Not in the mood for much writing at the moment. For today a triple Hermann Nitsch treat.

cd 20 - tag 2

cd 21 - tag 2

cd 22 - tag 2

I got to Warehouse ‘Art Factory’, where the festival was held, on the first day at about six twenty [opening was arranged for six o' clock sharp]. I felt that it was not a really great idea to attend the opening of the festival given the fact that I was not very interested in the first day’s programme. Unfortunately I had the right feeling. As soon as I got there, everyone was going up and down the place in fury trying to make the last checks, the last arrangements. Such things where to be expected but I was optimistic. It was about an hour+ later that we finally heard a sound. No announce, nothing. Someone from the organizing crew sat behind the console and kicked off the performance. Acousmatic [!] Music - International Selection read the programme and I expected to actually see the composers at work, not just their works performed. There was a constant coming and going along with chattering and laughter [that was a thing about all afternoons in the event] as if nothing was going on. It was far from ideal circumstances to listen to these acousmatic works which at least demanded attention. To be honest though I was not impressed by their quality. I left the place just in time to miss the opening speech, that would bore even more. End of day one.

Thursday. Having previous experience with Acousmatic Music - International Selection [at six also] I decided to go to the festival a little later to catch with Karlheinz Stockhausen feature starting at 19.30. It was about eight when I entered the ‘Art Factory’ and Acousmatic Music was still going strong! Stockhausen feature and the following …in 3 movements performance were mysteriously canceled/postponed [never to find out what actually happened]. Then there was uninspired video art for some ten more minutes and after that flute, saxophone, clarinet, electronics and video performance by Demetrius Spaneas. He was in my opinion overtheatrical in his moves but I enjoyed his set, probably because I was at last seeing something [see photos]

After that I was expecting one of the stand outs of the festival [in my opinion at least], Gerard Pape plays Gerard Pape. It was at this point that things started going seriously wrong. Pape was there but just to announce that due to a strike at the airport he was not able to get in time here to make a soundcheck and that he would play his set Friday evening [see photo]. This moment after, it became clear that programme was not going to be of any use from now on, I walked out and left the place. End of day two.

Friday, the day that organizational abnormalities reached their peak.

According to the programme things would be like:

17.00 Concert of Acousmatic Music - International Selection

18.00 Concert with clarinet and electronics, Tadej Kenig, Margareta Pernar

18.40 Concert of Acousmatic Music - IDKA Institute

19.50 Tribute to Iannis Xenakis - La Legende d’Eer [Presented by Gerard Pape]

21.00 Tribute to Iannis Xenakis - Kosmos X, video

21.10 Enneaphonie - Saxophone and electronics concert, Daniel Kientzy & Reina Portuondo

…

It was announced on Thursday that Gerard Pape would play his set of works immediately after Xenakis tribute, before Enneaphonie.

This is what things actually were like:

19.30 I arrive at ‘Art Factory’ just in time to listen to the last works from International Selection of Acousmatic Music. There is an ambiguous but surely ominous announcement about Daniel Kientzy set.

~10 mins later starts Clarinet and Electronics concert [see 18.00 above]

~20.25 Concert of Acousmatic Music - IDKA Institute

Halfway through power went out. Half of the equipment dead. Concert stopped. A little later problem was fixed.

~21.30 La Legende d’Eer by Iannis Xenakis, presented by Gerard Pape.

~22.10 A lot of rumor about Kientzy, will he play eventually or not.

I ask someone from the stuff and he says [no public announcement] to me ‘Yes of course he will play right now’.

Daniel Kientzy walks out of the crowd to perform a 3min ‘guerilla’ show [?]. He hands out a handful of cds and walks out.

~22.20 Tribute to Iannis Xenakis - Kosmos X video

I ask another member of the stuff [still no announcement!] in private and he speaks to me of certain technical problems. According to him, Kientzy asked for some modifications and alterations always of technical manner that could not be accomplished so he would probably not do his set at all [!], of course not on Friday but probably not in Weekend also.

