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Zorn List Digest         Monday, July 9 2001         Volume 03 : Number 494



In this issue:
-
       Re: zorn's computer equipment?
       Re: squarepusher? (was: Ustad Alla Rakha)
       Re: New Zorn
       Fwd: Satoko Fujii Quartet@Moers
       Re: Free Improve (sort of)
       Re: Gerry Hemingway/NY Composers Orch
       good/bad music
       Re: Locus Solus (was: Re: Ustad Alla Rakha)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2001 17:15:36 +0200
From: "Andreas Dietz" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: zorn's computer equipment?

>From: Jeroen de Boer <[e-mail]>
>
>I haven't heard Songs From The Hermetic Theatre yet, but it should be in
>the
>mail in short notice. My question however is if there's anyone here who
>knows what equipment/software Zorn uses when creating computermusic. Most
>of
>the electronic musicians I worked with/know use the combination
>Mac/max/msp.
>I'm curious to find out what Zorn uses.

sometime back we had a discussion about Zorn and the Zornlist and someone
posted that he asked the man and he was surprised about the list but
wouldn┤t participate because he didn┤t like and didn┤t use computers (as I
remember)...

Andreas
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- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2001 10:14:40 -0500
From: Matthew Ross Davis <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: squarepusher? (was: Ustad Alla Rakha)

On Mon, Jul 09, 2001 at 11:05:02AM +0200, Ari wrote:
> on 08-07-2001 22:44, Arthur Gadney at [e-mail] wrote:
>
> > (...) I remember back in the middle ages when some people from
> > this list were interested in drum'n'bass and even jungle (...)

Those people are still here. :)

> well, saturday squarepusher will perform here in belgium. i only have music
> is rotted one note (and like it). should i go? or should i choose for
> christian vogel (who will be here also)? or is it better to stay at home?

As much as I love C. Vogel, I wouldn't pass up the chance to see Squarepusher
this time around. His new album, "Go Plastic", is a truly amazing work of
brilliant jerky f'ed up drum and bass 2-step madness. :)

But for crying out loud, don't stay home! At least see one of them. You
Europeans are spoiled by all the really good electronica - in the States it's
all trance-this and trance-that...

:)

m


- -

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2001 16:00:04 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: New Zorn

> I did hear the new Zorn and found no interest in it
> after a first contact.
> The computer compositions are just senseless noise
> IMHO. I couldn't say it's even hilarious or
> entertaining in some way. There was also a composition
> with a recitation that could be relatively
> highlightable.
> All in all, a dull Zorn's release. Boring and
> gratuitous and pretentious are the words that come to
> my mind

Ok. Well. I'm not going to say that Zorn hasn't seemed kind of pretentious,
especially as of late, though some of his self-love does hearken back to the
liner notes of Spillane. I'm not going to say that the new release is
particularly genius, but I will contend that it is at least an inspired
collection. Zorn's been at sort of a compositional block lately, I think.
What attracted me to his work in the first place was the endless eclecticism
and constant striving for new means of musical expression. That stuff is very
clear up until the last couple of years. Then, there was a flood of
Masada-related stuff, which while I respect, I will admit it got a little bit
too comfortable for Zorn at times. A couple of collections of chamber/string
pieces, which were written not so recently, and other "classical"
compositions, etc.. Zorn looks like he's trying very hard to cement his
validity as an important avant-garde composer, which rankles, especially
considering most of us (at least on this list)  already believe he is, and
besides us, who else really matters?
Anyway, the new collection, one computer piece and one electronic piece that
sound REMARKABLY similar, a piece for Maya Deren, and a piece for Beuys, is
at least a very clear break from the recent rehashing.
Instead of continuing to hone and refine his skills, as he did on his last
chamber release, and the Masada live series, he's back to experimenting, and
I, for one, am glad.
The electronics pieces do not sound like senseless noise. They are very, very
active compositions, however. There is not much in the way of silence and the
sounds are distinctly digital, rather than implementing any sort of
sampling.. The closest analogy I can make would probably be to Morton
Subotnick, or at least one of those computers you hear in cartoons from the
70's. There are definitely some polyphonic rhythmic things happening, though,
and some very interesting uses high sine-wave frequencies and white noise as
a disrupting factor. The Maya Deren piece, I felt, was the real failure of
the album. Who really thinks that bass guitar feedback is that interesting? I
really loved "Redbird", and this ain't no "Redbird".  I'm not entirely sure
what my reasoning is, but I really found the Deren piece to be entirely a
failure, except for the sample of Maya Deren speaking, and that was only
because she has something interesting to say.
The real stand-out piece is "Beuyblock", the instrumentation was nicely
assembled, though I felt the implementation of more traditional instruments,
the violin and the piano, were sort of a concession on Zorn's behalf.  Though
I do feel it is the strongest work on the album, I also felt rather let down
by it. The were so many compositional possibilities with the instrumentation
selected on the new cd, and it seems like Zorn just ignored them and focused
on the instrumentation itself. Which would be enough for, say, Morton
Feldman.
I don't know. I'd like to see him continue in this line of work, and I give
him credit for not jumping on the IDM bandwagon or just making some piece of
Musique Concrete, but this album just isn't the bomb-diggity as I was hoping.

