Sonic Bed_London. by Kaffe Matthews and music for bodies playing "Transamorem - Transmortem" by Eliane Radigue
Sunday 12 June - Sunday 26 June Studio 1 Daily 12pm - 9pm http://soundandmusic.org/projects/triptych-music-eliane-radigue Eliane Radigue is one of the major living figures in contemporary music. Her work has roots in the 1950s avant-garde and has been likened to American minimalists Terry Riley, La Monte Young, Steve Reich and Philip Glass, but her meditative, monumental works have taken a singular path, transporting the listener into the very heart of sound. Her works explore slowly evolving states where musical change is perceived as environmental in scale, constant in evolution and virtually imperceptible in transformation. Transamorem – Transmortem was created 1973 on the ARP 2500 synthesiser and comes from a period during which Radigue was experimenting with both new composition tools and new means for the presentation of her music. It was originally designed for a meditative listening space similar to that of La Monte Young’s Dream House. A physical and contemplative experience, the piece uses different frequency bands and the creation of standing waves to create the impression of sound arriving from different locations. When first presented the composer’s simple instruction to the visitor read “stand still and the sound will seem static, move slowly and the sounds will reveal their secrets”. Sonic Bed_London is part of Sound and Music’s Triptych Festival, a series of London-wide events dedicated to Eliane Radigue’s work. The artist has kindly agreed to the exclusive presentation of a pair of her rarely heard works on two of Kaffe Matthews’ Sonic Beds, one here at Watermans and another at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green. Matthews and Radigue first met in 1998 and in 2006 agreed that the multi-channel and physical experience of Eliane's works through a Sonic Bed would be an interesting collaborative project. As a result, Trilogie de La Mort II: Kailasha was presented in Sonic Bed_Marfa at Issue project space, New York in 2010. Sonic Bed is a purpose built portable venue that plays music that moves under the prone bodies of the audience, who can come and lie in the bed alone or together. It is a sonic and social experiment exploring our perception of sound. Visitors are invited to remove their shoes, climb in and enjoy music moving up, down and around their bodies. Subtle, dynamic, at times beyond hearing, Sonic Bed plays music to feel, rather than just listen to. Sonic Bed_London is the original sonic bed commissioned by Electra for Her Noise 2005, supported by the Arts Council of England and Women in Music. _______________________________________________ NetBehaviour mailing list [email protected] http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour
