Last week saw the Whitney ISP show go up at the chelsea art museum. I have a new piece, called “Protect yourself from yourself”. It is a video installation, and I’ll have some documentation coming in a bit. Also, on Saturday evening, the whitney ISP had screenings and performances as well. I showed a related piece, called sec. 215, sec. 217. Both the installation and the video are based off of sections of the USA Patriot act. It was a pretty intense install, and it came together well becuase of the help from the museum and the ISP staff. So thanks to those folks, and and I can only congratulate my friends in the group show on a fine job.
Meanwhile, been thinking again about sound. Recently, I have been pushing more and more into video, with crossover work. But it seems that building from sound up is the way that I can work best.
My class, the NMC collaborative through Eyebeam called Sound and The City, is nearing it’s final phase. You can check the blog here, we have had some visits with some folks like cory archangel and michael sharon from socialight, among others.
There, my students learn about sound, psychogeography and chance, as well as some technologies. I begin the year with one recording, and often bring it back for a reminder of the human potential, as well as for discussions on the body, sound vs. music and so on.
For those who have not heard A Thundersound, or who have asked about it, I am posting the classic Ghanian Postal Workers cancelling stamps, 1976.
This is a field recording, and yes (all marxist jibes welcomed) this is the sound of the postal workers working.
I have been listening to this track for years, and never grow tired…
Nice song. I never thought the beat was stamping. Very rythmic- I really wonder how the postal workers actually composed and organized it…