UPCOMING PERFORMANCES

MOVING TO WORDPRESS (Change your RSS subscription)

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 02:50:59 +0100

I’m in the process of migrating my page over to a Wordpress based one.

That means this will be the last blog/RSS post with this address. The current page is still live and everything works but the next post after this will be coming from the new RSS feed.

Please redirect your RSS reader/subscription to the following link:

feed://www.rodrigoconstanzo.com/feed/

LIFE AS AN ACADEMIC

Sat, 21 May 2011 17:57:19 +0100

So I started my MA in Electro-Acoustic Composition last September and the University of Manchester and have just handed in my course work for this term. This officially completes my first year (doing it part-time) of the degree.

During this year I’ve really tried to embrace the academic thing, and put my all into everything I was doing.

In the first term I wrote two long (4k words each) papers, one on “Electronic Virtuosity in the Context of Electro-Acoustic Improvisation” and the other one being an analysis of friend and collaborator, Pierre Alexandre Tremblay’s epic drum+electronics piece “La Rage”. Both came out well, which was a great relief as my academic writing is pretty shitty with the last paper I wrote previous to these papers was a 600 word essay that I got a “C” on...

During that term it was announced that the ICMC (International Computer Music Conference) would be held in Huddersfield this year. I decided to write and submit a paper, and some music, which was painful to take on as the deadline fell a couple of days before my academic paper deadline.

I wrote a paper on my evolving drum+electronics setup entitled “Towards the Beat of a Different Drummer : A Journey into the Loss of Fidelity in Drums and Electronics”. It was accepted in the end, but as a poster length paper, meaning that I had to cut the eight page paper down to four pages. There were lots of pictures/diagrams so after removing that and trimming some footnotes, I only needed to cut out a paragraph or two to make it fit.

Here is the full length paper version of the paper:

The published version, as mentioned, is a bit shorter and will be available as part of the ICMC2011 published proceedings.

So that was last term. This term, in addition to going to STEIM, I wrote two ‘fixed media’ pieces. Both etudes with themes of “Time” and “Space”. I am very proud of the of both of the pieces and will use them in future releases (with real titles). Going into it I didn’t want to make “throw away” music for the etudes, I wanted to make music that I could stand by, that explored the criteria given.

I began working on my time etude, now called “Where The Skin Meets The Bone”, last term, but in an unfortunate turn of events, lost all of my work (on paper at the time). It wasn’t too big a deal as I had scanned some of the notes, but it did suck the wind out of my motivation. Luckily it wasn’t due until this term. The approach I took regarding the time etude, was to form an observable disjunction in time between two sets of drums with electronics. The two exist in the same space, so they function as a duo, but time starts and stops independently for each. This is achieved by "freezing" time by means of acoustic and electronic extensions.

“Where The Skin Meets The Bone”

The space etude, now called “Six Motherfucking Pitches”, is a piece I’ve been wanting to work on for a long time. The premise is that the piece begins with a massive cluster that slowly dissipates over time. In preparation for the piece I recorded, edited, and catalogued (see Spate Etude Pitch Chart) 481 different pitches on dozens of different instruments totaling over 48 hours of audio. The piece is divided into six different sections, accented by a reorchestration of the remaining pitches. The structure is such that the first four sections grow increasingly shorter with the fifth section being as long as the first and sharing the same timing in terms of frequency decay and space generation. The final section explores the space and timbre of the remaining six pitches.

“Six Motherfucking Pitches”

Special thanks to all the performers who chipped in pitches for this one:
Alex Farha
Anton Hunter
Richard Knight
Abigail Sanders
Rod Skipp
Mauricio Pauly
Ramsey Janini
Hervé Perez
Keith Jafrate
James Adolpho
Jack Adler-Mckean
Nikki Hicks
Paul Strachan
Angela Guyton
Ben Cottrell
Graham South
Robin Eggers
Sonia Paço-Rocchia
Laurence Boot
Tom Owen
Rodrigo Constanzo

STEIM WORKSHOP

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:39:52 +0000

I recently spent a week and a half at STEIM and it was amazing. This is the blog I posted for their project blog.

