Continuo's documents

Norwegian artist collective Origami Republika is apparently the...

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:16:15 +0200

Norwegian artist collective Origami Republika is apparently the originator of the “acoustic laptop” concept: DIY wooden boxes with found objects to be activated by the musician, with exquisite references to Duchamp’s A Bruit Secret or various Fluxus suitcases – think Joe Jones. To hear how acoustic laptops sound, try this demo by Origami Boe.

[source: O.R.’s Flickr gallery]

“I was certain that the world of sound changed with the...

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:28:41 +0200

“I was certain that the world of sound changed with the light.”

Knud Viktor reminiscing on his spectacular, close-up insect recordings of the 1970–80s and philosophy of sound [screenshots from film interviews ; gif from an original photomontage by Goran Vejvoda].

Knud Viktor - screenshots from film interviews, photomontage by...

Wed, 22 May 2013 06:28:29 +0200

Knud Viktor - screenshots from film interviews, photomontage by Goran Vejvoda for ARTnord magazine special issue on the Horizonic exhibition, Reykjavik, Iceland, 19 May – 1 July 2012.

Sudden Infant – Parental Guidance C20 cassette appended on found...

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:08:00 +0200

Sudden Infant – Parental Guidance C20 cassette appended on found fairy tale book, published by Soja-Sauce Bolognese‎, ref.SSB10, Germany, 2009. Limited to 50 copies

Sudden Infant – 03 Parrotism (Somniphobia2), from Parental...

Tue, 21 May 2013 08:08:00 +0200

Sudden Infant – 03 Parrotism (Somniphobia2), from Parental Guidance C20 cassette appended on found fairy tale book, published by Soja-Sauce Bolognese‎, ref.SSB10, Germany, 2009. Limited to 50 copies

Joke Lanz, electronic, noises, vocals
Ute Waldhausen, noises, vocals

Augusto de Campos - Música de Invenção, published by Editora...

Mon, 20 May 2013 06:24:25 +0200

Augusto de Campos - Música de Invenção, published by Editora Perspectiva, São Paulo, Brazil, 1998.

Música de Invenção (or, Creative Music) collects articles written by Brazilian concrete poet Augusto de Campos between 1957 and 1997 as well as collages and designs by the author, like the Schönberg portrait above.

Chapter 1, titled “Palavra e Música”, is about Renaissance music in Provence (Northern Italy and Southern France) and its influence on some 20th century composers, like Ezra Pound, especially his Le Testament chamber opera. This chapter also examines Virgil Thomson’s Four Saints in Three Acts, with a libretto by Gertrude Stein ; American vilolinist Olga Rudge ; and Schönberg’s Pierrot Lunaire. Chapter 2 “Radicais da Música” gathers articles on some of 20th century most original composers like Erik Satie, Scott Joplin, Walter Smetak, Anton Webern and Edgar Varèse. Chapter 3 “Musicaos” collects articles on John Cage. Chapter 4 “Pós-Música” examines the work of Giacinto Scelsi, George Antheil, Luigi Nono, Conlon Nancarrow, Henry Cowell and Galina Ustvolskaia.

The boook looks like a great introduction to some of the most original composers of 20th century and an English translation seems necessary.

More images from the book on this Flickr page.
A detailed review in English is here.

Joe Jones – Music Box, artist multiple, edition limited to 35...

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:07:03 +0200

Joe Jones – Music Box, artist multiple, edition limited to 35 copies, published by Editioni Pari & Dispari, Italy, 1974.

Spotted on eBay this week. Austrian seller told me he expected 5,000 euros (~$6,500) for this item, based on previous auctions. Not sure he eventually found a buyer.

Isao Tomita – Bird Chorus b/w Animation Fountain (08:07)7-inch...

Thu, 16 May 2013 06:52:42 +0200

Isao Tomita – Bird Chorus b/w Animation Fountain (08:07)
7-inch single released by RCA Japan, 1985

Isao Tomita – Bird Chorus b/w Animation Fountain (08:07)7-inch...

Thu, 16 May 2013 06:52:00 +0200

Isao Tomita – Bird Chorus b/w Animation Fountain (08:07)
7-inch single released by RCA Japan, 1985

Rare single – not listed on Discogs’ 100+ Tomita release list– by Japanese mellow electronic composer Isao Tomita (b.1932). These tracks were commissioned for the sound environment inside the Suntory Pavilion during Expo’ 85 world fair in Tsukuba, Japan. While Animation Fountain is in the vein of 1984’s Dawn Chorus LP – that is, classical music on Moog and Casio synths, the A side, Bird Chorus (not on the LP), is a kind of oddity based on sampled and reconstituted bird songs only. Japanese brewery Suntory campaigned for the protection of birds since the mid 1970s and used to print pictures of birds on their beer cans (see here).

Stunning (uncredited) artwork as well.

Jan Boerman - Alchemie 1961, from the Composition 1972 /...

Wed, 15 May 2013 07:21:15 +0200

Jan Boerman - Alchemie 1961, from the Composition 1972 / Alchemie 1961 / De Zee LP on Composers’ Voice, ref. CV 7701, The Netherlands, 1977

Een groot dood dier (or, A Great Dead Beast), by Stichting...

Tue, 14 May 2013 07:48:00 +0200

Een groot dood dier (or, A Great Dead Beast), by Stichting Toneelgroep Studio, Grand Theater Gooiland, Hilversum, The Netherlands, 1963

Playwright: Bert Schierbeek
Director: Kees van Iersel
Stage design: Karel Appel
Music: Jan Boerman and Dick Raaijmakers

Endre Tót - Gladness Writings 1973–1976, artist book published...