~22.30 Gerard Pape starts his performance.

There is too much audience noise and irritating coming and going so after a while I made my decision and walked out of the place.

On my way out I stumble upon an acquaintance of mine. He had just came and was interested in Kientzy also. He was informed of what went on but he told that he heard officially that Kientzy would play on Saturday evening [!].

That was it, for me at least, ElectroMediaWorks 08. I don’t know if Kientzy actually performed. I don’t know what happened on Saturday with Stockhausen concerts and Isherwood performances [awaited by dmtls but unfortunately in any case 'out of reach' as I had to leave Athens early in Saturday]. All in all EMW was an excellent concept with rather poor execution. It did not suffer technically [sound and vision were more than satisfying], but it did suffer a lot [al least during its first three days] organizationally. If only things like that were more frequent. I guess that all problems emerged due to lack of previous experience [?]. Sure thing is that if there will be a EMW 09 or anything similar dmtls will strive to attend.

Enough with grumbling on to a review of the really interesting Friday.

I am glad to have attended concert of clarinet and electronics by Tadej Kenig and Margareta Pernar. It was a three piece set. One Berio [Sequenza IX], a rather spartan piece, at least compared to the other two of the selection, one Musgrave for clarinet and digital delay [Narcissus] and one Boulez [Dialogue de l' ombre double], for clarinet and electronics. A thing that was particularly impressing about the last one was that while approaching its end Kenig stood up from his sit, turned his back to the audience and started walking away from the front of the scene, following something like a pattern to end up playing the single final note at the remotest point he could reach [always his back to us]. I don’t know if these were written instructions on how this piece was to be performed [I have never heard it live before] or if it was something Tadej Kenig made up but it added a certain ceremonial quality that did appeal to me much. Below there are photos of the performance [Kenig performing Berio's 'river-like' score, Kenig performing Musgrave, feet on delay pedals]

The next big thing was La Legende d’Eer of Xenakis presented by Gerard Pape, accompanied with video [check this]. It was an out-of-this-world experience. There in the industrial scenery of the old abandoned factory we went on a journey through time and space. It was a mesmerizing performance with Gerard Pape sculpting sounds [literally] on the console being almost in trance. My respects to this great artist and of course Iannis Xenakis. Before witnessing what went on there I never really got into La Legende d’Eer, a copy of which I own on cd [MO 782058], a majestic piece of music. I am looking forward to getting my hands on Mode DVD release. Thank you mr. Pape.

Finally there were three minutes of Daniel Kientzy. He has style, he has technique, he is a saxophone master. I have been told a lot about the experience of hearing him live and finding yourself questioning how many players are there or to what instrument am I listening to know. Alas, I did not get the opportunity this time. What I saw though was wonderful. He walked out of crowd and on stage. Sopranino and soprano in hands, bare [no electronics], and then a 3minute teaser, excellently executed [both saxes simultaneously played, Kirk style]. And that was it. He walked out of stage, holding a handful of cds, he started giving away to the people closer to him. Thankfully dmtls was close enough to get his present! A fine souvenir of a great event that never took place [?].

Below you can find two videos I shot on Friday, an excerpt for La Legende d’Eer and an excerpt from Kientzy’s appearance to document the highlights of the festival. Unfortunately this was the first time [and one of the first in general] I shot video with my new compact camera so there are some problems in both. The first one is a little rough at times while the second one needs to be rotated. I have no previous experience on editing videos and whatever I tried resulted in a great loss of quality. Proceed having in mind the previous. For best results watch them with VLC player as there were some problems with my standard Media Player Classic.

part 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Check this:

Over 10 programmes, artist/musician Ian Helliwell delves into his archive to look at the development of electronic music right across the world in the classic era of analogue technology. Starting in Europe and finishing up in the Southern Hemisphere, he will be playing vintage tracks from celebrated and overlooked composers from each country.