from,
matt

- -

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 08 Jul 2001 16:22:47 -0000
From: "Arthur Gadney" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Fwd: Satoko Fujii Quartet@Moers

Hello Zorners

I tried sending this a few times before, but I think it never made it
through. It was around the time of The Big Zornlist Crash, at least...

    [zorn-list-owner note: it was probably because this message
    is so large...the list has a max message size filter to
    catch spam and attachments]

I thought it might interest some of you. It came from the japan psych list.

>From: carson <[e-mail]>
>To: jap list <[e-mail]>
>Subject: Satoko Fujii Quartet@Moers
>Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2001 00:50:59 +0200
>
>Satoko Fujii Quartet, Moers, 3Jun2001
>
>Fujii Satoko - p
>Tamura Natsuki - tp
>Hayakawa Takeharu - el-b
>Yoshida Tatsuya - dr
>
>You may wanna skip this review since the event is pretty well documented.
>Bootlegs exist (I have 2) and the WDR will probably broadcast their set
>later. Anybody interested can email me off list. There╣s a teaser at
>http://www.moers-festival.com/live/index.html.
>In April they recorded a CD at GOK (esp. with Moers in mind) which arrived
>from the pressing plant 2 days before the quartet left Japan. The CDs they
>brought to Moers sold out in few minutes, but I suppose it will be
>available
>in distribution. It╣s out on Libra Records.
>(http://www.cameco.co.jp/cd/web_home/libra.htm)
>
>Bear with me if this is too much a Yoshida review. I╣ll try my best. Also,
>I
>really hate when reviews get too specific about the music (because most
>critics just wanna show that they think they know what a modulation is
>etc).
>But since I suspect that someone might be curious how this kind of odd
>line-up adds up I╣ll try to describe the songs. Skip it if you can╣t stand
>it.
>
>1: Junction (Fujii)
>A (mid 70s) Keith Jarrett kind of rock tune. Repeated ostinato with free
>playing on top. Loud but pretty straight drums and lots of energetic piano
>all over the place (Cecil Taylor kind of thing).  Distorted bass solo over
>repeated drum pattern. Free piano solo alone. Very powerful little jazz
>pianist, that. Probably the smallest giant since Petrucciani but with a lot
>more balls in my opinion (I suppose I didn╣t have to write that but since I
>probably won╣t ever write a jazz review again I couldn╣t help myself).
>Expressive trumpet solo with almost a kind of Albert Ayler vibrato.
>[Downbeat here I come! :-) But seriously...]
>
>2: LH Fast (Fujii)
>The title says it. A fast unison line in the low end of the piano. Pretty
>similar to Ruins╣ Olivier Messiaen Cover Song (for those lucky enough to
>have heard that) which is based on a movement from Visions de l╣Amen, or
>Messiaen╣s Danse De La Fureur from Quartour Pour Le Fin De Temps. Just
>piano
>and drums (according to Yoshida the other two guys couldn╣t play it). They
>played it even faster than on the CD. The kind of song which gains power
>the
>faster you play it.  Hearing this song it was obvious why she had chosen
>Yoshida. Direct segue into....
>
>3: Incident (Tamura)
>Based on a slow walking 4-note ostinato. Sensual expressive trumpet on top
>(slight New Orleans vibe to it). Short spastic bursts from piano and drums.
>Then bass and drums playing free, finally settling in a rock groove with
>piano solo on top. In the bass/drum section I obviously couldn╣t help
>comparing with Ruins. The sound wasn╣t as hard as most Ruins, but apart
>from
>that the difference was kind of subtle compared to a free Ruins section
>(Hayakawa didn╣t use a flatpick, but nevermind...). Here I had the feeling
>of 2 musicians who were chasing each others very closely. With Ruins, at
>their best, I have more a feeling of telepathy, like they don╣t listen to
>what the other guy is playing and then react, they just instinctively play
>in perfect sync no matter how many twists and turns they make. Does that
>make sense? Anyways, the level (not the sound level) in Moers was very
>high.
>It wasn╣t  Ruins and shouldn╣t be rated as such.
>
>4: Ninepin (Fujii)
>Free solo bass intro. The theme could actually have been Petrucciani (or
>Chick Corea or Keith Jarrett or...) . Underneath it a 1-note 9/8 ostinato.
>Kind of folk-ish (whatever that means!). Ok trumpet solo with great 4-tet
>playing. Powerful, dynamic piano solo including long expressive rubato
>passages, most of the time the trio playing kicks ass. Solid drum solo, in
