Tango?
18. Conlon Nancarrow, Piece for Tape (undated)
19. Conversation with Charles Amirkhanian (excerpt 5)
20. Conlon Nancarrow, Two-part Studies for Piano I. Presto
21. Conlon Nancarrow, Two-part Studies for Piano II. Andantino
22. Conlon Nancarrow, Two-part Studies for Piano III. Allegro
23. Conversation with Charles Amirkhanian (excerpt 6)
24. Conlon Nancarrow, Canons for Ursula I
25. Conlon Nancarrow, Canons for Ursula II
26. Conlon Nancarrow, Canons for Ursula III
27. Conversation with Charles Amirkhanian (excerpt 7)
28. Conlon Nancarrow, Study for Player Piano no. 3b
29. Conlon Nancarrow, Study for Player Piano no. 3c
30. Conlon Nancarrow, Study for Player Piano no. 3d
31. Conversation with Charles Amirkhanian (excerpt 8)
32. Conlon Nancarrow, String Quartet no. 1 (1945) - 1 - Allegro Molto
33. Conlon Nancarrow, String Quartet no. 1 (1945) - 2 - Adante Moderato
34. Conlon Nancarrow, Study for Player Piano no. 9
35. Conlon Nancarrow, Study for Player Piano no. 6
36. Conlon Nancarrow, Study for Player Piano no. 4

my hands don't sleep / forever low man : the music of jim shepard, vertical slit and v-3

"I don't watch the news. I don't read the papers. I'm not really in touch with society. I was born. I'm here, but I don't believe any of it." - Jim Shepard

Caught somewhere between the pre-punk songwriter's dream of reaching an audience, and a post-punk depressive nihilism that isn't sure whether it's worth it, the prolific output of perennial underground figure Jim Shepard oscillates between bracingly acerbic songwriting, harshly corrosive psych-rock, slow drifting drone exploration and seriously lo-fi collage. Tonight Avant Gardening strikes sparks from a 20-year career that ranges from a solitary bedroom practice in mid-70s Florida to a regular touring and membership in the lively Columbus, Ohio scene, and includes the bands Vertical Slit and V-3.

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Playlist:


1.V-3, 'Photograph Burns' from Photograph Burns (1996)
2.V-3, 'Horse Kicks' from Photograph Burns (1996)
3.Vertical Slit, 'Metal or Meat'' from Under the Blood Red Lava Lamp (1986)
4.Vertical Slit, 'Smudge' from Under the Blood Red Lava Lamp (1986)
5. Vertical Slit, 'The Dangling Thread Wraps Around My Neck' from Vertical Slit and Beyond (1990)
6. V-3, 'Bristol Girl'' from Photograph Burns (1996)
7. Jim Shepard, 'Messages from Central Cocoon' from Matter Dominates Spirit (2001)
8. V-3, 'Negotiate Nothing' from Negotiate Nothing (1992)
9. V-3, 'Forever Low Man' from Negotiate Nothing (1992)
10. V-3, 'Guitar Workout/ Treena's Strobe Light Party' from Matter Dominates Spirit (2001)
11. Vertical Slit, '6x4 F#3' from Basement 2215 (1986)
12. Vertical Slit, 'Bag of Whistle' from Basement 2215 (1986)
13. Vertical Slit, 'Cans and Chains' from Basement 2215 (1986)
14. Vertical Slit, 'Doctor Q' from Basement 2215 (1986)
15. Vertical Slit, 'New Thrill New Pill' from Basement 2215 (1986)
16. V-3, 'Russian Roulette Chinese Style' from Russian Roulette (Chinese Style) 7" (1986)
17. V-3, 'V-3 Radio (German Style)' from Russian Roulette (Chinese Style) 7" (1986)
18. V-3, 'The Process and the Details' from Russian Roulette (Chinese Style) 7" (1986)
19. V-3, 'Funky Dance Band' from Russian Roulette (Chinese Style) 7" (1986)
20. V-3, 'Russian Roulette Chinese Style (2)' from Russian Roulette (Chinese Style) 7" (1986)21. V-3, 'Radio Show Fragment from Big Wattage Station that used to play us but now they play the Indigo Grlz' from Russian Roulette (Chinese Style) 7" (1986)
22. V-3, 'Homburg' from Russian Roulette (Chinese Style) 7" (1986)
23. Vertical Slit, '6x4' from Slit and Pre-Slit (1977)
24. Vertical Slit, 'Siren Intro' from Slit and Pre-Slit (1977)
25. Vertical Slit, '6x4 F#1' from Slit and Pre-Slit (1977)
26. Vertical Slit, 'A Day at the Factory' from Slit and Pre-Slit (1977)
27. Vertical Slit, 'Greensleeves' from Slit and Pre-Slit (1977)
28. Vertical Slit, 'Canyon Girl' from Twisted Steel and the Tits of Angels (1997)
29. Vertical Slit, 'Aerial Inventory' from Twisted Steel and the Tits of Angels (1997)
30. Vertical Slit, 'Your move, China man' from Twisted Steel and the Tits of Angels (1997)
31. Vertical Slit, 'In the Shadow of Teena' from Twisted Steel and the Tits of Angels (1997)
32. Jim Shepard, 'A Streetcar Named Depression' from Picking Through the Wreckage With A Stick (1994)
33. Laquer, 'Your Leader' from Evil Love Deeper (1995)
34. V-3, 'Illogical' from Matter Dominates Spirit (2001)
35. Vertical Slit, 'I Remember Nothing' from Under the Blood Red Lava Lamp (1986)
36. Jim Shepard, 'Birthplace of Aviation' from Motorcycle Movie (1998)
37. Jim Shepard, 'Cruel Universe' from Motorcycle Movie (1998)

