design by Robin Parmar
An audience of sixty attended Soundings 1012 on an unseasonably warm night in Limerick. The multitude of strange, pleasant, annoying and ecstatic sounds enjoyed by that audience cannot be represented here, so a few photos will have to do.
BoyK on bicycle and LINUX audio processing with Billythebrand on various devices including a clapped out synth, bass and various pedals.
Jürgen Simpson's analogue synth with Nord keyboard and Lemur controller.
Slavek Kwi played novel items including various springs and metal parts dropped and suspended in this tank. As always he looked to be enjoying himself!
The lights were out for the Xenakis piece, so almost no-one saw these colours and shapes.
Soundings presents "La Légende d'Eer" by Iannis Xenakis
PLUS Slavek Kwi, Jürgen Simpson, Billythebrand and BoyK
"La Légende d'Eer" is a monumental electroacoustic work created by Xenakis in 1977-78 for the opening of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Soundings is proud to present a rare multi-channel concert of this piece, on a stunning sound system brought in specially from the University of Limerick.
Iannis Xenakis (1922-2001) was one of the giants of twentieth-century music, who pioneered the use of mathematical principles in composition, inventing what was to be called "stochastic" music. The 47 minute "La Légende d'Eer" is an extraordinary sonic universe of thumb pianos, Jew's harps, Japanese drums, bricks and computer-assisted electronics.
"Harrowingly effective, tracing a broad arc of abstract sound and emotion, beginning and ending with high-pitched drones that hovered eerily in the darkness." -- New York Times
"A gigantic, awesome, staggering piece." -- The Wire
The evening will be complemented by an improvisation for live electronics and hydrophone by Slavek Kwi and Jürgen Simpson.
Slavek Kwi is a sound artist, composer and researcher whose main interest lies in the phenomena of perception as the fundamental determinant of relations with Reality. He has been fascinated by sound-environments for the last 25 years, focusing on electroacoustic sound-paintings.
Jürgen Simpson's output includes electroacoustic works, music for film, dance, two operas and three albums with The Jimmy Cake. He has a specific dedication to live electronic music performance and has played electroacoustic works by Stockhausen, Cage and Nono as well as his own pieces.
Also appearing will be Billythebrand and BoyK.
Billythebrand makes free music by whatever means present themselves as necessary. BoyK plays, hits, strums and bows improvised bicycles. Expect improvised electronic and acoustic music -- percussive melodics to cycle to!
This event inaugurates another season of Soundings events, a continuing performance series designed to open the senses to new forms of music, sound art and media interaction. The location is the beautifully restored Daghdha Space, John's Square, Limerick, Ireland.
Admission is only 10 euros (5 euros concession) at the door. University of Limerick students are free with student ID. Space is limited: first come, first served.