photos by Erez Avissar

""IF YOU'RE FROM NEW YORK, you'll know this one." As the image of an eye patch-sporting Kurt Russell flashed across twin screens behind the stage at West Village destination Le Poisson Rouge, the speaker struck up a portentous synth line and the audience burst into nostalgic applause; ...the tense theme from 1981 cult actioner Escape from New York is one of his own compositions. Alan Howarth... is something of an icon to fans of electronic movie sound tracks and effects: His résumé is peppered with Hollywood titles from Poltergeist to Raiders of the Lost Ark, John Carpenter projects like Escape and Halloween featuring prominently among them.

"Most of this music's just been sitting around for thirty years," Howarth admitted cheerfully, reveling in the attention it was now receiving and clearly overjoyed to find himself out of the studio and in front of some appreciative listeners. Harald Grosskopf, drummer for 1970s German space-rockers Ash Ra Tempel and author of 1979's Synthesist album (described by the organizers as "the nexus of Krautrock, Kosmische, and New Age"--and who am I to argue?), was in similarly high sprits. Taking the stage after Howarth, he got rather more of a workout, bobbing and weaving behind his stand-up kit while adopting a range of orgasmic/tortured facial expressions. "This screen is to monitor my blood pressure," he quipped, pointing to one of several nearby laptops. "It's nothing to do with the music."

After an hour or so of meandering but effortlessly enjoyable stuff, Grosskopf and friends made way for Emeralds, a young trio from Cleveland whose synth-heavy instrumental jams owe much to their senior colleagues' pioneering work..." -[Artforum]

Synthesizer music pioneers Alan Howarth and Harald Grosskopf shared a bill with Emeralds as part of the Unsound Festival at Le Poisson Rouge on Friday night (4/8). And it was old meets new, as Grosskopf was joined by A.R.P, Blondes, Laurel Halo, Pink Skull and James Ferraro. Howarth and Emeralds also played together. Jade Boyd provided the visuals.

The theme continued the next night as well as many of the same performers, Harald Grosskopf included, played and/or DJ'd at a secret party in Brooklyn. Erez was at both events, and his pictures from them continue, with some videos, below...

Continue reading "Alan Howarth, Harald Grosskopf, Emeralds & friends played an Unsound show @ LPR (and a secret gig in Brooklyn) (pics)"

Sinfonietta Cracovia

04.01 Friday
08:00 PM // ISSUE PROJECT ROOM
UNSOUND LABS: COLLABORATIONS 1, presented with ISSUE Project Room
Unsound Festival NY Labs kicks off at ISSUE Project Room with the first of 2 nights focusing on collaborations. HATI (PL) collaborates with Z'ev (US); Dawid Szczesny (PL) collaborates with duo MERCE made up of harpist Shelley Burgon & avant-turntablist Maria Chavez (US); Anna Zaradny (PL) collaborates with New York-based Walkman manipulator Aki Onda (US).
08:00 PM HATI + Z'ev
08:00 PM Anna Zaradny
08:00 PM MERCE
08:00 PM Dawid Szczesny
08:00 PM Aki Onda
Tickets: $12 / $10 members IPR

Though I don't think everyone is playing at 8:00, that is the official description of the Unsound Festival's first event which is happening at Issue Project Room tonight (4/1). Read more about it on the Opal Nest blog, and browse through the whole schedule to see what's happening over the 10 days at various New York venues.

April 6th is the Daníel Bjarnason/Ben Frost w/ Krakow orchestra Sinfonietta Cracovia "Music for Solaris" show at Alice Tully Hall. Sinfonietta Cracovia (who are coming all the way from Poland) also perform the day after that at Judson Church where they'll be performing Gorecki including the piece you can watch below.

To quote the NY Times...

"Now in its second year, this New York outpost of a vital Polish avant-garde music festival includes several events of note for contemporary-classical partisans. On Wednesday at Lincoln Center, the Sinfonietta Cracovia presents "Music for Solaris," a multimedia homage to Stanislaw Lem's novel with music by Ben Frost and Daníel Bjarnason, and works by Krzysztof Penderecki and Steve Reich. On Thursday evening Morton Subotnick revisits his pioneering electronic work "Silver Apples of the Moon" at the Rubenstein Atrium; later, at the Judson Church, the Sinfonietta Cracovia plays works by Henryk Gorecki in a concert shared with the Norwegian duo Deaf Center. Wednesday at 8 p.m., Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, (212) 671-4050, lincolncenter.org; $20 to $30. Thursday at 7:30 p.m., David Rubenstein Atrium, Lincoln Center, (212) 875-5456, lincolncenter.org; free; at 10 p.m., Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South, Greenwich Village , (212) 598-0551, judson.org; $12 in advance, $15 at the door. (Smith)"

You can also find more info in our previous post on the fest's lineup, and in our initial announcement as well. The above-mentioned video and more below...