a lonely rough sketch / I become a lonely wind with you : morita doji

The acid folk torch songs of unlikely 70s Japanese popstar Morita Doji combine luridly, fantastically melodramatic tones with a limpid, glacial elegance, to produce a highly stylised, alarmingly beautiful songworld dominated by a mood of overwhelming, florid, dense sadness. 

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Playlist

1. Morita Doji, 'Horizon' (live version) from Tokyo Cathedral (1978)
2. Morita Doji, 'Our Failure' from Mother Sky (1976)
3. Morita Doji, 'Rainy Crawl Swimming' from Good-Bye (1975)
4. Morita Doji, 'In Early Spring' from Good-Bye (1975)
5. Morita Doji, 'Dazzling Summer' from Good-Bye (1975)
6. Morita Doji, 'Tango no Sekku "The Boy's Festival"' from Good-Bye (1975)
7. Morita Doji, 'Goodbye My Friend' from Good-Bye (1975)
8. Morita Doji, 'Back Light' from Mother Sky (1976)
9. Morita Doji, 'He Weeped For Me' from Mother Sky (1976)
10. Morita Doji, 'Letter from NY' from Mother Sky (1976)
11. Morita Doji, 'Best Spring' from Mother Sky (1976)
12. Morita Doji, 'Today is the Miracle Morning' from Mother Sky (1976)
13. Morita Doji, 'Blue Night' from A Boy (1977)
14. Morita Doji, 'I Become A Lonely Wind With You' from A Boy (1977)
15. Morita Doji, 'You Are Trembling' from A Boy (1977)
16. Morita Doji, 'The Girl of Celluloid' from A Boy (1977)
17. Morita Doji, 'A Lonely Rough Sketch' from A Boy (1977)
18. Morita Doji, 'No. 3 Finale 'Letter For My Friend''  from A Boy (1977)
19. Morita Doji, 'Rape Blossom's Light' from Last Waltz (1980)
20. Morita Doji, 'Please Answer, Green Colonel' from Last Waltz (1980)
21. Morita Doji, 'Last Waltz' from Last Waltz (1980)
22. Morita Doji, 'I Am 16 Square Shapes' from Nocturne (1982)
23. Morita Doji, 'Sympathy Night Song' from Nocturne (1982)
24. Morita Doji, 'Wolf Boy' from Wolf Boy (1983)

born in a hole / radio star: the enigmatic psychedelia of the possibly chicago-based musician sometimes referred to as "terry" or "jim collins"

In this post-Jandekian world of self released underground music, a self consciously anonymous profile is hardly a rare trick. Beyond the obvious potential for gimmickry of such tricks - and the pleasurable speculation often involved in discussion of such - are a few self-consciously obscurantist types releasing work in ways that becomes, at the least, much harder to search for on online search engines. Among other such quietly sought after gems as the works of Whangarei based Witcyst or the mid 90s Texan musician who released a fine brace of albums as Twenty Six and Thirty Seven, is the work of a possibly Chicago-based musician who's put out about ten albums since the early 90s, all under different names but sharing a gorgeously murky psychedelic pop style, combining striking and dark songwriting with a penchant for experimentalism in a way that evokes the 60s loner/ downer/ outside psych-folk with neither built-in naivete nor overt referentiality.

Tonight on Avant Gardening we take a trip into the shifting soundworld of the artist variously known as Terry, Jim Collins, Arian Sample, Tommy Roundtree, Robyn Nice, Spyder, Gary K, Boots, CC, Snake and Remus... and maybe a couple other even less identified names too.

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Playlist:

1. Terry, 'Feel It Coming On' from Rojvi (late 90s or early 2000s)
2. The Surprise Symphony, 'Spaces Between The Times' from The Surprise Symphony (1998)
3. The Surprise Symphony, 'Morning School' from The Surprise Symphony (1998)
4. The Surprise Symphony, 'Bubble Tree' from The Surprise Symphony (1998)
5. Magic Island, 'Radio Star' from Small (1998)
6. Magic Island, 'She's Home' from Small (1998)
7. Magic Island, 'Instrumental' from Small (1998)
8. Magic Island, 'Don't Want To Be' from Small (1998)
9. Magic Island, 'In Ways These Days' from Small (1998)
10. Kyte, These Tales of Our Stay from Kyte (1998)
11. Taurus, 'The Garden' from Pull Up The Paisley Covers (2002)
12. Terry, 'Born in a Hole' from Rojvi (early 2000s)
13. Terry, 'Clown Clouds' from Rojvi (early 2000s)
14. Terry, 'Harvest Time' from Rojvi (early 2000s)
15. Jim Collins, 'Love' from Music Performed By The High Mass (2000)
16. Jim Collins, 'God Song' from Music Performed By The High Mass (2000)
17. Jim Collins, 'Jesus' from Music Performed By The High Mass (2000)
18. Jim Collins, 'Time for Now' from Music Performed By The High Mass (2000)
19. Boots, 'City of Fear' from Boots (2006)
20. Boots, 'Up' from Boots (2006)
21. Boots, 'I'm A Farm' from Boots (2006)
22. C.C., 'The Beast' from Live at the Rainbow's End (2006)
23. C.C., 'No Funeral' from Live at the Rainbow's End (2006)
24. C.C., 'She' from Live at the Rainbow's End (2006)
25. C.C., 'F.Y.' from Live at the Rainbow's End (2006)
26. C.C., 'Worn' from Live at the Rainbow's End (2006)
27. Snake & Remus, excerpt from No Tape Outside (2006)
28.Tommy Roundtree, 'Feel Me' from Jungle Blood (2007) 
29.Tommy Roundtree, 'Centre of Light' from Jungle Blood (2007)
30.Tommy Roundtree, 'Brown' from Jungle Blood (2007)
31.Tommy Roundtree, 'Here in this Meat Deapartment' from Jungle Blood (2007)
32.Tommy Roundtree, 'Jungle Blood' from Jungle Blood (2007)
33. Arian Sample, 'Golden Leashes' from Arian Sample (2007)
34. Arian Sample, 'These Things' from Arian Sample (2007)
35. Arian Sample, 'Sugar' from Arian Sample (2007)
36. Arian Sample, 'Glass Break' from Arian Sample (2007)
37. C.C., 'Paul's Jennifer is Dead' from Live at the Rainbow's End (2006)

'you are in exile until further notice' : Richard Scowen

we invited Dunedin-based circuit bender, lateral instrument builder, and general poet of residual ephemeral sonic lo-fi Richard Scowen to discuss his current residency at Stafford St. arts space Glue Gallery. Wandering discursive speculations on the craft-based nature of electronics, 'ecosystems' of sonic objects, collaboration and 'tinkering' as modality, as well as how to get a turntable to play a drum and turn a guitar into a synthesiser, were intercut by a tour through the solo and collaborative output of an artist whose practice leads toward fragile, irrepeatable structures. A soundscape recorded at the gallery with various hybrid sound-objects crafted during the residency's three weeks ended the show.

more on richard's Glue residency here

the dark spot / broken suffering song: kousokuya and kaneko jutok

"Every single note was clear, it shrunk all the distance with its power" - Honda Shigeto, recording engineer on First LP

"For a group with a 25-year history on the Tokyo underground scene, Kousokuya have left very little imprint of their activities. Once heard, though, their sound is unmistakable -- a grinding, soaring sonic blackhole that charts the empty gulfs of tension-space like no one else this side of Fushitsusha" - Alan Cummings

Tonight Avant Gardening takes a dark, dionysian trip through into the weightier end of Japanese psych with Tokyo band Kousokuya (as well as a few tracks from leader/ guitarist Kaneko Jutok's solo and duo work.)

Kousokuya were among the less heralded stars of the incredibly fertile Japanese psychedelic underground. Only releasing a handful of albums in a 30 year history (plus a couple more for  the black leather and sunglasses-clad Jutok), its a corpus that presents a decisively articulated and powerful sound world.
Typified by Jutok's glassy, sharply defined and fractured guitar skree over a darkly churning, pummeling rhythm section equally capable at rushing forward downhill with weight and momentum or pulling back into endless flailing narrative-free suspension, they were an often astonishing unit, as strong and strange as much more heralded and prolific contemporaries like High Rise and Acid Mothers Temple.

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Playlist:

1. Kousokuya, 'Removal' from 1st (1991)
2. Kousokuya, 'Dreams of the Recollection' from 1st (1991)
3. Kousokuya, 'The Miracle' from First Live 1979 (2006)
4. Kaneko Jutok & Kikukawa Takahisa, 'Kirin' from Wedged Night (2005)
5. Kaneko Jutok & Kikukawa Takahisa, 'The Wedge' from Wedged Night (2005)
6. Kaneko Jutok, 'Endless Ruin' from Endless Ruins (2001)
7. Kaneko Jutok, 'The Everlasting Labyrinth' from Endless Ruins (2001)
8. Masayoshi Urabe & Kousokuya, 'Scene 1 - the Western Lands' from The Dark Spot (1997)
9. Masayoshi Urabe & Kousokuya, 'Dream Shadow' from The Dark Spot (1997)
10. Kousokuya, 'Untitled' from Tokyo Flashback vol 1 compilation (1991)
11. Kousokuya, 'Shadow of a Dream' from Echoes from Deep Underground (2007)
12. Kousokuya, 'The Dark Spot' from 1st (1991)
13. Kousokuya, 'Broken Suffering Song' from Ray Night 1991-1992 Live (1995)