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I’ve known about STEIM, in one way or another, for almost 10 years now. While living in Miami (currently in the UK), it existed as a faraway place where amazing, almost magical, things happened.
After moving to the UK I always had, in the back of my head, a thought that I would go and see it in person. After starting my MA (in Electroacoustic Composition at the University of Manchester) I decided to apply for an orientation workshop.
Now backing it up a bit. Zoom and enhance. Zoom and enhance.

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I’m a performer, improviser, and composer, likely in that order. I’m also an instrument building and modifier.
What I most often do is improvise using my drums+electronics setup. It looks like this:

I built and/or modified nearly everything on that drum set (down to the drums themselves), including all the electronics laying around it.
My approach to electronics, in general, is very DIY/lo-fi. I haven’t used a laptop in live performance in over three years, and I only did it for a couple of months then anyways. Most of what I do is hardware based. Even now that I’m getting into sensors, code, and microcontrollers, it is leaning towards self-standing, embedded solutions (ie Aruduino, iOS, etc…).
So what does it sound like?
Here is an short track from an improvisation-based CD I did with brilliant composer/performer Pierre Alexandre Tremblay:
Glitch House Beat (200bpm)

It also looks like this:
GEMDays 2010 Performance

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Ok, back to STEIM.
Being that I build instruments and such already, I have a few ideas for things that might be worth applying for a residency for. The two main ideas are as follows:
1 – An accelerometer and gyroscope based wireless sensor for attaching to the wrists of a live painter.
2 – A computer hard-disk ‘percussion’ instrument that is part automaton.

Now for some details. The first one is intended for a cross-disciplinary improvisation-based group I have, called Takahashi’s Shellfish Concern.
It looks like this:

And sounds/looks like this:
TSC @ The Noise Upstairs

The manner in which we, more recently, perform is that there are contact mics placed on the back of the canvas, and the two musicians (Anton Hunter and myself) sample/process the sounds of the brushes/palette knives on the canvas. Where the sensors come in is that they would be controlling a system (max/MSP) that samples/processes the sounds she makes. In effect making the sounds from the video linked above a self-standing instrument. This will allow Anton and myself to go back to using more ‘traditional’ (and I use that term VERY loosely) instruments.
My original plan was to use gutted/adapted wiimotes for this project. More specifically wiimotes with wii motion plus built in as the gryos would give much more accurate tilt/rotation readings. I still plan on doing that for the development of the software, but after speaking to nearly everyone here at STEIM, it’s clear that bluetooth is not the best solution for wireless performance. Lots of connectivity type issues that I’d rather avoid. I think the final hardware version will be something based on an accel/gyro/arduino board with the wireless part being XBee based.
Now this project seems right up STEIM’s alley in terms of sensor/wireless/art/interaction etc.. but it also falls in an area just outside of what I can manage on my own. And particularly in terms of software (more on this below) I think it would be better to just develop/build it on my own and maybe apply for a residency to refine it later on.

Now the second idea, the hard-disk clicking one. This is what I think I will apply for a residency for as it involves things that are outside of my understanding quite a bit, and fit in with what STEIM does, but in a different way. The current/rough idea is that it would contain four ‘open face’ computer hard drives (very old/loud ones) that would be mounted on a wooden/resonant enclosure. Below that would be several foam drum-pads. When tapping one of the pads, the corresponding hard drive would start a clacking pattern that would die away. Each hard drive would have a different pattern it went through and/or all would cycle through different patterns. I’m also thinking of using the platters themselves as encoders and having contact mics on them to amplify/process the sound later on.
The kicker is that I want it to be self-standing. As in, no computer. Due to the multi-instrumental approach I have at my drumset (see picture below) adding a laptop to the system would be prohibitively complicated, AND it would be nice for it to be a self contained system.

