a zoetrope

Best wishes for 2012

2011-12-30T13:01:00.000+01:00

Love at first sight (III)

2011-09-02T14:10:00.000+02:00

Der Lauf der Dinge

2011-06-12T12:18:00.000+02:00

The Way Things Go.

L'arte dei rumori.

2010-04-03T13:24:00.010+02:00

[...]

Ecco le 6 famiglie di rumori dell'orchestra futurista che attueremo presto, meccanicamente:

1. - Rombi, Tuoni, Scoppi, Scrosci, Tonfi, Boati.
2. - Fischi, Sibili, Sbuffi.
3. - Bisbigli, Mormorii, Borbottii, Brusii, Gorgoglii.
4. - Stridori, Scricchiolii, Fruscii, Ronzìì, Crepitii, Stropiccìì.
5. - Rumori ottenuti a percussione su metalli, legni, pelli, pietre, terrecotte, ecc..
6. - Voci di animali e di uomini: Gridi, Strilli, Gemiti, Urla, Ululati, Risate, Rantoli, Singhiozzi.

In questo elenco abbiamo racchiuso i più caratteristici fra i rumori fondamentali; gli altri non sono che le associazioni e le combinazioni di questi. I movimenti ritmici di un rumore sono infiniti. Esiste sempre come per il tono, un ritmo predominante, ma attorno a questo altri numerosi ritmi secondari sono pure sensibili.

[...]

Invitiamo dunque i giovani musicisti geniali e audaci ad osservare con attenzione continua tutti i rumori, per comprendere i vari ritmi che li compongono, il loro tono principale e quelli secondari. Paragonando poi i timbri vari dei rumori ai timbri dei suoni, si convinceranno di quanto i primi siano più numerosi dei secondi. Questo ci darà non solo la comprensione ma anche il gusto e la passione dei rumori. La nostra sensibilità moltiplicata, dopo essersi conquistati degli occhi futuristi avrà finalmente delle orecchie futuriste. Così i motori e le macchine delle nostre città industriali potranno un giorno essere sapientemente intonati, in modo da fare di ogni officina una inebbriante orchestra di rumori.

[...]

Luigi Russolo, 1913

Descubriendo la música electrónica

2010-04-02T02:17:00.005+02:00

Pobre de mí, hace unos años aterrizaba en la música electrónica de baile ya mayor y sin saber ni siquiera distinguir trance de jungle de techno de house. Ni una CR-78 de un MS-20. Qué barbaridad. Gracias a esforzados vulgarizadores como los señores de techno.org enseguida me puse al día y pude llevar con orgullo mis gafas de pasta, sabiéndolas símbolo de una cultura jóven y moderna.

Aprendo rápido y enseguida pude, partiendo de la escucha de estas simpáticas demostraciones de música popular, acceder a manifestaciones culturales más adecuadas a mi edad y gobierno, como se recoge en estas reseñas.

De todas maneras, sigo siempre a la búsqueda de materiales didácticos que me ayuden a comprender mejor el fino arte de los sonidos transistorizados. El que os anexo es un bonito ejemplo.

Podéis encontrarlo entero para vuestro uso y disfrute aquí

Love at first sight (II)

2010-03-27T11:09:00.002+01:00

Delia Derbyshire was born in Coventry, England, in 1937. Educated at Coventry Grammar School and Girton College, Cambridge, where she was awarded a degree in mathematics and music. [...]

In 1960 Delia joined the BBC as a trainee studio manager. She excelled in this field, but when it became apparent that the fledgling Radiophonic Workshop was under the same operational umbrella, she asked for an attachment there - an unheard of request, but one which was, nonetheless,granted. Delia remained 'temporarily attached' for years regularly deputising for the Head, and influencing many of her trainee colleagues.

To begin with Delia thought she had found her own private paradise where she could combine her interests in the theory and perception of sound; modes and tunings, and the communication of moods using purely electronic sources. Within a matter of months she had created her recording of Ron Grainer's Doctor Who theme, one of the most famous and instantly recognisable TV themes ever. On first hearing it Grainer was tickled pink: "Did I really write this?" he asked. "Most of it," replied Derbyshire.

Thus began what is still referred to as the Golden Age of the Radiophonic Workshop. [...]

Learn about her here and here, of course.

Les Oiseaux de Céleste

2010-03-09T16:21:00.006+01:00

© Extracts from Ariane Michel's film, Les Oiseaux de Céleste. Copyright Galerie Xippas, Ariane Michel and Céleste Boursier-Mougenot, 2008

27 February 2010 - 23 May 2010
The Curve, Barbican, London

visto en aulaelectroacustica, no puedo resistir copiarlo...

