tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7002450435863745352024-02-20T10:21:35.126-08:00sbkw.netAll current composition, performance, and writing activity.Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-72761454291304220792013-10-19T15:17:00.000-07:002013-10-19T15:17:04.825-07:00Research Info - University of EdinburghSince I don't regularly update this blog as often as I should, the most up to date info for my research and activities can be found on my University of Edinburgh page:<br />
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<a href="http://www.research.ed.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/sean-williams(1c7e30fb-fbde-468c-a829-cace49ed3eb4).html" target="_blank">Sean Williams research page</a><br />
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You'll also find links to papers and articles there.Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-30404775542910314372013-10-19T15:16:00.001-07:002013-10-19T15:16:32.416-07:00Stockhausen's Studie II - new realisationYes, many people have made realisations of Stockhausen's <i>Studie II</i>, but few have used tape editing to make the sine wave groups and even fewer have used a real reverberation chamber to make the raw sound materials. My new realisation uses historical techniques and combines these where appropriate, with digital editing and in some cases with the latest in digital modelling to produce a new version of the piece which is as close to the score as possible, whilst trying to increase the frequency response widen the spectrum to really here all that was written.<br />
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The premiere of my version will happen on 2nd November 2013 in the Reid Hall, Edinburgh, along with the 4 channel version of Ligeti's <i>Artikulation</i>, and Stockhausen's <i>Gesang der Jünglinge</i>, with Simon Smith performing Stockhausen's <i>Klavierstücke VII, </i>and <i>IX</i>, and several short pieces by Ligeti.Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-23713414246765503872013-10-19T15:03:00.000-07:002013-10-19T15:03:17.959-07:00Gesang der Jünglinge Seminar seriesIn July and August 2013 I was invited to give a seminar series with Juan Verdaguer (<a href="http://www.klankwereld.org/" target="_blank">Klankwereld.org</a>) on the Realisation techniques of Stockhausen's <i>Gesang der Jünglinge </i>at the Stockhausen Summer Courses in Kürten.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXx359vTqen1quRvE5-MgFIoc4sKv5mBSOMxjrol1-rvvqvT3CRM5AXuD8Q3dqixGrSdXbI0W1CD6MyRKjf9KlPsimuJCMHYP_aI2OTGa9hHRE2YgxPg52cfeIqOhCiIC3W6PvzYqJU2U/s1600/DSCN2669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXx359vTqen1quRvE5-MgFIoc4sKv5mBSOMxjrol1-rvvqvT3CRM5AXuD8Q3dqixGrSdXbI0W1CD6MyRKjf9KlPsimuJCMHYP_aI2OTGa9hHRE2YgxPg52cfeIqOhCiIC3W6PvzYqJU2U/s320/DSCN2669.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Here's a photo of me demonstrating how the impulse complexes were made using an impulse generator fed through a Rohde und Schwarz Abstimmbarer Anzeigeverstärker (Tuneable Selective Amplifier) - or resonant bandpass filter.<br />
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Juan has made an amazing software tool for exploring the techniques behind the electronic and vocal sounds used in <i>Gesang der Jünglinge </i>and has made (or will soon make) this available <a href="http://www.klankwereld.org/stockhausen" target="_blank">here.</a>Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-73878911388681060272012-10-25T15:07:00.000-07:002013-10-19T15:07:26.113-07:00MusDig Workshop - Oxford UniversityProfessor Georgina Born invited me to present my work on Stockhausen and King Tubby at a workshop at Oxford University as part of her wide ranging Music and Digital Cultures research project.Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-26142363741340747352012-06-27T09:10:00.000-07:002012-10-19T09:11:00.199-07:00PhD awarded!On the 27th of June I was awarded a PhD in Creative Music Practice from the University of Edinburgh.Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-67564577865583184222012-06-22T09:09:00.000-07:002012-10-19T09:11:49.391-07:00Noisy Treasures - Supersonix conference paperIn June I gave a paper at the Supersonix conference in the Science Museum, London entitled "Noisy Treasures: how incidental noise can bridge the gap between recording and listener."<br />
