i've been looking forward to this festival for some time
our paths having never crossed in it's biennial incarnation
my kind of music - immediate, unique, improvised, exhilarating
the festival offering 4 sessions over 3 days of nz's best experimenters
tonight showtime is in the top level of the dunedin public art gallery
grab a drink, chat to a few comrades and snag a second row seat
a brief welcome from the 2 peters (porteous/stapleton) and into it
first up radio cegeste aka sally ann mcintyre - seated on the floor
even from the second row it's very difficult to see her in action
but leaning forward and down and she's playing with radios
transistor ones probably now considered of vintage age
long pull out aerial, black vinyl case and scrolling knobs
she has a bunch of them - ritually sets them up on the floor
each contributing to a slowly building analogue static sound
her assistant tonight in control of a projector pointed at her
thus providing her silhouette over a screen of old photographs
intentionally or not the slide-show seems quite badly handled
it comes and goes, gets realigned, her silhouette seems wrong
but no worries - the noise builds, drops away and she packs up
a favourable response from the audience and part 2 soon follows
stanier black-five is introduced and she in turn introduces her show
named oenosthesia - exploring the link between taste and hearing
and for us tonight an interactive performance - wine will be served
generously donated by a small winery especially for the occasion
and with that she delves into the apple mac and sends out the noises
a slow build of a circular sound of what sounds like water running
a nod then a signal for wine and glasses to be handed to the audience
i get it - a multi-sensory experience more than the usual eyes and ears
a sniff and a gentle sip of some quite deliciously flavoured white wine
this in conjuction with some sounds that i convince myself are relevant
surely the simulation and amplification of the effect of a swallowed liquid
possibly not - but let's go with that - we're hooked - and 2 more wines yet
it's a simple yet effective aural presentation - and a grateful audience with it
a bit of post-show discussion advising our lady is a respected wine critic
totally impressed and a very enjoyable and confident show tonight
the aletheia ensemble - 2 laptop powered chaps and 4 speakers on stands
billed as an electro-acoustic 4 piece - hmmm - a scaled down show tonight?
some pre-show chatter suggesting some performers had not shown up
maybe this is the result of that - not too worried - ignorance is bliss
but as they get stuck into their minimalist show something is amiss
i'm thinking a projection of some kind would have been so easy
watching a bowed head totally focussed on a laptop is no show
fortunately there's 2 of them so that offers some viewing options
and there is the clever use of 4 speakers with 2 behind the audience
this meaning a surround sound effect becomes their defining feature
the digital sound they produce is quite enjoyable though forgettable
and admittedly - it does tend to the monotonous as the set drags on
one of two false endings too many really and relief as it winds up
polite applause and mental notes - the full ensemble is needed
jeff henderson / hermoine johnson are next up - clarinet and piano combo
he - standing tall with instrument in hand and blasting out random notes
she - also standing over the piano and pulling on a set of erect wires
a bank of those attached presumably somehow to the piano strings
each exuding a different note as her hand is dragged over the wire
now we're talking - total improvisation on analogue instruments
i'm sitting in the best seat in the house next to the piano action
both musicians a few metres away as they get stuck into it
loving it - a reminder of many shows in sima days in sydney
the clarinet pushed to the limit and a sense of full confidence
and then he wanders off - still blasting notes as he goes from view
making full use of the acoustics provided in this upper level open space
the wooden floor and angular partitions acting as natural amplifiers
his eventual return marking a change in sound - a tenor sax in use
and unexpectedly she takes a seat and puts hand to piano keys
but conventional - no - hands running up and down rapidly
a quite aggressive style and the keyboard seen moving
i'm worried - she - nope - just keeps up a relentless sound
ditto with he - sharp jabs of notes with a sky pointed sax
the crowd whooping it up as the intensity is maintained
as they finish they similarly exchange approving signals
nothing quite so satisfying as witnessing sated musicians
a brilliant climax to this first night of lines of flight - more...