Trying to copy smoke

2010-03-03T17:03:00.007+01:00

parlant d'en terry riley...
aquest vídeo mostra un dels seus mestres: en pran nath.
el mateix riley hi surt. diu d'ell: "...when he sings, and we try to copy what he does, it's like trying to copy smoke. it's no shape, and it's every shape..."

In Between The Notes: A Portrait of Pandit Pran Nath (1986) on Vimeo.

gràcies a maxime guitton pel vídeo i a fromthedrain per l'enllaç a maxime...

Une leçon particulière

2010-02-17T15:00:00.005+01:00

Une leçon particulière de musique avec... Scott Ross
Réalisation : Jacques Renard
Un film proposé par Olivier Bernager et François Manceaux

i've been looking for this documentary. i've been able to spot a couple of segments of it so far.
these are the last 4 minutes. the video is rotten enough to look videoclip-like.

if somebody reads this and knows how to find a clean, full edition, please tell me!

In C @ Heliogàbal

2010-02-15T10:39:00.015+01:00

In C de Terry Riley... Amb membres de Cabo San Roque, La Lidia, Surfing Sirles,
La Orquesta del Caballo Ganador, Manos de Topo, Le Petit Ramon, Mil Pesetas,
Za!, Blay Tritono i Secta Sònica.

14 músics i uns 100 espectadors en menys de 100 m2. crec que tots ens ho vam passar prou bé. no es podia fer foto de tot l'ensemble alhora per manca d'angle. les fotos són d'on érem de peu.

In C
Performing Directions

All performers play from the same page of 53 melodic patterns played in sequence. Any number of any kind of instruments can play. A group of about 35 is desired if possible but smaller or larger groups will work. If vocalist(s) join in they can use any vowel and consonant sounds they like.

Patterns are to be played consecutively with each performer having the freedom to determine how many times he or she will repeat each pattern before moving on to the next. There is no fixed rule as to the number of repetitions a pattern may have, however, since performances normally average between 45 minutes and an hour and a half, it can be assumed that one would repeat each pattern from somewhere between 45 seconds and a minute and a half or longer.

It is very important that performers listen very carefully to one another and this means occasionally to drop out and listen. As an ensemble, it is very desirable to play very softly as well as very loudly and to try to diminuendo and crescendo together.

Each pattern can be played in unison or canonically in any alignment with itself or with its neighboring patterns. One of the joys of IN C is the interaction of the players in polyrhythmic combinations that spontaneously arise between patterns. Some quite fantastic shapes will arise and disintegrate as the group moves through the piece when it is properly played.

It is important not to hurry from pattern to pattern but to stay on a pattern long enough to interlock with other patterns being played. As the performance progresses, performers should stay within 2 or 3 patterns of each other. It is important not to race too far ahead or to lag too far behind.

The ensemble can be aided by the means of an eighth note pulse played on the high c’s of the piano or on a mallet instrument. It is also possible to use improvised percussion in strict rhythm (drum set, cymbals, bells, etc.), if it is carefully one and doesn’t overpower the ensemble. All performers must play strictly in rhythm and it is essential that everyone play each pattern carefully. It is advised to rehearse patterns in unison before attempting to play the piece, to determine that everyone is playing correctly.

The tempo is left to the discretion of the performers, obviously not too slow, but not faster than performers can comfortably play.

It is important to think of patterns periodically so that when you are resting you are conscious of the larger periodic composite accents that are sounding, and when you re-enter you are aware of what effect your entrance will have on the music’s flow.

The group should aim to merge into a unison at least once or twice during the performance. At the same time, if the players seem to be consistently too much in the same alignment of a pattern, they should try shifting their alignment by an eighth note or quarter note with what’s going on in the rest of the ensemble.

It is OK to transpose patterns by an octave, especially to transpose up. Transposing down by octaves works best on the patterns containing notes of long durations. Augmentation of rhythmic values can also be effective.

If for some reason a pattern can’t be played, the performer should omit it and go on.

Instruments can be amplified if desired. Electronic keyboards are welcome also.

IN C is ended in this way: when each performer arrives at figure #53, he or she stays on it until the entire ensemble has arrived there. The group then makes a large
crescendo and diminuendo a few times and each player drops out as he or she wishes.

Así nos las gastamos

2010-02-15T10:17:00.003+01:00

Hildur + Johann

2010-02-03T18:04:00.001+01:00

Aquest diumenge.