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This is a spin off from my PhD thesis and concerns all kinds of interesting ways in which noise can be considered as a positive and useful part of the listening experience. It relies a lot on work by Eric Clarke and Simon Waters, and originally Gregory Bateson and the ecological approach.Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-41094543655462909002012-05-31T09:05:00.000-07:002013-10-19T14:55:42.941-07:00Leverhulme Early Career Research FellowhipIn May 2012 I heard that I had been awarded a 3 year research fellowship at the University of Edinburgh starting in September 2012. My research topic is the history of electronic music performance practice, and this is very much practice led work.<br />
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This will centre around the WDR Studio in Cologne and the work of Stockhausen, Koenig, Eimert, Kagel and others as well as an in depth enquiry into the technicians and engineers such as Heinz Schütz, Friedhelm Leppel, Leopold von Knobelsdorf, Jaap Spek, Werner Scholz, Volker Müller and others.<br />
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<br />Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-87989808856520396342012-04-07T04:27:00.000-07:002012-10-24T04:29:52.273-07:00Stockhausen performance at DialoguesOn 7th April our improvisation group - Intuitive Music Edinburgh - performed at Martin Parker's Dialogues Festival as part of Edinburgh International Science Week.<br />
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"Wellen" from <i>Für Kommende Zeiten</i>. Karlheinz Stockhausen<br />
"Verbindung" from <i>Aus den Sieben Tagen. </i>Karlheinz Stockhausen<br />
"Mutual Composition 1" Owen Green, Nikki Moran, Shiori Usui, Sean Williams<br />
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Owen Green - bowed cardboard box<br />
Nikki Moran - viola<br />
Shiori Usui - broken piano<br />
Sean Williams - analogue electronicsSean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh, UK55.953252 -3.18826755.8821325 -3.3461955000000003 56.0243715 -3.0303385tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-35269654713514171582011-12-02T06:15:00.000-08:002011-12-17T06:18:26.108-08:00DAAD grant award!On the 2nd of December I heard that my research proposal to the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) had been successful, thus enabling me to carry out three months research in Germany in 2012 on the electronic instruments used by the Stockhausen Ensemble between 1964 and 1979.Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-37737962007034951612011-11-30T06:12:00.000-08:002011-12-17T06:21:02.475-08:00Death's Cabaret - sound projectionOn 29th November I did the sound projection for <i><a href="http://www.sharpproductions.org/shows/deaths_cabaret.html" target="_blank">Death's Cabaret</a>.</i><br />
<span class="maincopy">Written by Martin Riley</span><br />
<span class="maincopy">Composed by Stephen Deazley, Music at the Brewhouse</span><br />
<span class="maincopy">Performed by Matthew Sharp and the Sacconi Quartet<br />
Produced by Sharp Productions in collaboration with Music at the Brewhouse</span><br />
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<span class="maincopy">This was performed at The Caves in Edinburgh to a packed house who absolutely loved the show. </span>Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-38776186196938698672011-10-01T05:56:00.000-07:002011-12-21T10:37:44.480-08:00Spiral PerformanceGrind Sight Open Eye booked me to perform Stockhausen's <i>Spiral</i> in the Labyrinth in Edinburgh on the 1st of October 2011, sharing a bill with <b><a href="http://www.facebook.com/events/250085955027450/" target="">Lambs Gamble/Usurper/Grant Smith + Graham Stewart/Sean Williams.</a></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2VWcRELXS6hH-mCPGwARb_ZKweQOBdqogfaGmZw3CI9cP_4qnqTueVMaWC6zkw-4LRwMzklp-XhaWI9_3VIRLto_4mb3UECUT8NQ6AYGkWoxAFTJm506NJ5o4Eg_PVqucwczftK9d7M/s1600/spiralperformed.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="50" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2VWcRELXS6hH-mCPGwARb_ZKweQOBdqogfaGmZw3CI9cP_4qnqTueVMaWC6zkw-4LRwMzklp-XhaWI9_3VIRLto_4mb3UECUT8NQ6AYGkWoxAFTJm506NJ5o4Eg_PVqucwczftK9d7M/s400/spiralperformed.png" width="400" /></a></div>This is the section of the score which I played. (Image courtesy of Stockhausen Verlag, Kürten, Germany).<br />