>tempo, with straight 16th notes almost all the way through, kind of clean
>and disciplined...maybe a bit too clean and disciplined.  Thankfully
>Yoshida
>introduced a bit of anarchy after his solo when he locked in an 11/8
>pattern
>for the 9/8 theme. Let╣s face it: I think it was a mistake - but everyone
>was cool (Hayakawa just played along with Yoshida╣s pattern and after a
>while with that Fujii just started playing the theme and after a few bars
>the other two adjusted their accents to fit, Tamura joined the party on the
>repetition of the theme). I could very easily imagine Jim Black (who has
>played with Fujii)  play this song, but it probably wouldn╣t sound anything
>like this did.
>
>5: Explorer (Tamura)
>The intro reminded me a bit of ICP Orchestra. Free bass and short
>Weill-like
>phrases on the trumpet, the piano sometimes joining the trumpet line
>sometimes playing free. The next section was a fast, free section with
>Fujii
>and Yoshida playing wild fast stuff and the other two playing slow lines
>mostly. Finally a short line like the trumpet in the beginning to finish
>the
>thing.
>
>6: The Sun in a moonlight night (Fujii)
>This is the song which opens the CD. It starts off with a solo vocal
>improvisation by Yoshida. This gave me goosebumps. Unlike anything I have
>heard before (even from Yoshida). An outstanding, unique and super weird
>performance. The main theme was based on a funky-almost-salsa kind of
>thing,
>but Yoshida overruled with a straight rock beat. Later it cut to a very
>slow
>tango kind of thing: First a bass solo accompanied by piano alone. After a
>while Yoshida sneaked in. The sound clip on the Moers site starts a bit
>into
>the vocal solo intro of this tune.
>
>As a whole I think the quartet worked well. They were all obviously
>exellent
>musicians. If they had a chance to do a longer tour (they have been playing
>together occationally over the last 2 or 3 years) I think they would
>stretch
>more, which is probably what I missed a little bit: Even if there was a lot
>of free playing I had the feeling that it was often a somewhat fomal kind
>of
>îfree╣ - not really stretching. But still they played better than on the CD
>which is actually very good. The response was good (no encores, tho).
>People
>were even standing in the aisles of the tent - a wild guess would be there
>were 1500-2000 people maybe more.
>
>All in all it was interesting to hear Yoshida as a sideman in a piano
>quartet. None of the music was based on any sort of swing feel, and he
>could
>pretty much do his thing without much adjustment. What really struck me was
>how unique he is. Obviously he has his heros, but in this context,
>ironically, his own personality really shone through. (But then again, his
>own projects are more unique than what you sometimes hear about him - to
>call him a Vander rip-off, as you often hear, is rediculous; the influence
>is there, obviously, but more than that he is totally unique. To compare
>Ruins with Magma is like comparing Coltrane with Lester Young or Haino with
>Clapton...No wait: Frith with Hank B Marvin! But I╣m getting dogmatic
>now...) I think the choice of a bass player and drummer who are not from
>the
>jazz tradition (maybe Hayakawa has played more jazz than Yoshida)  is what
>really makes this quartet something else. I admit I don╣t know so much
>Japanese jazz, though. When I heard Hayakawa he reminded me a bit of
>Hiroshi
>Higo╣s kind of punky playing.  Yoshida is the only member of the quartet
>I╣ve heard before, but I imagine that he brings out the more aggressive
>side
>in Fujii (whereas she seems to bring out the gentler sides in him) - I
>would
>imagine that eg. Jim Black╣s playing would be more colorful and sensitive,
>but I love Yoshida╣s energy. That said I didn╣t have the sense of some
>devil
>riding him as I often do. It was more a sense of an outstanding sideman
>doing a good job.
>
>BTW
>At the concert I was thinking: │Wonder what it would sound like if Yoshida
>played with brushes▓. On the CD he actually does play a little bit with
>brushes. Nothing spectacular, but it╣s definitely something new! Another
>thing which struck me about his playing which was suddenly clear in this
>context where you might expect some kind of jazz drummer: He never plays
>rolls, always single strokes - but sometimes extremely fast single strokes.
>Any jazz drummer would roll all over the place.
>
>
>
>Martin

- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2001 15:43:57 -0000
From: "thomas chatterton" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Free Improve (sort of)

>From: "&c." <[e-mail]>
>
>There was little reason for split screens, fast forwards/slow motion,
>cameras affixed to actors, or excessive quick cut montages.   Camera
>gimmicks, avant-garde techniques same thing.

Perhaps used in an attempt to replicate the mental state of 'drug' users? Or
should a director just use one stationary fixed focus camera? Was the long
crane shot at the beginning of 'Touch Of Evil' just a gimmick? Is Von
Trier's 'Dogma 95' just a gimmick?
Dunno, depends on the result...it's funny because I can completely
understand why people hate Aronofsky's films, oops sorry, movies, but
personally I luv 'em. Watch 'em over and over! Ellen Burstyn's amazing
performance is all the recommendation one needs to watch 'Requiem For A
Dream'. In the documentary 'Jimi Hendrix' there's a telling moment where
Jimi loses his cool when asked why he uses, yup you guessed it, 'gimmicks'!
I suppose there are those who can't see the trees for the...

np: Fred Anderson Robert Barry Duets 2001
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- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2001 12:02:35 EDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Re: Gerry Hemingway/NY Composers Orch

In a message dated 7/9/01 9:57:34 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[e-mail] writes:

<< Also, are the NY Composers Orchestra cds worth picking up? >>

I've got one of them-can't find it now for title purposes.  It's pretty
straight-ahead post-bop big-band stuff...nothing really wild.

- --
=dg=

- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2001 12:14:07 -0400 (EDT)
From: =?iso-8859-1?q?Pierre=20Toussaint?= <[e-mail]>
Subject: good/bad music

 Kurt Weill once said there's only good and bad music.
I'm not sure. What's true is that I love some music
and I hate some. There's no problem there. But, I'm
sorry, there's something in between. In my case, and
taking Zorn's stuff for example, I still am uncertain
about my opinions about his game pieces. I find them
interesting, which is maybe a different way of saying
I like them. But I don't listen to them often and
couldn't say I find them really good. Sure thing is I
once hated them (heard all the cobra stuff a couple of
years ago) but today I understand - I think - them
more thus I can get something from them. But still,
I'd never give up a Masada quartet cd for a game piece
that's for sure.

I think opinion can be exist between good and bad, if
not, it's manicheism or over-simplification. One thing
for sure, I know what I like and don't like. But
there's lots of stuff in between. Things that I don't
grasp yet, things that have too many flaws for my
taste, things that contradict my state of mind, etc.
It's like grading papers for undergrads. It easy to
give A's and D's. But everything in between, we'll,
it's not easy and completely subjective.

Pierre Toussaint



- -

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2001 09:15:54 -0700
From: "Patrice L. Roussel" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Locus Solus (was: Re: Ustad Alla Rakha)

On Tue, 10 Jul 2001 01:25:00 -0700  Skip Heller wrote:
>
> I'm one of those people who never got with LOCUS SOLACE.  Kept wondering if
> I was missing something, went back to it a few times, but there's something
> about it that sounds to me like it's groundwork for something a little more,
> for lack of better words, planned.

Locus Solus is about the instant. Trying to say the maximum in the minimum
amount of time (like DNA). This is not a Mahler symphony and your critical
approach has to adjust to the objective in mind. The record is not perfect
(like what you would expect from one where the musicians are taking risks),
but the hights are awesome, like "The Violent Death Of Dutch Schultz", and
the global energy and power of the record is... dearly missed these days.
This is music that only Zorn could do and this record triggered the initial
excitement about him. Planned? This is neither Masada.

    Patrice.

- -

------------------------------

End of Zorn List Digest V3 #494
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