So those are two ideas that spending time at STEIM has really gotten me thinking about. Well what about the time itself?
The workshop/talks have been great. Getting demonstrations of JunXion/LiSa were very handy, as well as learning about the history of STEIM. For me the fun started on day three (or was it four?). Taku‘s talk on inventing instruments, as well as Kristina Anderson’s interaction design talk were my favorites. That conceptual approach to the instruments/interfaces is something that resonates with me. More of my recent builds have been interface adaptations, like the Electric-Whisks.

How I interface with my instruments is a big concern in a mixed instrument like mine. The interface choices I make have to account for being an instrumentalist at the same time. I’m not a ‘controllerist’ in any way.
In addition to drums, I play piano/guitar and similar instruments (piano is actually my first instrument starting at 4years old and studying it through university). This instrumental extension is something that poses unique interface problems. I’ve never been a big fan of sensors for sensors sake in that music doesn’t become more exciting if you throw a sensor glove on it. I believe the music is what’s exciting. I guess this is a tangent/rant that could live elsewhere.

What about the STEIM hardware/software?
Hardware wise the Arduino, and similar boards, really changed the game. Most of what I saw here, instrument wise, was based on Arduinos and old PowerPC Mac Mini’s (interestingly enough). They do seem to be making some interesting developments in terms of XBee/wireless type solutions. I’m curious to see if that manifests itself commercially.
Software wise it’s a bit weird. LiSa, the longstanding staple of STEIM software feels really limited to me. Granted, it does what it does well, and I LOVE live sampling. For me the limitation comes in in terms of MIDI resolution. I HATE the sound of 127 steps in gestures. That step-step-step sound when doing rapid and/or long changes kills it for me. The fact that there is no easy way to incorporate DSP into the equation is another bummer. I’m half tempted to learn LiSa and develop a setup with it, but knowing that there is a roof, as it were, isn’t appealing. I’ve done some max/MSP stuff in the past, and although I can’t make a LiSa in Max, it might be worth the work/effort building it in there as theres no ‘roof’. There is also a more practical limitation in that LiSa runs in rosetta, which is supposed to be gone from the next OS X (10.7) update. Yikes!

So in summation. STEIM is an amazing place. Vibrant with energy, history, and brilliant people. It’s hard not to get inspired here. And inspired I am. There are practical manifestations of this (the instrument ideas above) but more importantly there is a deeper, conceptual inspiration in terms of electronic music and interfaces.

16 Figures

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 11:56:57 +0000

I’m very excited to release “16 Figures”, a improv trio CD I recorded last year with Ray Evanoff and Iain Harrison. After recording Ray’s duo ATEMNT for The Noise Upstairs records last year I proposed an improv project to Ray, which quickly turned into a trio with Iain on sax. The original idea was to have lots of short improv pieces, but after rehearsing and discussing ideas, we scrapped the short pieces idea and just left it completely open. I sort of glazed over what the actual idea was from the start for the sake of everyone involved, but let me just say that it involved a movie with Vin Diesel....

On the recording I play Namasitar and Old Mr. Grassi (abbreviated to “strings and electronics”), Ray Evanoff plays amplified cymbal, and Iain Harrison plays alto saxophone.

The music is very....interesting. There’s something about the sound of electronics+cymbal scrapes+saxophone that is very visceral and almost uncomfortable.

Here is the official blurb:

Rodrigo Constanzo (amplified strings & electronics), Ray Evanoff (amplified cymbal), and Iain Harrison (saxophone) are about as diverse a trio of musicians as could be. With a collective background ranging from DIY instrument building to Brazilian music to big band, the three bring a lot to bear on the act of making music. This eclectic range of musical influences and experiences gives rise to improvisations which highlight both the unavoidable conflicts and the common ground which emerge as a result of their distinct backgrounds and outlooks. This diversity is acutely documented in their forthcoming album, 16 Figures, which features companion artwork produced specifically for the occasion by Angela Guyton. All three musicians, plus the artist, are currently based in the north of England.

Here is the bandcamp widget:

You can buy CD which comes in a hand stamped cardboard sleeve with artwork by Angela Guyton for £6 here.

Here are some pictures from the recording session.