For 2010

2010-01-19T00:01:00.001+01:00

And maybe, by the evening we’ll be laughing
Just wait and see all the changes there’ll be
By the time it gets dark

Pärt + SOTL Revisited

2009-12-18T20:28:00.002+01:00

No sé per què el vídeo fantàstic que hi havia a last.fm i que havia penjat aquí ha desaparescut. Una llàstima. Faig un repost amb una altra versió que he trobat a youtube

John Cage a la tele

2009-12-09T12:48:00.007+01:00

dilluns passat anàvem al cccb a veure la expo de world press però estava tancat, dilluns no festiu. error!

cap problema perquè el macba era obert i vam aprofitar per a anar a veure la expo sobre john cage.

em van sorprendre les seves partitures, escrites meticulosament, amb una cal·ligrafia claríssima compensant la notació no gaire ortodoxa. queden molt bé penjades a la paret.

a sota, un tros de la partitura de 'music of changes'.

ens va fascinar veure un vídeo amb l'home apareixent a un concurs de la tele cap l'any 60.
ja a casa, he trobat el vídeo a youtube, és clar. gaudiu-ne:

Love at first sight

2008-02-13T19:28:00.007+01:00

Ms Margaret Hamilton 'Doing it Right the First Time'

Responsible for the Apollo (and Skylab) on board flight software while Director of the Software Engineering Division at Charles Stark Draper Laboratory (CSDL). This involved projects for multiple versions, multiple missions, all phases of development, multiple components and functionality for the Lunar Module and the Command Module software; common software designs and implementation (e.g., that shared between LM and CM, mission to mission, and Apollo to Skylab); and distributed development. During this time created and developed new methods for building flight software and applied these methods to the development of the Apollo and Skylab software and to defining Shuttle system software requirements.

This One Goes For... (part II)

2008-02-13T19:22:00.007+01:00

Sorry. Aquest post nomès l'entendrà una persona. En principi.

Arvo Pärt + Stars Of The Lid

2008-01-24T11:50:00.000+01:00

Quina Meravella O_O
Me'ls vaig perdre aquest any passat. A veure quan tornen per aqui...

If omnipotence doesn't work...

2008-01-18T12:22:00.001+01:00

photo by solsken

Que sí que funciona... pero sempre va bé tenir un plan B... O_O

Atecnión, hehco ipormtatne

2008-01-18T12:16:00.000+01:00

Sgeún un etsduio de la uivenrsdiad ignlsea de Cmabridge, no ipmotra el odren en el que las ltears etsan ersciats, la úicna csoa ipormtatne es que la pmrirea y la útlima lerta esten ecsritas en la psioción cocrrtea. El rsteo peuden estar ttaolmntee mal y aun así se pdeue lerelo sin pobrleams. Apearntmeente, etso es pquore no lemeos las ltears en seucecina snio la paalbra cmolepta...

On The Edge

2007-09-10T14:19:00.000+02:00

Aquest blog torna a la vida després de mesos apagat. Ja tocava...

Aprofito cinc minutets lliures per a passar un enllaç a una cova de tresors: Ubu Web

Cal anar-hi, no us explico. Però annexo com a exemple un dels [milers de] tresors que s'hi troben: On The Edge, una serie de televisió escrita i presentada en 1992 pel guitarrista anglès Derek Bailey. Un estudi sobre l'improvisació en la música en quatre capítols d'una hora.

name="movie" value="http://ubu.artmob.ca/video/flash/flvplayer.swf?file=On-The-Edge_Part-1.flv&autostart=false"
>

Derek Bailey - On the Edge

London Marathon (publireportatge)

2007-04-30T19:47:00.001+02:00

25-29 d'abril, 2007

3 dies i mig, però no hem parat quiets O_O

les fotos son totes robades pels puestos. potser en el futur n'hi afegiré de genuines...

aurora, stefano, nacho, maria, timo, gràcies!

dimecres:

easyjet de les 2100 a stansted i stansted express. anem un pack de 4 arquitectes, 4, i un servidor.
aurora ens espera a liverpool station.

passeig amb maletes, unes cervesetes i cap al llit, que tots tenim feina.

aurora ens acull a la seva caseta a bethnal green, a tocar de hackney.

dijous:

esmorzem com reis i sortim cap a veure la tate modern - sencereta amb una expo sorpresa d'aquests vàndals:

no us perdeu com expliquen la seva feina i la expo.

intentem anar, caminant sota la pluja, a la casa que veureu més abaix però arribem tard. mentrestant hem dinat a un tandoori italià (sic) un entrepà. no entenc perquè l'aurora ens l'ha recomanat. més tard veurem que ens hem equivocat de lloc...

quedem amb maria a old street, i entrem al soho a trobar-nos amb aurora. acabem sopant en un japonès.

quedem amb nacho a un lloc que es diu el dragon o algo, per huxton. george & the dragon? dragon what? anem a un, però no, després a un altre i sí... cerveses i dormir. no poso fotos perque m'he fet un embolic i no trobo els llocs pfff. ja provaré de posar links perque els dos llocs són recomanables.