6 programmes already completed [Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Holland and Belgium, Scandinavia]. Next programme announced: #7, Eastern Europe. Stay tuned here.

cd 18 - tag 2

cd 19 - tag 2

Note on the photo:

Relitti della 122 Aktion al Burgtheater
Fondazione Morra Palazzo dello Spagnuolo
via Vergini 19 - Napoli
dal 13/4/07 al 30/9/07 [via]

ElectroMediaWorks 08 is open to anyone interested in the theory, technology, philosophy and practices of mixed media arts in today’s state-of-the-art cultural landscape.

Medea Electronique, CMCP (Center for Music Composition and Performance) and EPHMEE (Electroacoustic Music Research and Applications Lab, Music Dept. Ionian University) co organize an intensive program over five days and nights, presenting international shows and productions featuring innovative media art, electronic music and cross-over work performed by musicians, video artists and sonic artists.

ElectroMediaWorks ’08 is hosted in an 1800 square meter industrial space in down town Athens. A full 16-channel sound diffusion system will be installed for electroacoustic and live electronic music performance, with a 5.1 surround system for video art installations.

Yes it is final, tickets issued. I am off to Athens next week for ElectroMediaWorks festival [?], a great concept, a major event, for free [!] in a wide abandoned factory space [it couldn't have been more suitable]. Five days of cutting edge avant-garde in the heart of Athens, in the heart of May. dmtls will be there on the first three days only [unfortunately], that makes for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Any friends or readers of merzbau also attending are strongly urged to come in contact.

The inconstancy of my Hermann Nitsch posts has reached its peak. After about 1+half month here are presented two more cds from the majestic Das 6-Tage-Spiel Des Orgien Mysterien Theaters.

cd 16 - tag 2

cd 17 - tag 2

[The format here is once again mp3 as the entirety of Das 6-Tage-Spiel Des O.M.T. is already ripped in this particular format]

A Video on putting across score reading regarding the graphic notaion of Anesis Logothetis. A film by Julia Logothetis, kindly supported by “Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien”.

More Logothetis to follow soon.

This is the second post regarding Toru Takemitsu film music boxset.

In todays treat are featured cd3 and cd4. As my friend continuo noticed and added to the previous post [I did forget it, thank you for pointing it out] each cd is devoted to one director. Cd 3 is devoted to Nagisa Oshima while cd 4 to Hiroshi Teshigahara.

CD 3

1. Ai No Borei
2. Tokyosenso Sengo Hiwa
3. Natsu No Imouto
4. Gishiki
5. Furyo Shonen
6. Mitasareta Seikatsu

part 1 / 2 / 3

CD 4

1. Tanin No Kao
2. Summer Soldier
3. Otoshiana
4. Shiroi Asa
5. Suna No Onna
6. Jose Torres
7. Moetsukita Chizu
8. Rikyu

part 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

These cd were ripped and are presented here in flac format. Quality does matter and flac will probably be the audio format of choice from now on for merzbau.

For cds 1 and 2 of the boxset and introductory post of these series look here.

Shopping for records and cds in Berlin can prove really fruitful.

Staalplaat

Starting chronologically. The first ’boutique’ record store I visited during my very first hours in Berlin was the ‘notorious’ newly opened Staalplaat store, home also of Staalplaat label. Unusual and rather artistic in its approaches and tastes. Browse around while stumbling on variety of weird objects, rest you eyes on peculiar wall paintings and of course look everywhere [from old fridges and drawers to just plain selves for every audible curiosity you may or may not imagine. Alga Marghen boxes and cds, Col Legno, ridiculously small pressings of home productions, French avant-rock, PSF + other Japanese beauties, Luc Ferrari, Merzbow, Legendary Pink Dots, Evan Parker and a whole lot more.. Serve yourself a cold beer from the fridge and make sure that you have lot of time to spend.