Continue reading "UNSOUND is here (April 1-10 in NYC)"

Ben Frost at Brooklyn Masonic Temple (more by Greg Cristman)

After a successful inaugural year, Unsound returns in 2011. As discussed, the ten day festival will take place from April 1st - 10th at multiple venues across New York City with the musical program taking place from April 6th - 10th.

Kicking off April 6th at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, as also discussed Unsound will host Music For Solaris, a multimedia experience that incorporates the Tarkovsky film, Lem's written source material, and music "written for twenty-nine string players, two percussionists, prepared piano, guitars and electronics by Ben Frost (Australia / Iceland) and Daníel Bjarnason (Iceland) in collaboration with one of Poland's leading orchestras, Sinfonietta Cracovia." Brian Eno and Nick Robertson will be on hand for "film manipulations" of the Tarkovsky film.

The next three days will see events with Morton Subotnick, Atom, Lone, Badawi, Kontext, Alan Howarth, Harald Grosskopf, Emeralds, the previously mentioned debut of the new incarnation of Skull Defekts with Daniel Higgs (April 3rd at Littlefield), and so much more.

On April 10th, the festival will close up shop with with three events, one of which will feature the NYC live and dark debut of Lustmord with Void Ov Voices (aka Attila of Mayhem) and Robert Piotrowicz at Abrons Art Center.

More details on Unsound NYC are below.

Continue reading "Unsound 2011 lineup updates (Ben Frost, Brian Eno, Emeralds, Lustmord, Void Ov Voices, Morton Subotnick, Atom & more)"

DOWNLOAD: Mark McGuire - Brothers (for Matt) (MP3)

"Mark McGuire's been kicking around since mid-2006 as guitarist for Cleveland heroes Emeralds. He's also put out about 30 solo records, in batches sometimes as limited as 20 copies per pressing. With his new solo LP on Austrian label Editions Mego, who put out Oneohtrix Point Never's Returnal and Emeralds' Does It Look Like I'm Here? earlier this year, McGuire is finally getting the distribution he deserves. Living With Yourself is a deeply personal album, but not in the sense of, say, an Elliot Smith release. McGuire doesn't wear his heart on his sleeve, bare his soul, or poetically expose his innermost desires and tragic flaws. In fact, he hardly says a word. He doesn't have to."
[Ric Leichtung @ Altered Zones]

Every time I read about Mark McGuire (like in that most recent gushing Pitchfork Altered Zones piece) (which came with an accompanying tweet that said the record is "one of 'our favorite records in the world right now.'"), I, like probably anyone might that regularly reads this site and knows who the other Mark McGwire is, think of the ironically named Brooklyn DIY venue Shea Stadium.

Mark McGuire (it's not spelled the same despite what the Photoshopped baseball card above says) has no upcoming dates at the moment - he was in town in April, and in September as a member of Emeralds as part of a tour with Caribou. When he comes back, someone please book him at Shea Stadium (maybe he even played there already?). Grab an MP3 above. Put on your headphones and listen to the live videos below...

Continue reading "Mark McGuire (should play Shea Stadium)"

The previously announced Throbbing Gristle tour has been extended (thx anon). Now there is a second chance to see the reunited band if you don't have a ticket to their sold out shows in Brooklyn and Chicago. Tickets go on sale Monday at 11:55am for an April 28th show at Brooklyn Masonic Temple with Alan Vega (Suicide) and Emeralds. Their first show at the same venue happens 12 days earlier which is before they play Coachella and San Francisco, but not LA:

The U.C.L.A. event has been cancelled due to circumstances beyond TG's control.

Discussions are ongoing to find a replacement event at a venue TBC.
Details will be posted here as soon as they are available.

The new Chicago date is on sale now. No word yet if the format of the new dates will be the same (two sets) as the old dates. All tour dates, including a couple in Europe, below...

Continue reading "Throbbing Gristle add 2nd NYC & Chicago shows, cancel LA"

No Fun Fest 2009. May 15,16,17 at Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. Daily Schedule,ticket info/prices will be announced by January 12.

Full lineup below...

Continue reading "Sonic Youth, Merzbow & Bardo Pond playing No Fun Fest 2009 (full 3-day, Brooklyn lineup)"