divendres:
anem a veure la casa d'aquest freak:

és el museu més dens que mai he vist. i només ensenyen una part...

passem pel borough market a prendre forces, i fem visita d'obra (!) a tooley street, on el nacho està embarcat actualment. quan tingui fotos de la colleta friki vestida amb cascs, botes i armilla groga, les hi poso.

nacho ens prepara una sorpresa: el bar més alt de londres, pis 42. <cliche>la vista és indesctiptible</cliche>. tenim una horeta reservada. fem una mica el posh bevent xampany.

anem al gastropub royal oak a columbia road, on bevem i finalment soparem. recommended.

després, tenim una altra sorpresa reservada, al bethnal green working men's club, un local tremendo fins al punt de fer-me ballar, cosa extremadament inusual. a partir d'una edat, ja se sap...

aquesta foto no és de la nit, però l'escenari és sempre el mateix. aquest dijous la musica era 60's/70's, la nit temàtica sobre barbarella.

dissabte:

ens llevem tard, és clar. amb calma, prenem el solet 5 minuts al carrer mentre timo celebra el ritual de reparar la seva bici. fa un dia de película. hem quedat tots a little venice. passem a buscar abans a ivan i nacho, que viu aprop de barbican centre. aprofitem per fer visita al centre on hem quedat una estoneta amb marta, una altra arquitecte exiliada i amiga (quants!), i ens trobem la mateixa joguina que els reis li van portar al meu nebot, a escala 50:1.

prenem el tube, i ens trobem tots al canal, a little venice. carmen i javi vénen de passejar per camden. baixem pel canal a la recerca de fets arquitectònics remarcables. baixem fins a la zona ultramoderna del paddington basin, on volem veure un famós pont retràctil. la foto el mostra en funcionament. desgraciadament ens els trobem espatllat. no m'estranya pffff...

seguim caminant pel poshland londinenc, cap a hyde park, on parem una miqueta a fer un mos i una birra. no gaire, però, que tenim feina. un bus ens porta cap a piccadilly circus, que hem de fer unes compres. primer a hamleys, que tenim nens a casa i no podem tornar amb les mans buides... trobo el mateix DB5 de Corgi que els meus pares em van portar de londres l'any 77! a la saca.

carmen i javi hi troben més tard el seu somiat bopit extreme 2

després, a waterstone's, a armar-se de literatura, i a prendre unes cerveses al bar del últim pis, que també té unes vistes que déu n'hi dó. javi s'ha comprat un llibre de banksy que jo al final no he pres i que em posa verd d'enveja quan hi penso...

al bar se'ns han afegit aurora, maria, stefano i miquel. des d'aquí anem tots a sopar a un italià al soho. unes cerveses the social i taxi a favela chic, on aurora, inma i jo dimitim d'entrar, que estem rebentats. tornem a casa caminant tranquilament.

diumenge:

surto a comprar esmorzar i em trobo amb el columbia road flower market, que es fa cada diumenge, al costat de casa aurora i stefano. m'hi entretinc solet una estona, després hi passejarem més. totes les botigues són obertes i aprofitem per tafanejar i encara comprar més llibres.

dinem amb aurora i stefano a hackney city farm. un lloc ple de famílies amb nens. la foto següent és del lloc, al centre de londres, creieu-ho o no.

ha estat un matí tranquil i solejat. i de cop... corrent cap a casa! bus, tren, avió, cotxe i ja està.

Flying Tape Revisited

2007-04-17T13:14:00.000+02:00

Flying tape, de Zilvinas Kempinas, al Palais de Tokyo. Havia posat foto, però això transmet molt millor com és.

- d'on has tret el video O_O ?
- tafanejant...
- ah
- n'hi ha dos més a youtube però no estan tan ben fets, encara que surt interacció amb gent. tafanejava la paraula flying tape. like it?
- love it. ara mateix faig un re-post.

The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything

2007-03-23T17:12:00.000+01:00

"O people waiting in the Shadow of Deep Thought!" he cried out. "Honoured Descendants of Vroomfondel and Majikthise, the Greatest and Most Truly Interesting Pundits the Universe has ever known ... The Time of Waiting is over!"

Wild cheers broke out amongst the crowd. Flags, streamers and wolf whistles sailed through the air. The narrower streets looked rather like centipedes rolled over on their backs and frantically waving their legs in the air.

"Seven and a half million years our race has waited for this Great and Hopefully Enlightening Day!" cried the cheerleader. "The Day of the Answer!"

Hurrahs burst from the ecstatic crowd.

