Re: [microsound] hidden from the audience

[christiaan <mandopop@xxxxxxxxx>]

in china we started a series of "blackout" shows where
we play in total darkness...

at first i thought they would be a bit pretentious and
would contribute to the shit we take in the press for
pushing music that is, admittedly, a bit off-the-wall
for beijing.

but the opposite happened. suddenly everyone took our
work much more seriously, and actually sat and (gasp)
listened. 

even more interesting is a lot of anti-laptop bias has
dropped by the wayside, simply because people cant see
we are using a computers instead of playing some kind
of "traditional" instrument.

oddly enough, by literally "blinding" our listeners,
our musical cache went thru the roof... weird...

  

--- andrewduke@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> Alex Keller wrote:
> 
> > saturday
> > december 7
> > 2002
> > at 8 pm
> > 
> > you are invited to attend
> > threshold of hearing
> > an evening of minimalist electronic sound
> performances
> > at which the artists will be hidden to the
> audience
> 
> Alex:  All the best with the show.  Great to see the
> "hidden from the audience" aspect.  Those who attend
> events often have a tendency to, instead of using
> their
> ears and focusing on the sound, gawking with their
> eyes
> (a la "woah; look they're using laptops!") and thus
> end
> up missing much of the music.  Personally, I've had
> to
> resort to sitting on the floor at the very back of
> the
> stage or in the shadows to try to get people to
> focus
> on the music and not me and my laptop.  My joke with
> friends in the music scene is that people are so
> used
> to seeing a "performance" (picture a guitar band
> jumping around on stage) that as soon as they see a
> laptop, they're like a deer caught in the
> lights--transfixed and unable to listen because
> they're
> so busy staring.  So my joke is that I'll change my
> performing name from Andrew Duke to The Andrew Dukes
> (a
> la The Vines, The White Strokes, and other "popular"
> "performance" bands that jump around and have a name
> that starts with "The") and wear my laptop with a
> strap
> and hold it like a guitar; maybe that way people
> will
> listen instead of look when I'm playing a live PA.
> Take
> care. Andrew
> 
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