“Improv” (Used 31 times)

As soon as one really starts listening to Ryan T. Dunn's sonic creations as Instinct Control, one realizes that as much as they are improvised, the project name is no accident, as the end result is very much an experiential journey with the composer/performer as guide, "intent" unfolding as it happens. I envision Ryan a bit lost in a pyramid, but far from panicking, he's gradually mastering the texture of the glyphs along the wall, patiently and deliberately finding his way. It's good chaos, like that scene in Tarkovsky's The Mirror, all shaken-out hair and falling plaster rendered in slow motion.

Ryan is a real-time composer, who really knows his instrument, and where you could say this about many in the circuit-bending crowd, when listening to Instinct Control, one really feels the journey—every corner the music turns, every choice the player takes, is an exploration of feeling, a joyous journey, and lucky you get to ride along.

These two sets were rendered absolutely live, on the My Castle of Quiet program of February 18, Ryan seated on the floor, thus somewhat hidden from view to engineer Bob Bellerue and myself. Seemingly very lucid, quiet and confident, Ryan sat before his instrument and found his way, for as long as the journey made sense. And though by the common standard, this is raucous, intense music, to me these are soul-stirring trips—the more I explore these sets, the more I appreciate their energizing quality, their sure power and uplifting vibrance.

Thanks to Bob Bellerue for exposing me to Ryan's music and setting up the meet, as well as engineering the live session. Thanks as always to Tracy Widdess of Brutal Knitting for stomping colorful life into my iPhone capture of the artist at work; buy a radical balaclava from her today—reasonably priced original Canadian folk art it is. And thanks most of all to Ryan T. Dunn for these ever-more-uplifting performances. Hallelujah!

Tomorrow evening (11.6.10) ISSUE Project Room will host the third and final evening of our Minor Musics: Finland series - which has thus far presented Lau Nau, Kuupuu, Kiila and Tomutonttu -- with a special performance from Kemialliset Ystävät in collaboration with a staggeringly-long list of some of NYC’s most fascinating & stalwart psych/noise improvisers: Marcia Bassett, Michael Bernstein, Taylor Richardson, Tom Carter, Raphael Lyon, Samara Lubelski, Pete Nolan and Dave Nuss.

As a central aim, the Minor Musics program seeks to present to NY audiences a multi-faceted glimpse into a localized international community borne, at least in part, out of a set of geographical, cultural, and aesthetic affinities. As a finale to the series, it seems only logical to deepen this attempt at cultural exchange through a true cross-pollination – fostering a collaborative performance between Jan and one of New York’s own vibrant localized communities, as represented by a pretty hefty cross-section of major players.

As preparation for what will be an undoubtedly rich evening of blissed-out synthesis, I’ve put together a little mix highlighting a number of Mr. Anderzén’s forthcoming conspirators, not a few of whom are amply represented by the vast storehouse of the FMA. As a perfect link between the previous and final concerts of the series, the mix opens with a two-part set from K-Y’s 2008 appearance on Brian Turner’s WFMU show, in which we hear Jan supported by two of the Kiila men (Jaako Tolvi & Niko-Matti Ahti), as well as Dave Nuss, who will reprise his role on Saturday. From there, we move to the New York sect with tracks from Raphael Lyon’s solo project Mudboy, a song from Samara Lubelski’s Spectacular of Passages album, a track from Nuss’ No-Neck Blues Band (live at ISSUE, no less), another ISSUE archival recording in the form of Pete Nolan’s Spectre Folk project, and concluding with a 20-min jam from Marcia Bassett & Tom Carter’s Zaika duo project.

These types of coalescences don’t pop up too often….I would recommend taking advantage.

Minor Musics: Finland is made possible through the generous support of the American-Scandinavian Foundation; the Consulate General of Finland; and ESEK, the Finnish Performing Music Promotion Centre; and Luses, the Popular Music Committee of the Foundation for the Promotion of Finnish Music, and the Arts Council of Finland.

The term supergroup should not be bandied about lightly…or perhaps, used at all, considering possible connotations of ego-clashing wankery and undeserved hyperbole. Nonetheless, considering the ridiculously high caliber of musicianship/resumés/chemistry exhibited by the subjects at hand, I’m having a tough time resisting the urge to drop said nomenclature in reference to Volume(II) -- the new improv project of composer/electronic artist Stephan Moore, composer/flautist/electronic artist Suzanne Thorpe, composer/harpist/laptop-ist Shelley Burgon, and composer/avant-turntablist Maria Chavez …undeniable heavy-hitters in the Brooklyn/NYC experimental community that rack up a cumulative curriculum vitae about 100 times longer than I can provide in this forum. But to go ahead and rattle off a few: Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Mercury Rev, Stars Like Fleas, Ne(x)tworks, Thurston Moore, Pauline Oliveros, Lydia Lunch, etc, etc, etc.

This Friday (July 23) at ISSUE Project Room, the group will present their second-ever performance: a certain highlight of the fifth annual, Stephan Moore-curated Floating Points Festival – a month of new works utilizing ISSUE’s 15-channel Hemisphere speaker system (designed and constructed by Mr. Moore himself). Definitely not a performance to sleep on.

As a preview, the impeccable quartet has shared with us the full, 26-minute recording of their debut set - Volume(I) -  from last month at the White Box gallery, showcasing a pitch-perfect balance between the fluid, performer-blurring integration of naturally intuitive communicants and the compelling, narrative-driving friction of dynamic interaction between wholly individualistic personalities.