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ateolfOkay, now back to Memphis Concrète and what's the next set? Janet Xmas! So the ladder I went through all that trouble to get came into use! She uses a chair with contact mics and the ladder with contact mics and some tape machines and the mics run through effects like delays and loopers and such. She starts wearing a burlap sack and a bag on her head. She walks towards the stage from the back of the room playing a singing bowl. Then she sits on the chair and writhes around and eventually makes it to the ladder and writhes around that. At a point she tears off the burlap sack and she's wearing business clothes underneath (with a black skirt and white blouse). More writhing around and hitting the ladder and chair and back and forth and some climbing the inside of the ladder. The she goes to the back again and takes off the clothes with nothing but a flesh-toned bra and g-string and proceeds to go back to the chair and ladder and move around it all with the noise from the mics and the tapes and stuff. It was pretty intense! And the sounds from that ladder were pretty acoustically nice too. Next it was Fosterfalls. Now, there are quite a few considerations when sequencing the set order for a festival and one among many is just the musical flow, but sometimes more practical considerations come into play. Long story short, Fosterfalls wasn't originally scheduled to follow Janet Xmas but after the first draft some people needed their days/times moved around so that's how it ended up. And at first it felt like it'd be an odd order to things, but I figured sometimes when things happen by chance you just gotta let them play out. Well, it ended up somehow fitting perfect to me in the moment. I don't know why. I mean, they're both awesome artists but maybe it was the nice calming power Fosterfalls had after the intensity of Janet Xmas's set. And they both have a (VERY different) confident presence on stage. I wouldn't have sought that out, but to me it ended up being perfect in a way. Next it was post doom romance and they did their regular set...and then they did their collaborative set with Dinosauria right after! They called Mac to the stage and they both played together for a half-set, fifteen minutes, and then they left the stage and Mac finished the other fifteen minutes on his own. That set REALLY brought the house down. Dinosauria got a standing ovation. The crowd was really into it and it was a really intense set even for him! Awesome! Then it was suroor closing out the night with the band (drums and bass). One thing I noticed especially with suroor's and Fosterfalls' sets (the ones with vocals) is the quality of the sound in the Green Room really almost changes their sound. I mean, I love seeing bands in divey places with crappy sound...but still there's something about those crystal-clear sounds. I think the sound quality of the Green Room helped Mac's amp sound as well. It was just present and clear and forceful. So yeah, there you have a good night!
The next day I'm back at it and almost kinda get enough sleep but the backlog loomed over me so I was feeling a bit exhausted but I made it through. This time I was able to get someone to pick up the sandwiches for me (though it wasn't as big a deal). Sound checks seemed to go not as well this day. Ipek was excited to get to play Crosstown's baby grand piano and had been practicing on it and setting up her electronics for quadraphonic sound, but she seemed to be very frustrated during her soundcheck. And I didn't see her for a good while after that, much closer to her set time, so I figured she was probably in a bad mood and unhappy. Well, anyway back to the show. It finally gets underway. marianne was first, this is Emily's (formerly whit3corset) new project and this was the first public performance. I didn't really know too much about what it'd sound like other than some descriptions. Just guitar and vocals and pretty shoegazey. Next it was Strooly and he did his really nice and deep ambient thing. Next it was Infinity Stairs. They had a big complicated video and synth rig with a crt tv on the stage with a camera for video feedback and lots of other video synthesis gear. Graham and Corbin had this two table v-formation. So they're running the sound and doing their own projections. Really awesome video stuff too and the music was perfect with it. They had a continual set