"Never again," cried the man, "never again will we wake up in the morning and think Who am I? What is my purpose in life? Does it really, cosmically speaking, matter if I don't get up and go to work? For today we will finally learn once and for all the plain and simple answer to all these nagging little problems of Life, the Universe and Everything!"

Two severely dressed men sat respectfully before the terminal and waited.

"The time is nearly upon us," said one.

"Seventy-five thousand generations ago, our ancestors set this program in motion," the second man said, "and in all that time we will be the first to hear the computer speak."

"An awesome prospect, Phouchg," agreed the first man.

"We are the ones who will hear," said Phouchg, "the answer to the great question of Life...!"

"The Universe...!" said Loonquawl.

"And Everything...!"

"Shhh," said Loonquawl with a slight gesture, "I think Deep Thought is preparing to speak!"

There was a moment's expectant pause whilst panels slowly came to life on the front of the console. Lights flashed on and off experimentally and settled down into a businesslike pattern. A soft low hum came from the communication channel.

"Good morning," said Deep Thought at last.

"Er ... Good morning, O Deep Thought," said Loonquawl nervously, "do you have ... er, that is..."

"An answer for you?" interrupted Deep Thought majestically. "Yes. I have."

The two men shivered with expectancy. Their waiting had not been in vain.

"There really is one?" breathed Phouchg.

"There really is one," confirmed Deep Thought.

"To Everything? To the great Question of Life, the Universe and Everything?"

"Yes."

Both of the men had been trained for this moment, their lives had been a preparation for it, they had been selected at birth as those who would witness the answer, but even so they found themselves gasping and squirming like excited children.

"And you're ready to give it to us?" urged Loonquawl.

"I am."

"Now?"

"Now," said Deep Thought.

They both licked their dry lips.

"Though I don't think," added Deep Thought, "that you're going to like it."

"Doesn't matter!" said Phouchg. "We must know it! Now!"

"Now?" inquired Deep Thought.

"Yes! Now..."

"Alright," said the computer and settled into silence again. The two men fidgeted. The tension was unbearable.

"You're really not going to like it," observed Deep Thought.

"Tell us!"

"Alright," said Deep Thought. "The Answer to the Great Question..."

"Yes...!"

"Of Life, the Universe and Everything..." said Deep Thought.

"Yes...!"

"Is." said Deep Thought, and paused.

"Yes...!"

"Is."

"Yes...!!!...?"

"Forty-two," said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm.

It was a long time before anyone spoke. Out of the corner of his eye Phouchg could see the sea of tense expectant faces down in the square outside.

"We're going to get lynched aren't we?" he whispered.

"It was a tough assignment," said Deep Thought mildly.

"Forty-two!" yelled Loonquawl. "Is that all you've got to show for seven and a half million years' work?"

"I checked it very thoroughly," said the computer, "and that quite definitely is the answer. I think the problem, to be quite honest with you, is that you've never actually known what the question is."

"But it was the Great Question! The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything!" howled Loonquawl.

"Yes," said Deep Thought with the air of one, who suffers fools gladly, "but what actually is it?"

A slow stupefied silence crept over the men as they stared at the computer and then at each other.

"Well, you know, it's just Everything ... Everything..." offered Phouchg weakly.

"Exactly!" said Deep Thought. "So once you do know what the question actually is, you'll know what the answer means."

from "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams.

O So White

2007-02-24T21:43:00.000+01:00

No ho hauria dit mai, pero m'he reconciliat amb Sting.
Quan el vaig veure al 'Musical Express' a la tele cantant Roxanne, no havia sentit res igual. Era el 1977 (78?).
Després de Police, encara el vaig seguir, algunes coses em van agradar (Bourbon Street, p. ex.), altres no (Englishman p. ex.)
Es va liar amb el muntatge dels indis de l'amazones, i semblava que se li havien pujat els fums. En fi, era Sting...
Ara s'ha tret la corona, s'ha posat una camisa blanca, i a cantar Dowland, humil i sincer.
Bravo, Sting.

Déjà vu

2007-01-30T21:50:00.001+01:00

Un cronopio va a abrir la puerta de calle, y al meter la mano en el bolsillo para sacar la llave lo que saca es una caja de fósforos, entonces este cronopio se aflige mucho y empieza a pensar que si en vez de la llave encuentra los fósforos, sería horrible que el mundo se hubiera desplazado de golpe, y a lo mejor si los fósforos están donde la llave, puede suceder que encuentre la billetera llena de fósforos, y la azucarera llena de dinero, y el piano lleno de azúcar, y la guía del teléfono llena de música, y el ropero lleno de abonados, y la cama llena de trajes, y los floreros llenos de sábanas, y los tranvías llenos de rosas, y los campos llenos de tranvías. Así es que este cronopio se aflige horriblemente y corre a mirarse al espejo, pero como el espejo esta algo ladeado lo que ve es el paragüero del zaguán, y sus presunciones se confirman y estalla en sollozos, cae de rodillas y junta sus manecitas no sabe para que. Los famas vecinos acuden a consolarlo, y también las esperanzas, pero pasan horas antes de que el cronopio salga de su desesperación y acepte una taza de té, que mira y examina mucho antes de beber, no vaya a pasar que en vez de una taza de té sea un hormiguero o un libro de Samuel Smiles.

