BUILD Workshop @ Catalyst Arts 060413

The first workshop of BUILD/CODE/IMPROVISE/PERFORM was carried out on Saturday 6 April 2013 at Catalyst Arts, Belfast (part of their exhibition, 'Under Construction'). The devices built and bent at the workshop will be used in the other workshops in the series in preparation for an event at SARC as part of the Sonorities Festival.

Here's an advert I found after the event had passed:


Here's a short demo video the Poor Man's Synth:


Here are a few photos from the workshop:

BUILD/CODE/IMPROVISE/PERFORM

 

A series of free hands-on workshops as part of UNDERCONSTRUCTION,

a collaborative exhibition taking place at Catalyst Arts throughout April.

Learn to build and bend circuits, make an instrument from

your laptop and take part in a public performance at QUB's

Sonorities Festival.

BUILD

Saturday 6th April 10am – 5pm, Free

Develop your own playable musical device with circuit bender

and instrument builder Barry Cullen.

CODE

Sunday 14th April 10am – 5pm, Free

Explore programming as musical performance using networked

laptops with Graham Booth. Mac laptop required.

IMPROVISE

Wednesday 17th April 6pm – 9pm, Free

Monday 22nd April 6pm – 10pm, Free

Develop a live performance with Kevin McCullagh & Tullis Rennie

using the instruments from BUILD and CODE.

PERFORM

Thursday 25th April 9.30pm – 12.30am, Free

The performance will be presented at the EARS showcase night 

as part of the Sonorities festival.

To reserve a place, please contact catalystarts@gmail.com with

your name and details of the workshop(s) you would like to attend.

Venue: Catalyst Arts, 5 College Court, BT1 6BS

(+44) 028 90 313 303

catalystarts.org.uk  /   facebook.com/qub.ears   

twitter.com/qubears   /   sonorities.org.uk

Rachel Austin 060512

CQAF Records: live recording with Rachel Austin feat special guests 060512

Date: Sunday 6 May 2012
Venue: Ollie's at The Merchant Hotel, Belfast
Time: 8 - 10 pm


Promo blurb:
What do you get when you crash Rachel's indie folk self-stylings with a noisemaker, a trumpet player, and an unhinged rhythm section?

Join Rachel as she records a live set with several of Belfast's most exciting musicians, including Barry Cullen (clarinet, electronics), Michael Barkley (trumpet), Anthony Devenney (bass), and others, in a one-off, spontaneously improvised gig.

Read on - and buy your tickets at https://cqaf.ticketsolve.com/shows/126524796/events. Tickets are limited to 75.

PURCHASE OF A TICKET GETS YOU A DIGITAL DOWNLOAD OF THE GIG SOON AFTER THE EVENT.

Calling to mind comparisons with the restless creative spirit of Nick Cave, Rachel Austin’s songwriting rarely comes at the listener from the obvious perspective, by turns beguiling and cajoling its way into the heart. The words are timeless, but the delivery is completely captivating, recalling the swooping melodies of Tim Buckley at his best.

Comparisons can only take you so far, however, as Rachel possesses a stark and creative outlook that is all her own. This is evidenced through her recent fan-funded project, Austin In Austin, which saw her record in Austin Texas with producer Brian Beattie (Daniel Johnston, Okkervil River) and drummer Dony Wynn (Robert Palmer, Robert Plant/Patty Griffin) in November of last year.

Ikue Mori + Maja Ratkje 310312

Moving on Music Festival (Brochure)

Ikue Mori & Maja SK Ratkje
Suport from Brian Greene Live (Kinnego Records) and Paul Acroplane DJ set (Acroplane Recordings).
Visuals by Barry Cullen
Saturday 31st March
Doors: 10pm
Tickets: £10
Black Box Belfast

Ikue Mori is one of the most requested and original voices in the laptop music scene.
Maja Ratkje work straddles noise improvisation, vocal performance and composition. Anyone who knows the music and
range of either artist will know just what a formidable prospect this pairing is.

“Ratkje’s startling talents amid a seething web of symphonic strings and provides notice that a new sonic visionary has arrived” CD Universe

Sonic Acts 2012

Sonic Acts 2012
Pauline Oliveros.
Keith Fullerton Whitman.
Workshops.
Concerts.
Installations.
Conference.
Film.
New music.
I only heard of this by joining the STEIM mailing list.
Instrument building workshops are held there,
among many un-typical initiatives.
Sold.