Check pictures:

Address: Torstraße 68, 10119 Berlin

Opening hours : Tue-Sat: 14.00-19.00

Neurotitan

On the end of an alley, out of the dreams of an urban fetishist, lies the entrance to Neurotitan. Up a couple of floors using the stairs, walking by tattered and painted walls you reach the store. Not simply a record store but literally an art store. Featuring small edition books and magazines, comics and unique art pieces along with records and cds. There is also a separated space used as gallery equipped with a bar. Sparse furniture and open spaces, feels like a loft. Concerning music there is an expectable selection ranging from extreme electronics and noise, to improvisation and industrial. Look closely for some rare specialties. A lot of gabba and breakcore on wax. Shop around to your heart's content and rest assured that everything you buy is or feels unique.

Check pictures:

Address: Rosenthalerstraße 39, 10178 Berlin

Opening hours: Mon-Sat: 12.00 - 20.00, Sun: 14.00 - 19.00

[gelbe] Musik

Far from uber-hip Mitte [as if wilfully, to make a statement] [gelbe] Musik can be found. As minimal as it gets starting from the plain sign that reads Musik to the inside of the store neat, simple and tidy. Home of the ’serious’ avant-garde. Its boxes and selves are crammed with old magazines, books, cassettes, vinyl records and of course cds [most of them due to their volume are available only as booklets for browsing] of intellectual music, contemporary composers, free improvisation releases and some Fluxus audio documents. There is also a decent selection of ethnographic audio recordings and even some early music. You can of course hear to anything that interests you while looking for more. In case you are the only customer at the moment [probably not only then] you can enjoy what you have already chosen not through restricting headphones but on the shop’s speakers for complete freedom of movement. Owned and run by Ursula Block, whom you can see working on her sleek ibook one moment and the other one hear her typing on her typewriter. A visit to [gelbe] Musik is more than essential, dmtls was impressed.

Check pictures [dmtls 'on the work']:

Address: Schaperstraße 11, 10719 Berlin

Opening hours: Tue-Fri: 13.00-18.00, Sat: 11.00-14.00

There is no website but there is an email gelbe[dot]musik[at]berlin[dot]de for mailorder.

KulturKaufhaus Dussmann

Finally there is KutlurKaufhaus Dussmann. It is your one stop for everything from books and DVDs to music. A huge, multileveled store open from 10.00-24.00 daily except Sundays. A big selection of everything you might ask with a lot of ‘New Music’ titles on separate department found on the classical floor. Not really that cheap when it comes to common editions and releases [compared to other chain record stores / super markets] but with many many interesting titles in its inventory. There is also a cafe that might [probably] come in handy.

Address: Friedrichstraße 90, 10117 Berlin

There is also Cover, advertised as the biggest used cd and records seller/buyer in Berlin. Not really impressive on cd collection, nor on vinyls. There are although many ‘classic’ classical and opera vinyls rather cheap and a fairly good choice of hardcore/punk and techno/electronic on wax. For some cheap cds [seen cheaper] you should try one of the Saturn chain stores. Lastly you can always try your luck in flea markets.

dmtls reporting from Berlin part 1.

Back after a long time to Amie street.

Found five releases from the eclectic catalogue of Fondazione Atopos.

Vinko Globokar - La Tromba è Mobile

still for Free!

Various - Les mains veulent parler aussi [Jean-Pierre Drouet]

at $0.79

Richard Trythall - Parts Unknown

at $2.04 (only a couple of days ago almost a dollar less)

Olivier Messiaen - Quatuor pour la fin du temps

at $1.53

Various - XX live dream flute [Roberto Fabbriciani]

at $1.87

Be quick and get them while they are hot. They will for sure sell for more day by day.

Probably the most interesting of the above is the Globokar release featuring rare material, a must-have.

A 10-CD series entitled Polish Collection of the Warsaw Autumn 1956-2005 was produced and released by the Polish Music Information Centre for the Festival’s 50th anniversary (2006), the 50th Warsaw Autumn (2007), and the 60th anniversary (2005) of the Festival’s organiser, Polish Composers’ Union.