"La foto salió movida" de "Historias de Cronopios y de Famas"
Julio Cortázar, 1962. © 1996 Alfaguara

Ni, no na, no, ni, no na, nino nano

2007-01-16T10:39:00.000+01:00

I sing that.

For 2007

2006-12-30T00:59:00.000+01:00

photo by solsken

Serà un any dur i fantàstic, com tots els que ens desitjo.
Tot anirà bé, amb l'ajuda de la Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co...
O, al menys, amb paciència i esforç...
***
It'll be a hard but fantastic year - like every one I wish for us all.
Everything will be OK, with the help of the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co...
Or, at least, with patience and hard work...

Yet another 2006 top list

2006-12-23T03:18:00.002+01:00

... if everybody can write one, I can too!

I'm not sure about the order, but here it goes: (here too, with last.fm links)

- Taylor Deupree - Northern
Makes me feel well and at home, don't know why

- Loscil - Plume
Pulsing and soothing, much beauty with few elements

- Tim Hecker - Harmony In Ultraviolet.
Classic music

- Biosphere - Dropsonde
Jazzy loops and drones... fills with peace my darker nights... and the sweeter ones too

- Keith Jarrett - The Carnegie Hall Concert
Seen live twice this year - few musicians can drive me to tears

- Triosk - The Headlight Serenade
Fresh and deep jazz

- Ellen Allien & Apparat - Orchestra of Bubbles
Makes me shake it

- Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
Seen live and enjoyed like a child

- Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Kid B? So what? Delicious

- Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche: Outtakes & Extras from Illinois Album
Genius. Seen live and enjoyed even more than the record

- Squarepusher - Hello Everything
Fun and mad as one would expect - enormous musician

- Jan Jelinek - Tierbeobachtungen
Simple loops become very complex atmospheres - mysterious

- Max Richter - Songs From Before
Some real beauty hidden inside

- Jóhann Jóhannsson - IBM 1401, A User's Manual
Retrocomputing + strings: irresistibly sweet

Ding! Dong!

2006-12-16T19:55:00.000+01:00

Ja tinc regal per més d'un/a per nadal...

No puc evitar-ho. M'encanta :D

In the photo-negative world of indie rock morality, Christmas might be the most obscene concept possible, combining as it does the taboos of family, Christianity, commerce, and happiness. Sufjan Stevens, then, is something like the bizarro G.G. Allin, unabashedly reveling in the glory of Christmas with such warmth it pretty much obliterates the word "irony" from the English language. And now, the boxset Songs for Christmas, collecting five EPs of seasonal music recorded over the last five years, represents the songwriter's ultimate obscenity to date, even down to titling each disc with scenester swears: Noel, Hark!, Ding! Dong!, Joy, and Peace.
Pitchfork, Nov. 21, 2006

Ciutat de Barcelona

2006-12-09T00:43:00.000+01:00

El darrer vol d'Ariane 5, vol Ariane 174, batejat Ciutat de Barcelona ha sortit aquesta nit, i entregat els seus passatgers, dos satèl·lits de telecomunicacions, a lloc.
Dormirem tranquils.
A aquest blog no tenia pensat parlar-hi de feina. Però d'aquesta andròmina me'n sento molt orgullós, i sí que m'ha fet gràcia que se li posés el nom de BCN a aquest tir. M'ha agradat sentir-ne parlar per la ràdio i la tele, que la gent hagi vingut a CosmoCaixa a veure'l sortir.
M'ha agradat que, per variar, un èxit sigui notícia. I sentir-me'n part...

Pictures of walls

2006-12-06T13:00:00.001+01:00

Memeses

2006-12-03T11:46:00.000+01:00

Tania em convida a seguir un 'meme'.

Las instrucciones son:
1. Coge el libro más cercano.
2. Ábrelo en la página 123.
3. Encuentra la quinta frase.
4. Escribe la oración junto con estas instrucciones.
5. No busques el libro más guay que puedas encontrar. Hazlo con el que esté a tu lado.

