Paul Steenhuisen. Sonic Mosaics. Conversations with Composers. Sonic Mosaics is a collection of interviews conducted by Paul Steenhuisen with thirty-two contemporary music composers between September 2001 and November 2004. Most of these were originally published in Wholenote Magazine, a monthly Toronto publication covering all aspects of musical[...] Read more

Books Allison Cameron Issue 105

empreintes DIGITALes turns twenty Canada has an abundance of resources including petrol-soaked sand, hockey fans, and electroacoustic music. These national assets can be found, respectively, in Alberta, in bars, and at <electrocd.com>. Most countries have no way of knowing what their electroacoustic scene consists of,[...] Read more

Recordings John Keillor Issue 105

Ulrichsberger Kaleidophon. Ulrichsberg, Austria. April 30–May 2, 2009. A site-specific performance that took into account the dimensions and machinery of a still-functioning 1853 linen factory, a resounding interface between pulsating electronic and acoustic instruments, and a full-force finale involving a mid-sized band were among the notable performances at 2009[...] Read more

Concerts and Events Ken Waxman Issue 105

Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival. Montreal, Quebec. June 3–30, 2009. Nightly touring an edition of the Suoni per il Popolo Festival means visiting with audiences as diverse as the musical menu itself. Without fail, the annual Montreal festival that urges guests to “Liberate your ears” brought to the fore exciting and diverse programming in more[...] Read more

Concerts and Events Deanna Radford Issue 105

Open Ears Festival. Kitchener, Ontario. April 24–May 3, 2009. Open Ears, as the name implies, is a festival designed to awaken the listening ear—to present new experimental music and to expand our listening experience. This year, Edwin Outwater, the music director of the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, posed two thematic questions, variations on the[...] Read more

Concerts and Events Megan-Fay Rothschild Issue 105

MUTEK_10. Montreal, Quebec. Over the past ten years, MUTEK has become an internationally recognized electronic music festival and the largest of its kind in Canada. This year MUTEK_10 exceeded my expectations by offering unprecedented richness, quality, and depth, making it a milestone year on many levels.Over the past[...] Read more

Concerts and Events Andrea Ayotte Issue 105

awashawave. Mississauga, Ontario. Christof Migone's latest curatorial project since Start, the awashawave exhibition was presented at Blackwood Gallery, hosted by the twenty-second annual Images Festival in Toronto. Migone's curatorial trajectory is amplified by his artistic sensibilities as a sound artist himself, and[...] Read more

Concerts and Events Laura Paolini Issue 105

Zeitkratzer and Carsten Nicolai. Electronics. With a repertoire encompassing composers as different as James Tenney and Lou Reed, the ten-piece Zeitkratzer group, led by pianist Reinhold Friedl, produces a unique CD with every outing. Electronics is no different. Hooking up with German composer Carsten Nicolai, who also plays on one[...] Read more

Recordings Ken Waxman Issue 105

Strotter Inst. Minenhund. Christopher Hess’ Strotter Inst. is a hybrid project that plays between the realms of visual and sound arts. The sounds from this CD are produced by installations Hess builds out of five manipulated Lenco turntables that he has deconstructed in a variety of ways. Photo documentation of[...] Read more

Recordings Chris Kennedy Issue 105

Cyrill Schläpfer. Die Waldstätte. Steam-powered engines appeal to the imagination. As an energy source steam is definitely a thing of the past, and compared to sources developed after it, it is inefficient, noisy, and smelly. Maybe that is exactly what the appeal is based on. That, and the design of the engines themselves[...] Read more

Recordings René van Peer Issue 105

Richard Pinhas and Merzbow. Keio Line. A surprising meeting of minds and one of the strongest CDs I’ve heard in a while. On these two discs French guitarist Richard Pinhas and Japanese noise musician Merzbow (who here returns to his analogue synthesizers after years as a solely digital artist) create beautifully[...] Read more

Recordings Chris Kennedy Issue 105