thing planned with Hater Group Chat since Corbin is in both and it was nonstop and then Zach and Kole came onstage and then it morphed into that set. Things got a little behind here because the setup was so involved and took a while (even though it was pre-set-up on the side...it was just so much stuff). Oh I forgot to add that the first day...no projections! Crosstown was trying to use their Mac Air thing for the projector but I can't connect to that on my computer (it's a garbage setup anyway) and they tried to do a thing of logging in with their computer and I could send the files to them, but then they couldn't get it working with that computer anyway. So the videos I'd made didn't get used and the schedule I was going to project wasn't used either so I had to mc and that's always lame! Anyway, I knew how critical the video was for Graham's stuff so I let him know the situation and he came by to scope out the setup and figure out what to do. So the solution was he has a long hdmi cable and he just ran it straight from the projector. And there was already an hdmi cable up there (not as long and couldn't reach the stage)...in fact the very one I'd used previously but it was coiled up on the ceiling and since there are two hdmi ports we had both and could switch between them. So video the next day was better and I was able to show some of my videos that I'd made at least during three sets. Okay, video blather! Next it was The Corrupting Sea (I love their stuff, but as I was involved in the next act, it was the one I wasn't able to put as much attention to as the others!). Then The Memphis Concrète Electroacoustic Chamber Ensemble played! And I conducted. I think it went really well. In fact, once again the performance on stage was the best run-through (not that there were many before at all!). So yeah, again it was Catie on flute, Laura on violin, Alex on alto saxophone, Austin on oboe, and Karl on electronics. Man they sounded good! I'm still just blown away listening to them play and keeping up and adapting with the different tempos. The only thing I messed up was I hit the music stand with my baton towards the end as I too much got into the "triumphantly" of the last section. But yeah, again the premise is they're all playing parts of different scores of classical (and some other public domain) music at the same time. Got lots of compliments about it afterwards. Schaeffer said it almost made him cry. Ipek asked if I composed it, but I had to let her know it was composed by the public domain. That's the one I most can't wait to go back and listen to. Next it was Ipek Eginli. We wheeled out the piano in front of the stage for her. Then we moved the four speakers in the corners of the room a little closer to the center per her request for the impact of the quadraphonic sound. Everyone was asked to get in the center section. Wow! An intense fucking performance. She played the piano (with a bit of playing the wires inside, especially in the beginning) with the electronics going around the quadraphonic setup. Lots of quiet intensity and the audience was just rapt and you could feel the tension and pull towards her. She's really an incredible performer. And between notes you could hear a pin drop. I loved everybody, but this was a pretty huge moment for me (it kind of brought back the feeling of last festival's electroacoustic performance more than the thing I made up for it!...I mean, awesome in different ways...and in some ways her set was even "on paper" closer to it as well). And then Drop Ceiling closed the night out with an awesome set with Bennett on board on vocals. And then it's over! I got a little bit of merch from a few people I got some cds from Jason (The Corrupting Sea...including some of his other projects): AES: Planet Gazing, AES: Latchkey Dancefloor, The Corrupting Sea: Political Shit, The Corrupting Sea: The Healing House of Light, and Circumrotation: Cosmonaut. I also got an Infinity Stairs t-shirt. (Oh yeah, and the day before Jason gave me a The Corrupting Sea shirt too.) Talked to a few people. Got to tell Ipek that her mom had followed the page on ig and now I know how piano talent runs in the family. More stuff? Probably, feeling all a blur now. There was a lot of compliments about it this year and a lot of warm feelings afterwards. I meet Crosstown to go over it all on Friday so then I'll see how it did financially... Anyway, packed up and went home.