Obeeixo, però com m'enganxa a la feina, el que tinc a mà no és cap novela. Començo per una obra mestra del kitsch informàtic:

'Lenguaje Fortran IV', Dr. Rodolfo Luthe García, Ed. Limusa, México DF 1976

És un llibre encantador, amb portada 'op art', que parla de 'arreglos' y 'proposiciones'. El tinc com a record, és el primer llibre de programació que em vaig comprar, ja fa (censored) anys. Quina ilu! Desgraciadament, nomès te 42 pàgines...

Bé, tinc un altre llibre a la taula.

'Peopleware' Tom DeMarco/Tim Lister, Ed. Dorset House, NY 1987, 1999

Que recomano a tota persona relacionada amb el bonic món del software. Aquest té més pàgines, i hi posa, al lloc convingut

What is missing is a phenomenon we call jell.

Que curiosament, és el què del llibre...

No se m'acut cap propietari de blog a qui passar-li el 'meme', potser aquesta branca s'acaba aquí... Si hi ha cap voluntari que casualment cau a aquest raconet...

Flying Tape - Souvenir de Paris

2006-11-08T14:37:00.000+01:00

Zilvinas Kempinas crée un univers flottant et mystérieux. Une série de ventilateurs engendre un flux porteur qui permet à une bande magnétique de "léviter" dans l’espace d’exposition. Des formes aléatoires et éphémères prennent vie et captivent le regard.

Vue de l’exposition de Zilvinas Kempinas « FLYING TAPE »

CINQ MILLIARDS D’ANNEES.
2006, Palais de Tokyo / © Marc Domage, 2006.

Home Computer 1954

2006-11-07T15:17:00.000+01:00

Rieu, però encara programem en Fortran (al menys uns quants freaks entre els que em compto). I el tecladet qwerty i la tele, encara hi són.
El volantet sí que fa enveja...

Foto trobada a una presentació del mestre Baeza-Yates a aquest show infonomista.

Arrebato

2006-11-07T02:31:00.001+01:00

Convidaré a sopar al primer qui escrigui explicant de què recorda aquest personatge. I com es diu.
Pista: de la tele.
Pista: rarament serà algú nascut després del 1970.

This One Goes For...

2006-10-16T12:10:00.000+02:00

Sorry. Aquest post només l'entendrà una persona.

IBM 1401, A User's Manual

2006-10-11T13:34:00.000+02:00

Jóhann Jóhannsson reuneix dues de les meves fílies, música marciana i retrocomputing, en una peça estranyament dolça i èpica. Una mostra.

The story of Iceland´s first computer and its music and how it reflected the emotional attachment of the engineers and programmers to this computer was tremendously interesting to me. The IBM computer was humanized by giving it a very human quality, the ability to "sing". The anthropomorphism was complete when the machine reached obsolescence. Instead of simply discarding it, the engineers gave it a funeral of sorts. They held a ceremony to commemorate its "life", work and songs. Burying the dead is one of the things that distinguish humans from animals. Funeral rites are only granted to something which was once alive. I got a strong impression that the engineers came to regard this computer as a living being (if only unconsciously) because they gave it certain very human qualities. [...]

[...]Hammond B3 organ, piano, celeste and bells were played by Jóhann Jóhannsson. Voices were provided by Erna Ómarsdóttir, Jóhann Jóhannsson, and an unknown instructor from an IBM 1401 Data Processing System maintenance instruction tape found in my father´s attic.

All electronic sounds were derived from the IBM 1401 Data Processing System and the Hammond B3 organ with Ring Modulator, Distortion and Filter pedals. The music and sounds of the IBM 1401 Data Processing System were recorded by Jóhann Gunnarsson, Örn Kaldalóns and Elías Davíðsson in Reykjavik in 1971. The musical fragment played by the computer is from the hymn “Ísland Ögrum Skorið” by Sigvaldi Kaldalóns, used by kind permission. The text in 5 is from a poem by Dorothy Parker.

Happy Birthday, Steve!

2006-10-05T17:30:00.000+02:00

Festa a NYC. El mestre Reich en fa 70.

Unes mostres...

All musicians in the past, starting with the middle ages were interested in popular music. (...) Béla Bartók's music is made entirely of sources from Hungarian folk music. And Igor Stravinsky, although he lied about it, used all kinds of Russian sources for his early ballets. Kurt Weill's great masterpiece Dreigroschenoper is using the cabaret-style of the Weimar Republic and that's why it is such a masterpiece. Arnold Schoenberg and his followers (...) create(d) an artificial wall, which never existed before him. In my generation we tore the wall down and now we are back to the normal situation, for example if Brian Eno or David Bowie come to me, and if popular musicians remix my music like The Orb or DJ Spooky it is a good thing. This is a natural normal regular historical way.