NEW DUO RECORDING SESSION

Wed, 9 Feb 2011 15:48:18 +0000

After meeting and playing with Hervé Perez back when The Noise Upstairs’ Sheffield night started in early 2010 we got to talking about doing a recording together. It took a bit to work out the logistics of when/where and all that, but we finally got in the studio and recorded a doozy.

I played toy piano, Specto, Party Bus, Sidrassi, modified CD-player (ala Nic Collins), iPad (using Grid, Curtis and TOPLAPapp), Namasitar, and some misc percussion.

Hervé played soprano saxophone.

In the process of editing/listening/mixing at the moment, but hopefully a release will follow later this year along with some other exciting things.

Here are some pictures from the recording session.

DEAF TO VAN GOGH'S EAR - SINGLE RELEASE

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:50:02 +0000

After a few months of recording, editing, mixing, etc... Deaf To Van Gogh’s Ear, a band in which I play drums, has put out an awesome single!

It is called “Assume Deviousness” and the B-Side is called “Just So Hipster”. We had a great single launch party back in October, with a super spooky Halloween theme.
Read a review here.

Here are the tracks. Behold their mathiness.

REMIXES

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 15:26:05 +0000

I enjoy doing remixes. It’s not often I have an opportunity to do so as I don’t do traditional remixes (adding phat beats and the like) nor do I know many musicians who seek remixes.

When I do a remix I try to approach each differently, and try to re-imagine the song.

Here are a couple remixes I’ve done with some info on what I did.

The first I did for cottrell/findlay/hunter and Concrete Moniker.
They were putting out an album of trio improvisations and had asked other musicians on the label to do remixes of tracks.
I picked the track “C” as it was really sparse and had the performers playing at different times.

I knew going into it that I wanted to radically transform the track into something else.
I also basically ‘improvised’ the remix as from the time I got the email with the download link to the stems to do the remix, to the time I uploaded the completed track back to the label took exactly one hour. That’s it.

Here is my remix:

Here is the original:

More recently I was asked by Beats & Pieces Big Band to do a remix for a re-release of their, then sold-out, EP.
I was stumped as to what to do for months. It was only when the deadline came looming around that I decided I actually had to DO something.
In not wanting to do a plain remix, I decided to interpret “remix” differently, and basically re-recorded the song.
I chose to use a male vocalist to recontextualize the lyrics, and changed around the key and time signatures a bit.
The mood is still there but, I think, amplified.

I recorded everything myself (including the singing) as the point of reference, then called in a couple singers to lay down the final tracks. Evan Wilson and Holly Carter, both from one of my bands, Deaf To Van Gogh’s Ear supplied vocals for the track.

Here is my remix:

And the original:

SOCIAL NETWORKING - 1 : RODRIGO - 0

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:18:32 +0100

I hate social networking sites.

I find them really boring and artificial. Fake interactions between fake friends.

HOWEVER, with how popular these sites are becoming, as an artist, it’s important to be involved, and available with the technology. The only reason I’ve had a Facebook (the worst of these sites as far as I’m concerned) is for that very reason. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), people don’t go onto Facebook to check for music, much less experimental music.

Today I finally broke down and signed up for Twitter. The other half of the social networking chimera.
And with that, I linked up as many of my social networking sites as I could, and most importantly, I linked my RSS feed to them as well. So when I add actual interesting news (unlike this post), it will go out there, to the places on the web, where I daren’t go.

I’ve updated the links section on my webpage to reflect the slew of of sites I’ve got things on, but here they are.
Marvel at their redundance!

http://www.myspace.com/rodrigoconstanzo
http://www.youtube.com/kriista
http://rodrigoconstanzo.bandcamp.com/
http://twitter.com/r_constanzo
http://soundcloud.com/rodrigoconstanzo
http://vimeo.com/rodrigoconstanzo
http://www.last.fm/music/Rodrigo+Constanzo

ON THE HORIZON

Thu, 27 May 2010 20:16:41 +0100

So many many exciting things in the works. I will list some of them, in no particular order.

