Archive for January, 2009
Trespassing by Olga Mink
Triple channel video that is part of “The Nature of being” by Scanner and Olga Mink.
This video is based on the idea how we memorise and connect data stored in parts of our brain. Intercontextual information is created within moments, memories, images sounds, that have occured in the past. The video touches the subject of how people share a single event together, yet experience “reality” completely different. Subjective.
trespassing [part of Nature of Being] from Olga Mink on Vimeo.
‘Tuin’ by Eva Mouton
Eva Mouton is a Belgian artist and poet, this is her work ‘Tuin’ (garden) which I find very effective in its simplicity:

Eva also has her own website here: Evamouton.be, with drawings and funny anecdotes in Dutch.
Benders record top 5 of december 2008
This month we move more in the direction of Avant-garde music. Please note that the mentioned records aren’t (necessarily) records that have been published in 2008; they are merely records I have discovered and listened to in this month and which I find special enough to recommend.
1. Fausto Rometelli – Professor Bad Trip

Fausto Rometelli is an Italian avant-garde composer that, unfortunately, died at the age of 41. This record, which appeared in 2003 is the piece ‘Professor Bad Trip’ played by the Belgian Ensemble Ictus from Brussels with Georges-Elie Octors, conductor. This work was inspired by the Belgian poet Henri Michaux and is a fantastic listening experience! Hybridation, mixing contemporary and rock music, distortion, saturation, psychedelic inspiration, “dirty” harmonies are the main words to describe his non-formalist musical universe. It is one of the most interesting works I have heard lately.
2. Jean Michel Jarre – La Cage / Erosmachine (EMI Pathé)

I think this was the first single of Jarre and I think it’s pretty hard to find. It is a great work, I like it much better than most of his later works. Both tracks are fabulous: hypnotic rhythm patterns made with concrete sounds, dark vibes, early synth waves, progressive layers of weird sounds, tape manipulations. Definitely a collectors item.
3. Bernard Gerard- Tempo (Unidisc)

This is a fantastic record with funky, minimalist psychosomatic avant-garde music. Unfortunately its even harder to find than the previous record so I doubted about mentioning it, but if you have the chance to lay your hands on it you sure should, especially if you are into weird 70′s soundscapes! It appeared on the Unidisk label.
4. The Art Ensemble of Chicago – Reese & The Smooth Ones

This is experimental jazz, but really good one! The entire record is one big improvisation. The Art Ensemble of Chicago is one of the most inventive, funny and creative groups that was out there around these times. Must have for any avant-garde jazz lover, and a very good listen for anyone else too, really.
5. Funkfu – Psycho Funk vs Rare Grooves 1970-1976

This isn’t really avant-garde but it’s one of the best funk records ever! It contains rare to find and forgotten tracks of several 70′s masterpieces of funk: The Lords of Percussion, Hippy Skippy Moon Street and other bands – one of the most played records in my collection! It appeared in 2001 on the Big Cheese records label.