From an Interview with Jakob Buhre

Grandes Hits CEPSA

2006-09-21T15:28:00.000+02:00

Disfrútalos en tamaño natural. No tienen desperdicio.

Solution Engineering

2006-09-21T00:21:00.001+02:00

Consultors... es passen la vida fent esquemes amb el món. Alguns tenen la seva gràcia, però.

10th LEM Festival

2006-09-15T21:38:00.000+02:00

Octubre arriba i, com és tradició, el LEM Festival!. Un munt de sonats preparats per fer-m'ho passar de por...

Sam & Sufjan

2006-09-12T15:53:00.000+02:00

Cantautores USA... ¿cursis o sublimes? Cómo me gustan...

Iron & Wine - Naked as we came

Sufjan Stevens - To be alone with you

Disconnect

2006-09-02T14:19:00.000+02:00

Este tema dePlastikman me ha valido de himno durante un tiempo. Me sirvió para tomarme muy en serio y después ya para reirme un poco de mi mismo... En realidad voy alternando estos dos estados.

And now for something completely different

2006-08-25T16:31:00.000+02:00

Este es Hopkinson Smith, el maestro del laúd barroco. Saco un ejemplo de la mina: La Gavotte de la Suite para Laúd en Mi Mayor BWV 1006a de JS Bach. Pocas cosas suenan como esto.

Paren esto

2006-08-11T17:52:00.000+02:00

Pidámoslo todos a gritos.

Esta mujer grita con una foto preciosa como otros muchos

Pero se pueden hacer más cosas. Por ejemplo, Correr a firmar a www.ceasefirecampaign.org

2 joyas

2006-08-01T09:48:00.000+02:00

Más fanzine... Thom Yorke. The Eraser ha salido hace poco, me parece un gran disco. Pero es que soy pro-KidA, hay otras opiniones...

Van unas versiones en directo de 2 canciones de The Eraser:

Cymbal Rush

The Clock

Jarrett/Peacock/DeJohnette, Vienen.

2006-07-28T16:25:00.000+02:00

Cita, 15 de Noviembre 2006 en Barcelona
El 1 de Agosto se abre la venta de entradas. A ver cuánto duran. Habrá que comprar. No ganamos para jarretts.

He visto al trio algunas veces. La última, el año pasado en Donosti, y la primera el 92 creo, en el velòdrom.
Tocan juntos desde el 83.Van unas muestras:

Hace 10 años:

Hace 20 años:

The Nonverbal Dictionary

2006-07-18T16:30:00.004+02:00

of Gestures, Signs & Body Language Cues
From Adam's-Apple-Jump
to Zygomatic Smile

By David B. Givens
© 2010
Spokane, Washington: Center for Nonverbal Studies Press)

Items in this Dictionary have been researched by anthropologists, archaeologists, biologists, linguists, psychiatrists, psychologists, semioticians, and others who have studied human communication from a scientific point of view. Every effort has been made to cite their work in the text. Definitions, meanings, and interpretations
left uncredited are those of the author. Gestures and consumer products with current trademark registrations are identified with the ® symbol.

[The Dictionary is designed as a free, online educational resource, and is not for sale or remunerative profit. Unauthorized versions of The Nonverbal Dictionary on the Web are neither updated nor endorsed by the Center for Nonverbal Studies.]

Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto - Trioon I

2006-07-17T19:10:00.001+02:00

Hace semanas que esto es la banda sonora de lo que sueño.

Jarrett

2006-07-06T13:08:00.000+02:00

Keith Jarrett - Over the Rainbow

Le veré el 3 de Noviembre en París. Falta mucho.

Esperanza Spalding

2006-07-05T11:52:00.000+02:00

Esperanza cantando Retrato em branco e preto. Uf. Viene a Barcelona el 25, al Palau, para el festival Mas i Mas.

Estrategias Oblicuas

2006-07-04T16:59:00.000+02:00

¿Bloqueado en el acto de crear (trabajando en cualquier cosa, vaya)?
Prueba a usar las estrategias de Eno. Escoge una tarjeta, haz lo que dice, y a ver qué pasa...

Bájalas de aquí

Murcof

2006-07-03T15:38:00.000+02:00

México, suerte.

Murcof es Fernando Corona, de Tijuana, actualmente residente en Barcelona.

http://www.murcof.com

Rostro, de Murcof. Vídeo de Aldo Guerra y Azzul Monraz

...listos...

2006-07-01T02:25:00.000+02:00

Boards of Canada - Dayvan Cowboy

No se me ocurre mejor manera de empezar un blog: Saltando desde 31.300 m para hacer surf :-P´