(+)

A grand edition, limited to 500 copies, for promotional use only (not for sale). Presented here in lossless format (.APE), complete with accompanying written material, as a torrent, due to the size of it (~3gigs). The torrent was found (not created by dmtls) and must be kept alive, given the nature and the small distribution of the release. Merzbau will seed it on a regular basis. [It will be immediately removed, if there are any complaints received by the artists featured in it or by owners of the material contained within]

get torrent

Takemitsu’s contribution to film music was considerable; in under 40 years he composed music for over 100 films, some of which were written for purely financial reasons (such as those written for Noboru Nakamura). However, as the composer attained financial independence, he grew more selective, often reading whole scripts before agreeing to compose the music, and later surveying the action on set, “breathing the atmosphere” whilst conceiving his musical ideas. One notable consideration in Takemitsu’s composition for film was his careful use of silence (also important in many of his concert works), which often immediately intensifies the events on screen, and prevents any monotony through a continuous musical accompaniment. For the final battle scene of Akira Kurosawa’s Ran, Takemitsu provided an extended passage of intense elegiac quality that halts at the sound of a single gun shot, leaving the audience with the pure “sounds of battle: cries screams and neighing horses”.

Takemitsu attached the greatest importance to the director’s conception of the film; in an interview with Max Tessier, he explained that, “everything depends on the film itself [...] I try to concentrate as much as possible on the subject, so that I can express what the director feels himself. I try to extend his feelings with my music.”

[from wikipedia]

Takemitsu wrote the music for 93 Japanese films. He was closely associated with film-makers of the Japanese new wave, and provided the score for such Japanese classics as Teshigahara’s Woman in the Dunes and Kurosawa’s Ran. His film music was as important to him as his concert music, chiefly because of his obsession with the cinema. He was the ultimate film-buff, and boasted that he saw around 300 films a year, his tastes embracing Hollywood blockbusters, westerns, art movies and trash. When visiting a strange country, would often head straight for a cinema as his first port of call, whether or not he understood the language. He drew parallels between music and film, in their manipulation of time, perception and memory.

‘I learn a great deal about people through movies…even if I can’t understand what they are saying and don’t know anything about their culture. By watching them in the movies, I can get a sense of their feelings and their inner lives. I come to understand foreign people in ways that are different from talking to them…it’s a musical way of understanding’.

[+]

In the early 90s there was an edition of six cds [unsure if there was a vinyl version also], released and sold individually, featuring Toru Takemitsu’s film music. From what I can tell this series did not get wide distribution outside Japan and the small number of copies available is long now gone [after some careful googling there is a slight chance of tracking some last ones, three or four months ago seen a couple of them @ a European distribution site which name I cannot recall, but certainly not the entirety of the series]. In 2006, a box edition, featuring the cds mentioned above plus one with audio documents and interviews, was released and distributed only in Japan. To the best of my knowledge it is already out of print, thus presented in Merzbau.

CD 1

[artwork is faithful to the design of the original releases, bearing slight differences]

1.Kwaidan
2.Seppuku
3.Moeru Aki
4.Karamiai
5.Nihon No Seishun
6.Kaseki

part1

part2

CD 2

1.Kaseki No Mori
2.Chinmoku
3.Utsukushisa To Kanashimi To
4.Ansatsu
5.Ibun Sarutobi Sasuke
6.Hanaregoze Orin
7.Akanegumo

part1

part2

Documentary on Takemitsu’s soundtracks

found on youtube where it was uploaded by the musician Edward Lawes, keeper of Complement.Inversion.Etc blog.

part 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

Extra: Do not miss a Xenakis interview also uploaded by Lawes on youtube [part 1 / 2 / 3]

A rare chance to actually see some great contemporary music.

György Ligeti

Artikulation

Iannis Xenakis

Mycenae Alpha

Metastaseis

Evryali

Extra: Check here for some more great finds

Day 2 dawns over Schloss Prinzendorf, it’s 4th of August 1998.

cd 15 - tag 2

Greetings!

I am writing this now to tell that dmtls did not vanish into thin air! After a long examination period, been to Athens and back dmtls enjoyed a period of having nothing special to do. There is a lot of interesting stuff to talk about in the future posts. I believe that merzbau will return to its normal function pretty soon.