A trio record with Ray Evanoff (of Atemnt) and Iain Harrison that has been recorded and is in the process of being mixed.
A solo Drum/Keyboard improv record that will be called “P-P-P-Piano, P-P-Percussion”. Some recording done.
A solo album filled with a shmorgishborg of stuff called “Constantly Rodrigo”.
A duo album with Richard Knight on no-input mixer. We are in rehearsals at the moment.
A drum compilation album I was invited to play on. Other performers include Chris Corsano, Glenn Kotch, and Greg Saunier.

NUS LABEL LAUNCH PARTY

Sun, 28 Mar 2010 02:16:39 +0100

After joining The Noise Upstairs last year, Anton and I put a lot of things in motion to help The Noise Upstairs grow and improve. Among them have been excellent workshops, podcasts, and now a new Sheffield Noise Upstairs, but one of the biggest has been The Noise Upstairs Records. We just released our third CD by the amazing Huddersfield duo Atement (formerly Gift of Life, which performed back in November last year). We decided it was finally time to make a big deal about it so we had a label launch night party.

We had a great performance of John Zorn’s COBRA by workshop participants, then I did a solo set, with Atemnt closing out the night.

Below are some pictures and videos from the night.

GEMDAYS FESTIVAL

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 01:37:56 +0000

After speaking at the Max/MSP Symposium at last years GEMDays Festival, PA Tremblay mentioned that he’s going to try to get me to perform at this years festival. One year later, it came to pass. I shared the night with Phil Archer. We were both interviewed before the concert, which was wonderful to hear how similar our paths had been, even though the results were rather different (we were both still playing on the ‘circuit-bending’ night).

Click here to download/hear the interview.

The performance went great, I felt. It was my first gig with my new drum setup. I modified a 16” floor tom into a nice little jungle bass drum. It sounds massive and boomy. Mmm mmm. I also bought a decent 12” Sonor rack tom, which I converted into a floor tom, along with piezos so it would work as a Sidrassi-Tom. It was also my first gig with my completed Party Bus mixer/8-bit looper/sampler.

Below are some pictures and a video of the performance.

XIU XIU & ME AND YOU

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:03:45 +0000

So like, one of my bands, Deaf To Van Gogh’s Ear is opening up for Xiu Xiu next month (February 23rd). This is super, absolutely, truly, amazing. It’s the second time we’ve opened up for someone ‘starstruck-able’, the first time being when we opened up for Extra Life last year.

Awesome

THE PARTY BUS Finished

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:52:09 +0000

Finally finished building this little box. It’s a Where’s The Party At 8-bit Bendable Sampler and a buffered 4 to 1 mixer, all in one. It took months to finish, mainly due to problems discovered during my poorly functioning first build. I had to solve clock bleed, a noisy mixer, and other tasty details.

Click here to find out more about The Party Bus.

I AM YOUR DENSITY

Fri, 1 Jan 2010 19:01:46 +0000

I am very excited to finally present “I AM YOUR DENSITY”. This CD has been in the pipe for over a year, being sidetracked by Drum & Bass and Jew Point Owe. It is finally done, and it is a doozy.

I AM YOUR DENSITY is a composition written for a group of improvisers. It was written in 2008 and has been performed twice, once at The Noise Upstairs, and the other time at The Arches in Glasgow, in conjunction with the Red Note ensemble. It was recorded in late 2008, and subsequently mixed by Dan Escauriza. It is being released on Noise Upstairs Records.

The CD comes in a DVD case with the score included as a booklet. Click here to view score.

You can purchase the CD for £4.

Here are some pictures from the performance and recording sessions.

PIANO + LAPTOP IMPROV

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:16:24 +0000

Had the opportunity to open up for Ingrid Laubrock as part of The Noise Upstairs Presents. Since the venue (Cross Street Chapel) has a nice grand piano, I decided to forgo my recent ‘solo drums’ improv and do a piano set. I invited Scott Hewitt to join me on Laptop/Sampling. We hadn’t rehearsed prior to the gig, and had only played together as part of larger ensembles at Inclusive Improv sessions, so it it’s pretty fresh as far as fresh goes.

We are both very happy with how it turned out and each plan to use bits from the recordings on future records.

Here are some videos.