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<b><span style="font-weight: normal;">I changed my setup for this performance and have incorporated a vocoder as well as a new portable Roberts R871 world-band radio which has much better reception over 12 different shortwave bands than the old Telefunken Bajazzo TS-201 that I was using before, and is much easier to tune than the Realistic DX-300 that used for the <i>Soundings</i> festival performance.</span></b>Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-71070739154272738642011-09-25T05:52:00.000-07:002011-12-17T05:55:22.533-08:00Testing Testing performanceMy piece <i>Testing, Testing</i> was to be performed in Coventry on the 23rd 24th or 25th of September 2011 but due to an alarming lack of information by the organisers - the actual performance date was not confirmed until the day before!!!), it was impossible to plan travel from Scotland so a number of us were compelled to cancel our various performances and papers.<br />
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What a shame!Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-86958850984893749572011-08-20T05:44:00.000-07:002011-12-17T05:51:29.086-08:00Visit to WDR Studios KölnAfter the Stockhausen Courses I managed to arrange a visit to the WDR Studios in Köln along with Juan Verdaguer and Ignacio xxxx as a guest of retired engineer Volker Müller.<br />
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The studio equipment was rescued by Herr Müller after the WDR closed the studio and wanted to throw it away!!!! Since most equipment was designed so brilliantly and at enormous expense, most of it still works perfectly despite being over 50 years old.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaHns3P0SC-VlTAA6rkNb5JLERIL0KlCComhWr1L8FdXCh1h7b2WZiH7s_ZcNnNNOXLRApDiQHhbll884PVfKRjauoGHfEKyJe3xv5vUdzebw6NjWCrJm0vaQH0K4_lew4Zs6qYh4xLw/s1600/DSCN2088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaHns3P0SC-VlTAA6rkNb5JLERIL0KlCComhWr1L8FdXCh1h7b2WZiH7s_ZcNnNNOXLRApDiQHhbll884PVfKRjauoGHfEKyJe3xv5vUdzebw6NjWCrJm0vaQH0K4_lew4Zs6qYh4xLw/s320/DSCN2088.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-24368192040100380622011-08-20T05:24:00.000-07:002011-12-17T05:44:24.986-08:00Stockhausen Courses 20116th to 16th August 2011 saw my second visit to the <a href="http://www.stockhausen.org/stockhausen_courses.html" target="_blank">Stockhausen Courses</a> in Kürten, and this time I took my synths and all the equipment necessary for a performance of Spiral. I was lucky enough to attend a whole seminar course given by Michael Vetter and Natascha Nikeprelevic on <i>Pole,</i> and <i>Spiral</i>. Michael Vetter performed these pieces dozens of times at the 1970 Worlds' Fair in Osaka and subsequently and has recorded an integral version of <i>Spiral</i> for the Stockhausen Verlag.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3Tl99tN8Sa-41sJXWYGJIL56k_-3mmR4CsU2sP1Mn63hsa4LShkjJrMYj0KaNg3fXH-DeL3ZsgRhcnC8U30W_JlNS_pUmzuWUBR6m7IPRsutDJ5YQEt_6hUfs02odVbGszauMRz3zRg/s1600/sean_frauke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3Tl99tN8Sa-41sJXWYGJIL56k_-3mmR4CsU2sP1Mn63hsa4LShkjJrMYj0KaNg3fXH-DeL3ZsgRhcnC8U30W_JlNS_pUmzuWUBR6m7IPRsutDJ5YQEt_6hUfs02odVbGszauMRz3zRg/s320/sean_frauke.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>A highlight of the courses was getting to work on both <i>Pole,</i> and <i>Spiral</i> with <a href="http://www.stimmkuenstlerin.de/" target="_blank">Frauke Aulbert</a>, although sessions were a little daunting to start with since I had to use my voice (which I seldom use in a musical context) instead of my synth.<br />
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Here we are working on <i>Pole</i>, using Michael and Natascha's notes projected on the wall behind us.<br />