Thank you all for your interest.

Here are two shares for starters.
Hermann Nitsch- Das 6-Tage-Spiel Des Orgien Mysterien Theaters (cd14)

cd 14 - tag 1

first post on Das 6 Tage spiele des OMT

and a mid80s vinyl only compilation of experimental/industrial music.

Could You Walk On the Waters

P.S. Listening once more after a long time to Elizium by Fields Of The Nephilim, an all-time favourite of dmtls. The transition between At The Gates Of Silent Memory to (Paradise Regained) [not exactly two separate songs but rather one in two parts] still send shivers down my spine. Through the Gates and into the cosmic labyrinth of this arcane and hermetic album. Find it and let it travel you to unknown places. A true goth-rock gem.

cd 13 - tag 1

first post on Das 6 Tage spiele des OMT

Today in Athens :

Heiner Goebbels’ ‘musical play’ Schwarz auf Weiß [Black on White / Μαύρο Πάνω σε Άσπρο] @ Athens Concert Hall [Vas. Sofias & Kokkali, GR. 115 21 Athens, tel. 210-72 82 333]

+read reviews on the play here

_____________________________________________________

Die Form live [for the very first time in Athens] @ Gagarin 205 [Liosion 205]

[Coming Soon also @ Gagarin 205 : SECOND BERLIN PORN FILM FESTIVAL IN ATHENS]

Unfortunately dmtls cannot attend any of these due to the examination period mentioned already [damn!]. At times it feels like there is an evil plot behind the fact that so many interesting events are organized during these specific [examination] periods [mid January- early February, late May - early June and late August- late September].

 To make up for the long absence of Nitsch posts here today is presented the 12th cd of Das 6-Tage-Spiel Des OMT.

cd 12 - tag 1

first post on Das 6 Tage spiele des OMT

This post marks the awaited [?] continuation of Hermann Nitsch related material posting .

cd 11 - tag 1

first post on Das 6 Tage spiele des OMT

Rehearsal for Hermann Nitsch’s two-day-play O.M.T.

the whole set is available @ Terrence Kelleman site

—————-
Now playing: Nitsch, Hermann - Harmoniummusik Auf Schüttboden
via FoxyTunes

At last cd 2/2 [please excuse my delay]

cd 1/2

I am currently working on a new forum. It will hopefully be a discussion board for all things merzbau blog deals with. For starters there will be two main sub forums focusing on the works of Hermann Nitsch and Jani Christou. I am waiting for your feedback on this. Please send me any suggestions you might have in order to make this new forum an interesting meeting place. Anyone willing to help is more than welcome.

_________________________

Stay tuned tomorrow for Logothetis cd 2/2

—————-
Now playing: Les Rallizes Dénudés - Night of the Assassins
via FoxyTunes

Three greats for Sunday by Audio Tong label

ZBIGNIEW KARKOWSKI - Uexkull

“We are happy to present a re-edition of Zbigniew Karkowski’s early piece, Uexkull. Not available on CD anymore, here you can download it for free as an 320kbps mp3 or high quality .aiff file.

Uexkull is one of the first works published by Zbigniew Karkowski. It was composed between 1988-89 in Gothenburg, Sweden and Paris, France.

Originally released on Anckarstrom label in Gothenburg in 1990, Uexkull was realized at Ateliers Upic in Paris, EAM studio at State College of Music in Gothenburg and Computer Music Studio at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg.

instruments used are:
double bass
UPIC (Unite Polyagogique Informatique du CEMAMu)
Serge analogue modular synthesizer

alto voice - Karin Westman “

___________________________________________

PROCESS - 2

“The newest AudioTong release is an out-come of one of the improvised sessions which are frequently organized by musicians from improviser’s collective working at “Laboratory of Intuition - studio of developing and promotion of improvised art” which is located in Krakow.

