re: [microsound] frequencies installations:brief review

[stephan mathieu <sssst@xxxxxxxxxx>]

---
> i visited the frequencies installations in Frankfurt
> yesterday, as a whole i was disappointed. the
> highlights in my opinion were the mark bain, tommi
> gronlund/petteri nisunen, ryoji ikeda, carsten
> nicolai, and one of the franz pomassl pieces were the
> highlights, 
:
> the mika vainio piece would have been wonderful, but
> the audio(obnoxious disco) from the angela bulloch
> installation ruined the experience for me. 

i felt the other way round*
i really enjoyed bullochs work, think it is among the very rare moments in the exhibition with a certain sexyness/soul (and it proofed its immunity against vainios minutely appearing little earthquakes around the corner). most of the works are too cold for me, others too much obviously guided by accoustic phenomenons and very few others just no/nos.
i also liked nicolais work in the entrance area for its clarity, ultra-reds game with places and situations, mark bains metal pill. ikedas light/sound corridor is certainly more than effective (although i first visited it with frank bretschneider who said its a little bit like riding a ghost train*). i liked it very much and it helped me alot with understanding his concept of invisible architecture made of sound. 
i visited frankfurt for three weekends for the performances and i always wondered how the people who work in the exhibition can stand this frequency pollution which of course swirls around in the whole big house. i spoke with the lady at the entrance about this and she said that shes not getting rid of this constant 40Hz sinewave @ 120db (even in her sleep) which lets the building vibrate. not to mention the ultra high frequencies between 16-40.000Hz being secreted from various places.

> if you are in Frankfurt or traveling
> through its worth a stop. 

thats what i'd say. even the exhibitions phantastic architecture is worth the visit.
since a few weeks theres a second exhibition in the same house showing the work of arnold schoenberg the painter. very good and with a great accompaning film and concert series. 
btw, my personal highlights in the performance series where definetely christophe charles concert and christian fennesz. christians set was pretty relaxed with a big, big sound. no in-you-face glitch attacks, sorry if this prob. sounds a little obvious now, his set reminded me of sitting on the beach in the late evening hours just while a vast storm passes by a hundred meters away from you.
charles played a wonderful set with his signature twisted bell like sounds, field recordings and processed accoustic instruments and voices, short fast moving and merging images. his visual work discribed a way along a citys skyline, probably seen from a train. 
and, when i think about it - strange how many shows i saw and cant remember anymore.
 - stephan