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The other main course that I attended was the Intuitive Music Course run by <i><a href="http://www.tutschku.com/content/efim.en.php" target="_blank">Intuitive Music Weimar.</a> </i>This inspired me to set up an Intuitive Music group in Edinburgh on my return.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/309651_286507151371213_100000357919139_975133_810871197_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="467" src="http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/309651_286507151371213_100000357919139_975133_810871197_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-54143182624806974732011-06-17T03:48:00.000-07:002011-12-17T09:51:48.088-08:00Interview with Rolf Gehlhaar<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0va1mpetKkRY3mXy4Jslx-hh15p5wNy4uahe1ov90ENl5UUxND7ii8k7xUGXMSOYevkVuaq5g1DdFkJ7aDLHVm80s3QaeFwYY0uwlkKSo7Ty9fhzXapRu3yhvX6YzczUJCa-s50j90W8/s1600/Rolf_still_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0va1mpetKkRY3mXy4Jslx-hh15p5wNy4uahe1ov90ENl5UUxND7ii8k7xUGXMSOYevkVuaq5g1DdFkJ7aDLHVm80s3QaeFwYY0uwlkKSo7Ty9fhzXapRu3yhvX6YzczUJCa-s50j90W8/s320/Rolf_still_2.jpg" width="239" /></a>On the 15th of June 2011 I had the great privilege of interviewing Rolf Gehlhaar - composer (and Stockhausen's assistant from 1967-1970). Rolf gave me so much information and made such a great contribution to my research on the performance practices surrounding electronic instruments in Stockhausen's <i>Mikrophonie I</i> that I will be processing it for months!<br />
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Here's a screenshot from a short video I took in which Rolf demonstrates some of the filter and fader techniques used in <i>Mikrophonie I</i> on a mock-up of the original machines that I built as part of my PhD research. <br />
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Thanks Rolf!<br />
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<a href="http://gehlhaar.org/" target="_blank">http://gehlhaar.org/</a>Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-85317498687690100122011-05-17T03:27:00.000-07:002011-12-17T03:38:53.379-08:00Stockhausen's SpiralRobert Dow's <i>Soundings</i> Festival gave me the opportunity to perform a version of Stockhausen's <i>Spiral für Solisten</i> on the 24 speaker diffusion system in the Reid Hall i Edinburgh on the 14th of May. My version is for synthesizer and the piece also requires shortwave radio. This has been in development for a few months and I was ably assisted, both in rehearsals and on the night for sound projection by Owen Green.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBcZiNOq3xbriIevSuMXoLWff0tf48S5_ddsY-USmePf9TlfJoQlH9XQimJL_nT086r6u9cVkMyOuVhJtqLXr1J6YfbB-Nep0UeJcbBf8WFdp0EzhcD_Nb04yVO4XY_a5u1FLZ5dGzJc/s1600/quad_mixer_main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBcZiNOq3xbriIevSuMXoLWff0tf48S5_ddsY-USmePf9TlfJoQlH9XQimJL_nT086r6u9cVkMyOuVhJtqLXr1J6YfbB-Nep0UeJcbBf8WFdp0EzhcD_Nb04yVO4XY_a5u1FLZ5dGzJc/s400/quad_mixer_main.jpg" width="400" /></a>I built a quadraphonic mixer for the sound projection of this and other pieces.<br />
It's based around two Panny & Giles quad panpots and uses some P&G faders from a Neve mixer as well as a Neumann aux send module and four Studer VCAs robbed from some broken 990 channel strips. It has oak end-cheeks rescued from an abandoned wardrobe.<br />
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The main idea is that it has a small enough footprint so that the sound projectionist only takes up one seat in the auditorium. For <i>Soundings</i> of course, with 24 speakers, we still needed the big DDA mixer, but for other four channel performances this mixer will be great. Chris Watson was the first to actually use it in a live situation and people seem to like it, which is nice.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrbQxbmFaICAZf_qGS1PBRd5kF0G6kk-0FP8GiJVsLo9Vz-_7XDIYlPW249emnXi63-Ot3cMOQcH0B6EDH8K9ScKqQxGG6dOgE_XN7J-sgaCdA-WW1ZaUXb7VQbyFIhGhBAjqcoUOLis/s1600/DSCN1990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimrbQxbmFaICAZf_qGS1PBRd5kF0G6kk-0FP8GiJVsLo9Vz-_7XDIYlPW249emnXi63-Ot3cMOQcH0B6EDH8K9ScKqQxGG6dOgE_XN7J-sgaCdA-WW1ZaUXb7VQbyFIhGhBAjqcoUOLis/s320/DSCN1990.