February 12

Improvisation with Computer and Live Electronics

Since Cage's Cartridge Music, musicians have been making electronic music live, as opposed to time consuming tape works done in labs at the time. Improvisation has been an integral part of electronic music since the sixties, with early electro-acoustic groups such as AMM (UK), MEV (US/Italy) and Grupo Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza (Italy) integrating commercial and homemade equipment with "concert" instruments. In this class we will examine a diverse range of approaches and works in this field, from the hacked everyday electronics of the Swiss duo Voicecrack, the electronic orchestra Mimeo (with laptops, radios and everything in between), to the computer improvisor Voyager created by George Lewis.

Listening examples:
AMM: AMMusic
MEV: United Patchwork
Anthony Braxton & Richard Teitelbaum: Time Zone. Open Aspects.
George Lewis: Voyager
Mimeo & John Tilbury: The Hands of Caravaggio
Voicecrak: Ear Flash
Lionel Marchetti & Jerome Noetinger: Mort aux Vaches
Kevin Drumm & Martin Tetreault: Particles and Smears

Readings:
Person to...person? George Lewis interviewed by Lawrence Casserley
Singing The Alternative Interactivity Blues