On Monday I picked the ladder back up from Crosstown. Not too much else since then. Been on some walks the past few days. Taken a peek at some of the audio recordings. A bit bummed about The Terminator recording. Recorded the metal and the synths on two separate recorders to have more control and maybe do a little mixing with them later. The metal came out alright, though it does sound different...smaller than it did all clanging and loud in the room. The synths got recorded way too hot and the whole thing peaks pretty badly. I may get the audio from some video recordings and mix them together and that might get an overall alright sound. We'll see. I can probably do some stuff with it but don't have the time yet. Haven't really dipped into the festival recordings but got them off the sd card and saw they're there. I think they probably came out okay...except Ipek's. I guess the rerouting of things for the quadaraphonics made it completely bypass the send to the recorder and I just found silence for that whole stretch. I mean, I'm sure it wouldn't have done it justice in the slightest and there's a good chance it would have missed the rear channels anyway. But still, getting nothing was a bummer. I'm sure the video got it so I can always go back to that and I know she recorded her set herself on her phone. Oh yeah. And while at the festival just before I went on for the Electroacoustic thing, I noticed that my lip had started to break out into a cold sore from the stress and lack of sleep. I mean, the festival itself really isn't stressful, but the live score had been and I never caught up from it (especially the lack of sleep itself being a stressor). So I'm kinda gross to look at and right now it's in the scabby-looking phase. Tangela who did the sound was really into the festival and wants to play it next time. Someone messaged me after from New Orleans saying their family came up (it kinda sounded like he said FOR it but maybe for something else and just was happy to have it as part of the trip) and really enjoyed it. I'm sure I have something else to say but I can't remember. At least this is mostly kind of caught up.
The next day I'm back at it and almost kinda get enough sleep but the backlog loomed over me so I was feeling a bit exhausted but I made it through. This time I was able to get someone to pick up the sandwiches for me (though it wasn't as big a deal). Sound checks seemed to go not as well this day. Ipek was excited to get to play Crosstown's baby grand piano and had been practicing on it and setting up her electronics for quadraphonic sound, but she seemed to be very frustrated during her soundcheck. And I didn't see her for a good while after that, much closer to her set time, so I figured she was probably in a bad mood and unhappy. Well, anyway back to the show. It finally gets underway. marianne was first, this is Emily's (formerly whit3corset) new project and this was the first public performance. I didn't really know too much about what it'd sound like other than some descriptions. Just guitar and vocals and pretty shoegazey. Next it was Strooly and he did his really nice and deep ambient thing. Next it was Infinity Stairs. They had a big complicated video and synth rig with a crt tv on the stage with a camera for video feedback and lots of other video synthesis gear. Graham and Corbin had this two table v-formation. So they're running the sound and doing their own projections. Really awesome video stuff too and the music was perfect with it. They had a continual set thing planned with Hater Group Chat since Corbin is in both and it was nonstop and then Zach and Kole came onstage and then it morphed into that set. Things got a little behind here because the setup was so involved and took a while (even though it was pre-set-up on the side...it was just so much stuff). Oh I forgot to add that the first day...no projections! Crosstown was trying to use their Mac Air thing for the projector but I can't connect to that on my computer (it's a garbage setup anyway) and they tried to do a thing of logging in with their computer and I could send the files to them, but then they couldn't get it working with that computer anyway. So the videos I'd made didn't get used and the schedule I was going to project wasn't used either so I had to mc and that's always lame! Anyway, I knew how critical the video was for Graham's stuff so I let him know the situation and he came by to scope out the setup and figure out what to do. So the solution was he has a long hdmi cable and he just ran it straight from the projector. And there was already an hdmi cable up there (not as long and couldn't reach the stage)...in fact the very one I'd used previously but it was coiled up on the ceiling and since there are two hdmi ports we had both and could switch between them. So video the next day was better and I was able to show some of my videos that I'd made at least during three sets. Okay, video blather! Next it was The Corrupting Sea (I love their stuff, but as I was involved in the next act, it was the one I wasn't able to put as much attention to as the others!). Then The Memphis Concrète Electroacoustic Chamber Ensemble played! And I conducted. I think it went really well. In fact, once again the performance on stage was the best run-through (not that there were many before at all!). So