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This is a shot from a rehearsal. The photos from the performance didn't come out very well unfortunately.Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-28963674123709346602011-05-10T02:59:00.000-07:002011-12-19T10:11:51.441-08:00LLEAPP 2011 - UEAThis year's LLEAPP (Laboratory for Live Electronic Audio Performance Practice) was held between the 4th and 8th of May at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. Organised this year by the wonderful Bill Vine (PhD candidate at UEA) this was well attended by postgrads from Edinburgh, Norwich and London, although, unfortunately, the Belfast contingent failed to appear this year.<br />
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We also had the provocative and challenging presence of Dr. Bennett Hogg (University of Newcastle) and Dr. Simon Waters (UEA) to keep us on our toes and to stimulate more heavyweight discussion, and Prof Georgie Born was also observing us as part of a large AHRC project.<br />
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<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15846319"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15846319" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/lleapp/pingpong">Pingpong</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/lleapp">lleapp</a> <br />
I worked on two ideas, one with Lauren Hayes and Anon based on structuring a piece around a game of table tennis. <br />
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<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15845431"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15845431" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/lleapp/3-minute-ish-pop-song">3 minute(ish) pop song</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/lleapp">lleapp</a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiUhBjlOVMsy-lU-7lDAcwgVc-g-oHzP42I4jh_5kHqTfwlhPQdDW6PI_5tHNXCanJ3jEOH0_YxqsQDpTmaByMi_5KPo2BBDN3FCcU_pmqLc_lWxK4A2B6V7PoJOWJbspmKxU_HqFnoSo/s1600/Owen_Bill_Altec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiUhBjlOVMsy-lU-7lDAcwgVc-g-oHzP42I4jh_5kHqTfwlhPQdDW6PI_5tHNXCanJ3jEOH0_YxqsQDpTmaByMi_5KPo2BBDN3FCcU_pmqLc_lWxK4A2B6V7PoJOWJbspmKxU_HqFnoSo/s320/Owen_Bill_Altec.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
The other piece was structured around a three minute pop song and featured Owen Green on bowed box and voice, and Bill Vine on his custom electronic controller for computer. <a href="http://soundcloud.com/lleapp/3-minute-ish-pop-song" target="_blank">Listen here.</a><br />
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Videos of the LLEAPP performances are available on Vimeo, although this year's are not up yet...<br />
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/search/videos/search:lleapp/st/fe220120" target="_blank">LLEAPP videos</a>Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-11532562458990385082011-04-28T02:53:00.000-07:002011-12-17T02:59:10.481-08:00The end of the Tape Rooms25th of April marked the closing of the Tape rooms, an analogue studio that I set up with a colleague in Bristol two years previously. It had a good run and we learned an awful lot about tape machine maintenance and picked up some valuable skills regarding studio techniques of the 60s and 70s.<br />
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Drezz has since gone on to set up another studio in the Stoke's Croft area of Bristol and I have been refurbishing the equipment and carrying out some modifications to the mixing desk with a view to setting up another studio once the PhD is submitted.Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-38633044559000081972011-04-24T03:39:00.000-07:002011-12-17T03:47:28.825-08:00Chris Watson workshopChris Watson was in Edinburgh from the 20th to the 22nd of April 2011 and gave a wonderful workshop in which he was amazingly generous with sharing his tips tricks and techniques on field recording. Having worked for the BBC for years he had brilliant stories and he has been able to develop some really useful and unusual techniques for recording all sorts of things.