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:02:51 +0200

Endre Tót - Gladness Writings 1973–1976, artist book published by Yellow Now, Liège, Belgium, 1977 (from personal collection).

Wu Na – Crow Cries at Night, frrom the Deform From Within CD...

Sun, 12 May 2013 08:10:29 +0200

Wu Na – Crow Cries at Night, frrom the Deform From Within CD released by Ent-t, Tel-Aviv, Israel, 2012.

The Tea Rockers Quintet – Ceremony, CD released by Ent-t,...

Sun, 12 May 2013 08:10:00 +0200

The Tea Rockers Quintet – Ceremony, CD released by Ent-t, Tel-Aviv, Israel, 2012

Yan Jun: noises and electronic devices
Xiao He: acoustic guitar and folk instruments
Wu Na: guqin
Li Daiguo: multi-instrumentist
Lao Gu: tea master

[Stream the rest of the album on Bandcamp.]

Chinese all-star band The Tea Rockers Quintet develop their collective improvised music like a highly stylized tea ceremony.

Abing’s Musical Life – part 1, Chinese TV,...

Sat, 11 May 2013 06:46:59 +0200

Abing’s Musical Life – part 1, Chinese TV, 2008.

Documentary film on the life and art of Chinese folk music composer Abing (1893–1950), including interviews with interprets and musicologists and showing personal belongings from the Abing museum located in his former Wuxi hometown in Eastern China.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Abing 阿炳 – Erquan Yingyue (Reflection of the Moon), recorded...

Fri, 10 May 2013 07:36:36 +0200

Abing 阿炳 – Erquan Yingyue (Reflection of the Moon), recorded 1950 [source]

Blind Chinese musician Abing (1893 -1950) – real name Huà Yànjun, is one of the most important folk music composers of 20th century China. A virtuoso of traditional string instruments erhu and pipa, Abing used to earn some money as a busker in the streets of his hometown Wuxi. Abing was recorded for the first time in 1950 (wire recording).

贈呈の一部（1952年上海の出版社から - 出版された初版本） Vintage music score from the...

Thu, 09 May 2013 22:09:14 +0200

贈呈の一部 （1952年上海の出版社から - 出版された初版本）

Vintage music score from the Abing Museum.

Chinese piano music scores A selection of Chinese Piano Pieces...

Wed, 08 May 2013 21:04:03 +0200

Chinese piano music scores

A selection of Chinese Piano Pieces (1949-1979) vol. 1 & 2, and 24 Chinese Holiday Theme Piano Preludes (bottom).

[source]

Li Daiguo (李带菓) – Elegy for Strangers at Inglewood Park,...

Fri, 03 May 2013 07:35:55 +0200

Li Daiguo (李带菓) – Elegy for Strangers at Inglewood Park, 2012

Film shot at Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, CA

Li Daiguo (李带菓) – Music for Advertisements (excerpt), 7”...

Fri, 03 May 2013 06:56:00 +0200

Li Daiguo (李带菓) – Music for Advertisements (excerpt), 7” single published by Tenzenmen, Australia, 2013 [6 other tracks on label Bandcamp]

Chengdu Aesthetic and Plastic Hospital
The Rickshaws at New South Gate Bus Station
The Beautiful Thai Girls
Chengdu Plant and Bird Market
Green Ram Daoist Temple
The StolenSecondhand Bicycle Market at 9 Eye Bridge
Chengdu Tuberculosis Hospital

Superb e.p. of imaginary folklore played on Chinese traditional instruments like erhu or pipa by US/Chinese poly-instrumentist Li Dai Guo. These 7 tracks were inspired by the city of Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province where Li Dai Guo lived for 6 years. I have a physical copy of this vinyl as well as the fine CD Li Dai Guo also published in 2013 and I consider them the best releases I’ve heard this year.

Continuo's documents

Norwegian artist collective Origami Republika is apparently the...

“I was certain that the world of sound changed with the...

Knud Viktor - screenshots from film interviews, photomontage by...

Sudden Infant – Parental Guidance C20 cassette appended on found...

Sudden Infant – 03 Parrotism (Somniphobia2), from Parental...

Augusto de Campos - Música de Invenção, published by Editora...

Joe Jones – Music Box, artist multiple, edition limited to 35...

Isao Tomita – Bird Chorus b/w Animation Fountain (08:07)7-inch...

Isao Tomita – Bird Chorus b/w Animation Fountain (08:07)7-inch...

Jan Boerman - Alchemie 1961, from the Composition 1972 /...

Een groot dood dier (or, A Great Dead Beast), by Stichting...

Endre Tót - Gladness Writings 1973–1976, artist book published...

Wu Na – Crow Cries at Night, frrom the Deform From Within CD...

The Tea Rockers Quintet – Ceremony, CD released by Ent-t,...

Abing’s Musical Life – part 1, Chinese TV,...

Abing 阿炳 – Erquan Yingyue (Reflection of the Moon), recorded...

贈呈の一部 （1952年上海の出版社から - 出版された初版本） Vintage music score from the...

Chinese piano music scores A selection of Chinese Piano Pieces...

Li Daiguo (李带菓) – Elegy for Strangers at Inglewood Park,...

Li Daiguo (李带菓) – Music for Advertisements (excerpt), 7”...

贈呈の一部（1952年上海の出版社から - 出版された初版本） Vintage music score from the...