The musicians involved in this recording are:
Rafal Mazur - bass
Rafal Drewniany - laptop
Michal Dymny - e-guitar

and
Attila Dóra - sax

PROCESS- Laboratory of Intuition is an ensemble of improvisers founded by Rafal Mazur in 2004.

In addition to artistic activity, members are engaged in a theoretical investigation of intuitive improvisation, particularly focusing on the problem of ensemble activity.

The sound of PROCESS is a mix of free jazz, club electronica and contemporary electroacoustic music.

Attila Dóra comes from Budapest, Hungary. He studied philosophy and maths. Attila plays alt and tenor saxophones, prepared trumpet, he’s also teaching at Contemporary Dance Academy in Budapest. “

___________________________________________

PETR DRKULA - Metrospective

“Petr Drkula (born in 1979) is a Czech composer and Ph.D. in music theory (Olomouc, London). In his woks he experiments with clear lines and simple structures.

Each of the three pieces is actually a study of different musical parameters.

The prime-number relationships between the sequences are involved in the first one, melodic variations in the next one and undetermined rhytmical metamorphoses in the last one.

Instrumentation: piano, hammond organ, electric piano and delay effect.

Find out more about Petr at www.petrdrkula.com “

All three beautiful and diverse. Don’t forget to visit PROCESS and Petr Drkula websites for more. Happy listening!

John Zorn is passionate about cartoon music. He has written cartoon music. He was also the one to write the release notes for a compilation of Carl Stalling’s music.

…..

Zorn is a long time aficionado of cartoon music, specifically the soundtracks by Warner Bros. composer Carl Stalling. He has experimented for a long time with breaking down the narrative structure of music, composing music in short sections then using file cards to shuffle and reorder them. When he discovered cartoon music it offered a new avenue:

“This music is episodic — it doesn’t develop the way normal music develops. See to me, cartoon music is important because it follows a visual narrative. It’s following the images on the screen. Now separate it from those images and you still have music. Valid, well-made music. But it does not follow any traditional development that I know of. It’s following a visual narrative — all of a sudden this, all of a sudden that.”

As we listen to Cat O’ Nine Tails we can choose to imagine scenes from our favourite childhood cartoons: Bugs Bunny waltzing with Elmer Fudd, Elmer suddenly turning round to blast him with a shotgun, a resulting high speed chase sequence and a perilous cliff dive. Or we can try to clear our minds and find our own images. We could also look for a narrative to link the disparate elements, but in actual fact, the only narrative is one we choose to create ourselves. Likely as not Zorn never put one there. So if a cartoon does play out as you listen to the music, it’s your own creation, a present from Zorn. Enjoy it.

© Toby Brundin

This can make things clearer considering the post ‘Heavenly Music!‘ and the videos featured there. Be sure to check what bassist/vocalist of Prelapse, Mason Wendell has to say on the subject. Thank you very much HolgerregloH for the link.

—————-
Now playing: kostas_mantzoros-nocturne_(for_tape) [foobar2000 v0.9.4.5]
via FoxyTunes

Anestis Logothetis was born in Burgas, Bulgaria (falsely ‘Greece’ in post notes), in 1921. He studied art and music in Vienna, where he now lives (died in 1994). One aspect of his artistic talent is expressed in his graphic notations in which he has developed a personal system of musical symbols. They present the interpreter with a clear and directly understandable “sound picture”. This kind of notation is also comprehensible to the layman as Logothetis’ scores make visual sense even if the viewer has no musical training. [Continued Notes From Wergo WER 60057 in an interesting blog post. the rest here]

Today here at merzbau is presented the first of the two cds of Logothetis work Aus Welchem Material ist der Stein von Sisyphos!?. Recorded [according to release notes and my poor German] on 17 October 1992 at Vienna Odeon. Cd released in Austria in 1995. This must be a pretty rare release as I came by it only once [and bought it].

cd 1/2

more on Logothetis and this work:

[Logothetis Sisyphos / Multimedia Oper / Dokumentation]

[The Logothetis Project]

[Logothetis Art]