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNmjHHgcJbyShPKRAFC_TqanIb3-XMZmPbLmMnyCiNfZgtUn_l36-e9whzSMuQhISLldE_Hn8JTi4PnGTxRz6iceyTL8G5IWWzLUkApnWmnKGDmrq-tpbvADaDQAgux4Ses1_ikVeAjE/s1600/parabolic_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvNmjHHgcJbyShPKRAFC_TqanIb3-XMZmPbLmMnyCiNfZgtUn_l36-e9whzSMuQhISLldE_Hn8JTi4PnGTxRz6iceyTL8G5IWWzLUkApnWmnKGDmrq-tpbvADaDQAgux4Ses1_ikVeAjE/s320/parabolic_2.jpg" width="299" /></a>I made some parabolic reflectors specially for this workshop and all three were used to excellent effect.<br />
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The focus of our activities was to record the dawn chorus in George Square in the centre of Edinburgh, and after a bit of editing we presented our recordings as part of an evenings concert for Martin Parker's <i>Dialogues</i> festival in Inspace.<br />
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Chris played a selection of sound recordings and soundscapes through a quadraphonic sound system and I lent him my homemade quadraphonic panner for the gig. He was able to pan the echo-location sounds of Orcas around the audience to create a thrilling underwater soundscape, and the whole range of sounds was absolutely fascinating.Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-21814060931429705232011-04-08T05:12:00.000-07:002011-12-17T12:31:40.886-08:00Edison Cylinder Recording SessionAleks Kolkowski, hardcore phonographer, invited me to his studio on the 6th of April to record two Edison Cylinders as a contribution to his <a href="http://www.phonographies.org/about/" target="_blank">Phonographies</a> project.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXRAySDgwXY9cBorQkMPEayXvllll7cZiO6F6E9oSerUT-4yYbGaRfr5kSkbcz527FlaPLzkqZa_s-6Y9aMsXU0ewiyuOVCX6nN2p3FdTkq3c_OziB0OheknYDmunin8rICoJhQjWU2o/s1600/SW2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXRAySDgwXY9cBorQkMPEayXvllll7cZiO6F6E9oSerUT-4yYbGaRfr5kSkbcz527FlaPLzkqZa_s-6Y9aMsXU0ewiyuOVCX6nN2p3FdTkq3c_OziB0OheknYDmunin8rICoJhQjWU2o/s320/SW2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For the session I used a homemade circuit based on the STEIM Cracklebox but with three similar circuits all joined together. The 9V battery powers a 12" Celestion G12 speaker and the sound is projected from there straight into the recording horn of the Edison Phonograph.<br />
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We recorded two pieces both lasting two minutes (the maximum length for a brown wax cylinder at 160rpm). The first was fairly straightforward but for the second Aleks experimented with a sound-on-sound technique, actually cutting the groove in two passes. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKZGCyCxLlcpANqGBYgiGimvD8oevBjLNX1ucodiSWtGcvGYa3vFKyBGFNQS9LkxV0tq8LptoyX7bc-B7d3147DmMW1EWP99-xUr5GclLO6ycAgdLGnP5VmlVVyMEOGS3yqS1I5EIk0w/s1600/P4060022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKZGCyCxLlcpANqGBYgiGimvD8oevBjLNX1ucodiSWtGcvGYa3vFKyBGFNQS9LkxV0tq8LptoyX7bc-B7d3147DmMW1EWP99-xUr5GclLO6ycAgdLGnP5VmlVVyMEOGS3yqS1I5EIk0w/s320/P4060022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>You can hear the results <a href="http://www.phonographies.org/recordings/electronic-music/sean-williams/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Photos by Aleks Kolkowski.<br />
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<a href="http://www.phonographies.org/" target="_blank">www.phonographies.org</a><br />
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<a href="http://trashcomplex.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/phonographies-org-todays-music-in-yesterdays-clothes/" target="_blank">trashcomplex.wordpress.com</a><br />
<a href="http://blog.frieze.com/phonographies/" target="_blank">blog.frieze.com/phonographies</a>Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-10571858820482890132011-04-03T02:47:00.000-07:002011-12-17T02:53:17.980-08:00Research Seminar - Liverpool HopeRobin Hartwell very kindly invited me to give a music research seminar on 2nd of March 2011 at Liverpool Hope University.<br />