Sonorities 2012

March 23-27 SARC (Sonic Arts Research Centre) @ Queen's University Belfast will be holding it's annual Sonorities festival. This year's title is The Body's Music. Go to their site and have a look at the program; there are plenty of interesting links to information about the artists that will be performing.

Alongside the festival the Two Thousand + symposium will be held. Check the 'Full Program' link on the Sonorities site for further information (download/print version not yet available).

The Wheels of Chance - Soundtrack Recipe

Ingredients:
Bass guitar (5-string)
Electric guitar (x2 = AXE ATTACK)
Korg X5
MicroKorg
Novation Bass Station
Pioneer DJM800
Synare (DIY kit + DIY trigger)
Tenor Saxophone
Clarinet
Trombone
Pocket Trumpet
Laptop (x2 = sound effect centre)
Cymbal
Chimes
Cowbell
Whistle
Boite d'Oiseaux
Effects units
Contact Microphone (DIY)
Slinky



Recipe:
Place all the above in a pressure filled environment along with three keen folk for approx. three weeks: Steam, broil, smoke, grill and beat until bubbling with energy and serve on a bed of enthusiasm in front of a live studio audience.

For best results, consume whilst hot and fresh from the pressure cooker.

Making a soundtrack is a lot of work. Composing melodies that work with the movement on screen, keeping the mood correct by selecting appropriate instrumental voices, ensuring that the tempo is right, ensuring that the transitions between scenes flow...

Imagine trying to do this with a tight deadline, and adding the challenge of making the resulting composition ready for live performance.

After just under three weeks of work it's ready.

Thanks to BFF / QFT / BFI / WB

Arts Extra - 300811

I'll be on BBC Radio Ulster's "Arts Extra" show tonight talking about this Sunday's performance for "On Your Bike". The show begins at 6.30pm.

On Your Bike - 040911

On Your Bike
Classic, cult and family screenings in the Waterfront Studio and the Belfast Barge
All film screenings are free.
A limited number of tickets for these free screenings will be available on the door.

Brought to you by the QFT and Belfast Film Festival

On Your Bike
I like the expression when used informally - as with other old expressions there are a few different stories on the origin.

On Your Bike
There will be a lot of bike related fun to be had as part of the event.
Along with Chris Allen and Peter Cullen, I'll be playing a live soundtrack to 'The Wheels of Chance', a silent, black and white film from 1922.

The film will be shown on Sunday 4th September 2011 at 18.00 in the Waterfront Studio. More info to follow...

Bew - soundtrack for Jeff Keens Gazwrx (60 min edit) Enhanced

Bew - soundtrack for Jeff Keens Gazwrx (60 min edit) Enhanced by Bew on Mixcloud

Another blast from the past:

sound collage / dj mix for
GAZWRX: THE FILMS OF JEFF KEEN
Tuesday 31 March 2009
Menagerie bar, Belfast

dj trio (Christian Marclay and friends) - paris
capitol k - heat
gongs vs bew - peace
rothko - untitled
fats waller - fractitious fingering
rahasaan roland kirk - ain't no sun
nobukazu takemura - side b no 2
stanley lieber - afterklarung
moondog - viking of
pascals - talking dog fields
moogey men cometh - appologies mr rossini
harry partsch - untitled
john cage - prepared piano 3
bbc sounds - hover craft
fridge - comets
nurse with wound - cruisin for a bruisin
yo yo ma + bobby mc ferrin - air
voices - story time
cage and sun ra - conversation (from UBU.com)
doves - where we're calling from (hebden bridge mix)

Happiness / Le Bonheur - Culture Night Belfast 2010

I've been working hard creating a soundtrack for Medvedkin's 'Happiness (Le Bonheur)'

Here's the info they put online:

OR SIT DOWN…
Rest weary travellers and wind down your frenetic and full evening with a live film soundtrack at St Georges Church, High Street from 8.30pm.

Culture Night and Belfast Film Festival team up to present a live soundtrack to a classic film by Belfast’s own experimental/ electronic producer Barry Cullen.

The film in question is Medvedkin’s silent classic, Happiness,a surprisingly irreverent comedy about early life in the Soviet Union.

Some photos from Culture Night 2009

The film:

Bin Disco / Trans - 17+180710

Bin Disco / Trans 17+180710 from dodgy stereo on Vimeo.

