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RE: [microsound] process vs achievement
I agree. I had the pleasure of seeing the awkward Herr Popp at a small club
in New Orleans opening for Tortoise. There was not a huge turnout so I had
the pleasure of sitting at the bar as Popp fiddled with his mouse with his
other hand in his pocket. He obviously didn't know what to do with himself
on stage as evidenced by his constant fidgeting and weird facial expressions
alternating between utter boredom and confusion) the visuals were "neat-o"
but really inconsequencial and I got the impression that they were kind of a
security blanket for him...something to distract you from the fact that he
didn't want to be on stage. Nonetheless the sound, the SOUND! The plate
glass windows facing the street were vibrating so intensely I expected them
to blow out any minute! I would have been just as happy had he been sitting
at the bar with a laptop instead of being on stage. Actually that would
have been kind of cool had he just been anonymoous inthe crowd. Strange
venue for that kind of musical experience but powerful nonetheless and it
really didn't need visuals. Nothing wrong with them inherently but I guess
they make some people feel liek they are getting more for their money.
Gunnar
----------Original Message-----
-----From: Philip Sherburne [mailto:philip@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
-----Sent: Thursday, October 05, 2000 5:22 PM
-----To: 'microsound'
-----Subject: RE: [microsound] process vs achievement
-----
-----
-----
-----> A performance should create a deeper environment than a
-----recording.
-----> Witnessing a band play together draws you into the music,
-----> because you feel
-----> part of the process. If you can't see any of the
-----performers actions,
-----> where is the value in getting them to perform in front of you?
-----
-----I'll note only that I saw Oval play once, in Providence,
-----Rhode Island - as I
-----remember, it wasn't even a laptop show, but a full-on
-----*desktop* performance
------ anyway, he stood on stage, one hand in his pocket, the
-----other hand doing
-----lord-only-knows-what with the computer, the screen
-----(predictably) turned away
-----from the audience.
-----
-----and yet: it was a fabulous, and fascinating show - not
-----because of what he
-----was doing (as far as i know he could've been playing a
-----cd), but because it
-----was completely immersive, sonically. The bass rumbled up
-----through my knees.
-----The static raised the hairs inside my ears. It was 100%
-----*musical*, to the
-----extent that the visual components became completely irrelevant.
-----
-----Of course, for an extreme example of this, just think of
-----Francisco Lopez'
-----philosophy, whereby *all* non-sonic elements are a distraction.