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The seminar was based on the research presented at the ICMPC in Seattle in 2010 and was entitled:<br />
<i>Noise and Fidelity: Poles Apart?</i> or <i>What we might have lost by getting computers to do things for us.</i><br />
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Robin is an excellent host and had a great setup of a decent record player and some lovely old speakers - B&W or Altec (I can't quote remember), which sounded lovely and allowed me to play lots of records in an appropriate setting.Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-42863317964172555732011-02-26T02:33:00.000-08:002011-12-17T02:43:28.851-08:00Philip Thomas WorkshopI organised a two day workshop by the pianist Philip Thomas on 24-25th February 2011, based on the music of Christian Wolff. We also had a masterclass for composer's for piano, and it was a great pleasure to be able to invite Philip to Edinburgh after first meeting him at the ICMSN in Keele in 2009.Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-86033179931728655932011-02-07T02:42:00.000-08:002011-12-17T02:45:53.630-08:00Sound Thought, Glasgow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWxJbYBXIuNQ3puXuZCxlsiJLG-Qi8jrT7T0cUmEhNrGxlrK_VpNDiepWlQ_ecY23Qb8FK_-MqRfShRccjz9AayQwSnutATTIB0JQfsKqMed1K8yPUPX3fkMOJmGgKF4ajuangW9tqY0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2011-12-17+at+10.40.50.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQWxJbYBXIuNQ3puXuZCxlsiJLG-Qi8jrT7T0cUmEhNrGxlrK_VpNDiepWlQ_ecY23Qb8FK_-MqRfShRccjz9AayQwSnutATTIB0JQfsKqMed1K8yPUPX3fkMOJmGgKF4ajuangW9tqY0/s320/Screen+Shot+2011-12-17+at+10.40.50.png" width="320" /></a></div>On the 4th of February 2011 I was due to perform a new piece <i>Testing, Testing</i> for three record players and ring modulators in the Arches in Glasgow as part of the Sound Thought festival. Unfortunately I had to cancel due to ill health which was a great smae as the rest of the bill looked really good. I had played the piece in Edinburgh in 2010 and was looking forward to taking to a new city.Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-3802181397592877412010-12-22T02:28:00.000-08:002011-12-17T02:46:11.672-08:00Voice On Record - Final ShowI finished my 58th and final show of my Voice On Record radio programme on 20th December. This was a one hour show for Resonance FM broadcast every week on Tuesday evenings, repeated on Sundays featuring a wide selection of spoken word recordings from my collection.<br />
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Each week would have a theme and through the almost 18 months the show was running, I played recordings of people like William Faulkner, Buckminster Fuller, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Aldous Huxley, John Arlott, Richard Burton, James Joyce, Bela Lugosi, and many other not so famous individuals with interesting voices or stories.<br />
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The shows are possibly still available to download from <a href="http://podcasts.resonancefm.com/archives/category/shows/voice_on_record" target="_blank">Resonance FM</a>.<br />
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The full details including playlists and pictures of the records are available on the <a href="http://voiceonrecord.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Voice On Record</a> blog.Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-700245043586374535.post-82648176151159547012010-12-07T02:19:00.000-08:002011-12-17T02:44:34.745-08:00Art Of Record Production Conference 20103-5th December 2010 was the ARP conference at Leeds Metropolitan University where I presented a paper entitled - <i>Tubby's Dub Style: The live art of record production.</i> There was a great range of papers and some very interesting speakers including Paul Miller (DJ Spooky), Paul Harkins (Edinburgh, Napier) and an excellent keynote by Steve Albini.<br />
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<a href="http://www.artofrecordproduction.com/content/view/233/127/" target="_blank">ARP 2010</a>Sean Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06388061834622984396noreply@blogger.com0