yeah, again it was Catie on flute, Laura on violin, Alex on alto saxophone, Austin on oboe, and Karl on electronics. Man they sounded good! I'm still just blown away listening to them play and keeping up and adapting with the different tempos. The only thing I messed up was I hit the music stand with my baton towards the end as I too much got into the "triumphantly" of the last section. But yeah, again the premise is they're all playing parts of different scores of classical (and some other public domain) music at the same time. Got lots of compliments about it afterwards. Schaeffer said it almost made him cry. Ipek asked if I composed it, but I had to let her know it was composed by the public domain. That's the one I most can't wait to go back and listen to. Next it was Ipek Eginli. We wheeled out the piano in front of the stage for her. Then we moved the four speakers in the corners of the room a little closer to the center per her request for the impact of the quadraphonic sound. Everyone was asked to get in the center section. Wow! An intense fucking performance. She played the piano (with a bit of playing the wires inside, especially in the beginning) with the electronics going around the quadraphonic setup. Lots of quiet intensity and the audience was just rapt and you could feel the tension and pull towards her. She's really an incredible performer. And between notes you could hear a pin drop. I loved everybody, but this was a pretty huge moment for me (it kind of brought back the feeling of last festival's electroacoustic performance more than the thing I made up for it!...I mean, awesome in different ways...and in some ways her set was even "on paper" closer to it as well). And then Drop Ceiling closed the night out with an awesome set with Bennett on board on vocals. And then it's over! I got a little bit of merch from a few people I got some cds from Jason (The Corrupting Sea...including some of his other projects): AES: Planet Gazing, AES: Latchkey Dancefloor, The Corrupting Sea: Political Shit, The Corrupting Sea: The Healing House of Light, and Circumrotation: Cosmonaut. I also got an Infinity Stairs t-shirt. (Oh yeah, and the day before Jason gave me a The Corrupting Sea shirt too.) Talked to a few people. Got to tell Ipek that her mom had followed the page on ig and now I know how piano talent runs in the family. More stuff? Probably, feeling all a blur now. There was a lot of compliments about it this year and a lot of warm feelings afterwards. I meet Crosstown to go over it all on Friday so then I'll see how it did financially... Anyway, packed up and went home.
On Monday I picked the ladder back up from Crosstown. Not too much else since then. Been on some walks the past few days. Taken a peek at some of the audio recordings. A bit bummed about The Terminator recording. Recorded the metal and the synths on two separate recorders to have more control and maybe do a little mixing with them later. The metal came out alright, though it does sound different...smaller than it did all clanging and loud in the room. The synths got recorded way too hot and the whole thing peaks pretty badly. I may get the audio from some video recordings and mix them together and that might get an overall alright sound. We'll see. I can probably do some stuff with it but don't have the time yet. Haven't really dipped into the festival recordings but got them off the sd card and saw they're there. I think they probably came out okay...except Ipek's. I guess the rerouting of things for the quadaraphonics made it completely bypass the send to the recorder and I just found silence for that whole stretch. I mean, I'm sure it wouldn't have done it justice in the slightest and there's a good chance it would have missed the rear channels anyway. But still, getting nothing was a bummer. I'm sure the video got it so I can always go back to that and I know she recorded her set herself on her phone. Oh yeah. And while at the festival just before I went on for the Electroacoustic thing, I noticed that my lip had started to break out into a cold sore from the stress and lack of sleep. I mean, the festival itself really isn't stressful, but the live score had been and I never caught up from it (especially the lack of sleep itself being a stressor). So I'm kinda gross to look at and right now it's in the scabby-looking phase. Tangela who did the sound was really into the festival and wants to play it next time. Someone messaged me after from New Orleans saying their family came up (it kinda sounded like he said FOR it but maybe for something else and just was happy to have it as part of the trip) and really enjoyed it. I'm sure I have something else to say but I can't remember. At least this is mostly kind of caught up.
no subject
Date: 2025-06-12 01:11 pm (UTC)Ipek is Phenomenal and i am REALLY glad she played. My show in Nashville had almost no audience but she still played like it was a packed house. I envy that energy!
no subject
Date: 2025-06-12 01:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-06-12 05:03 pm (UTC)also, the prospect of Tangela playing the festival in the future makes me super duper happy (among many other reasons my dream of music about vibrators performed someplace like that may happen yet!). (as does finally knowing another Abra fan in town! which was her sentiment about it too, ha)