TRANSITION & RELOCATION

published by Dino on Wed, 04/30/2014 - 20:41
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Traveling with Electronics : Transition and Relocation

.....empty yet inexhaustible

it gives birth to infinite worlds

 

 

Transition & Relocation is in full effect in my life and I am very excited about it!

This month's post is going to be short, but entertaining. After I get settled in I'll start posting in depth again, and there is a real game changer on the horizon. 

 

movin image 

 

                   

 

I just ran across a video from a 1987 performance at the Moers Jazz Festival, when I was playing percussion with Jon Hassell (82 - 88). This was one of my favorite tours, because Jon's playing was really on fire and we were working with an amazing band of eight musicians from Brukina Faso, called FARAFINA. We did two tours and one studio recording (Flash of the Spirit), with them and it was one of the true high points of my musical life to create music with an ensemble that had such a deep sense of group dynamic and community.

 

                    

 

My rig consisted of two Akai S900 samplers that I was controlling with two Roland Octapads (8 pads 4 banks x 2), a Casio CZ101 synthesizer, and an EHX 16 second digital delay. My samples were phrases of me playing udu, Jon playing trumpet, and me playing synth strings & flutes. On some of the pieces I became the bass (balafon) player using a sample that was a composite made up of an acoustic bass and the strike of one of the calabas drums.

 

                                

 

The drummers in Farafina called what I was doing "juggling sound" (jonglerie du son) and I was very happy that they dug incorporating this technology into their grounded acoustic ensemble as much as I did. They really embraced my as a member of their musical family, and it was a joyous time.

 

                 

 

This video (below), someone shot and recorded in the audience and it has just surfaced on Youtube. The images (actually from another concert), are slowed down very dream like, and work well with the music, and the recording is pretty good.

The first section is a duo of Jon and I (we did a number of tours as a duo) - the sonic break down is Jon's harmonized trumpet, and me "sound juggling" all the other parts via the octapads triggering various phrases stored in the S900's, with a little live-looping on the 16 second ddl. Farafina joins in around 6:30.

 

Also here is a link to FLASH OF THE SPIRIT

 

                 - No midi clock - No click track - No time stretching -

                  just playing technology like an acoustic instrument

 

until next month then....enjoy

and safe travels.....dino