Bin Disco
Trans Urban Arts Festival,
outside the Black Box cafe, Belfast
17/180710

created by
Nicholas Keogh
photos
Barry Cullen
music
Fanfare Ciocarlia

Trans:missions 090710

The show in the Crescent Arts Centre was quite a different event than any others I've played recently. The space was quite full of people drinking their carry outs, the room was parts; party, gallery, studio and gig, with two teams of artists (one from Belfast, the other from Dublin) engaging in 'Secret Wars', a competitive 'draw off' or whatever you want to call it.

The two teams had 90 minutes to fill in a large white rectangular board using only black paint and black felt tip markers. Both did a grand job.

The crowd seemed to enjoy it. I had fun playing a set that moved from about 110 - 180 bpm and screaming lots through a distortion and delay pedal.

Anne-Sophie Cocault took some photos:

Pressure present Oneman 100710

Pressure had Oneman (Rinse FM/Radio1) over at the Black Box.
They played a great bunch of records and plenty of people got up and did a bit of shaking
(the soundsystem helped make things dance even if they didn't choose to).

PRESSURE presents Oneman 100710 from dodgy stereo on Vimeo.

Ecker 090710

The last ECKER at the Menagerie Bar.
End of an era. It was good while it lasted.
Here's a video of some people having a good time
(crowd surfing - if you watch carelessly).

ECKER 090710 - last at the Menagerie from dodgy stereo on Vimeo.

Trans - Summer BASE

Trans is on again. YAY!

I'll be doing a couple of things that you might enjoy.
Ecker + guest Submerse - last show at the Menagerie before it stops doing live shows and club nights,
I'll be doing visuals at the end of the night, before that though, you can hear me performing a set of popular rhythms at Trans:mission at the Crescent Arts Centre. I'll also be on BBC Radio Ulster 92-95 FM, 1341 MW) doing a live session to promote the show.

I've made some promo cassette tapes as 'merch'. There are two mixes; side a - demos from 2009/2010, and side b - remixes from my archives.
Once/if they've sold out, I'll post mp3's of the mixes.



I'll be doing visulas at Pressure's Oneman show too - expect lots of tight digital lines and some primitive live camera work from me and a heap of tasy rhythms and bass from the residents and guest.

Distroboto + BBQ VoL. 2

Distroboto

Old cigarette vending machines which now sell art; three inch DCs and DVDs, buttons, cassette tapes, books, zines, comix. I found these machines at Casa Del Popolo and La Salla Rosa whilst enjoying the Suoni Pel Il Popolo festival.

Some products are dispensed without packaging (cassettes), others (discs etc) in remixed cigarette packaging, or in little parcels made of blocks of corrugated plastic (maybe cut from old election adverts) wrapped in puppy-print cellophane - the machines have boxes on top for you to leave the packaging to be recycled, or submit your own piece of art for consideration.

I bought numerous pretty little things from these machines, both for myself and as little gifts. Here is one I'm sharing with you, a mix tape fit for Summer.


BBQ VoL . 2 (2009)

Side A
King Kurtis - Memphis Soul Stew
Clarence Wheeler - Broasted or Fried
Lonnie Youngblood - Soul Food
Soul Smoochers - Black Pepper
South Central Avenue Municipal Blues Band
- Bowl of Soul
Jimmy Castor - Hamhocks Espagnol
Laura Lee - Crumbs Off The Table
Raynel Winglas - BBQ Ribs
Freddie King - Hot Tomato
Rufus Thomas - Soul Food

Side B
Pazant Bros, - Greasy Greens
Bohannon - Red Bone
Ramsey Lewis - Jungle Strut
Billy Reed & The STreet People
- Grease Piece
Brother Jack McDuff - Hot Barbecue
Count Yates and His Rhythm Crusaders
- At The Soul-In
David Diggs - Chew Baby Chew
Robert Ward & the Ohio Untouchables
- Hot Stuff

May Day weekend

There's a long weekend coming up (thank you bank holiday) and there's lots to se and do around Belfast.

The Festival of Fools opens on Thursday (29th April) evening and runs until Monday (3rd May) with a host of free/donation events dotted around the streets of the city throughout the day. I'll be making an effort to catch Rob Torres, a very funny man from the USA.

If you're in the mood for some bass you're spoilt for choice as there are a series of fantastic events to attend;
On Friday Acroplane recordings/Diston present King Cannibal in the Arts College as part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival
On Saturday Pressure present Baobinga at Oh Yeah

On Sunday The Green Party are holding a fundraising event at the Pavillion bar.

I'll be doing live video work on Sat and Sun - if you're there, come say "hi".

IWD

To all of the women of the world - have a nice day.
IWD