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THE AMBiENT PiNG http://www.theambientping.com Wednesdays @ HACiENDA - 794 Bathurst Street at Bloor (directly across from the Bathurst subway station) - Toronto Doors open at 9pm - 1st set at 9:30 - PayWhatYouCan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . This TUESDAY June 21st - The Ministry of Inside Things with General Chaos Visuals The Ministry of Inside Things (electronic musician Chuck van Zyl and electric guitarist Art Cohen) are considered among the most innovative of US synthesists today. Influenced by the early music of Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze and Ash Ra Tempel, their spacemusic has been described as linear, leading the listener across many sonic terrains. Based on improvisation, The Ministry of Inside Things creates electronic realizations that flow from theme to theme, with the experience often lasting up to two hours. Through use of textures and atmospheres as well as harmony, rhythm and melody, the group transports the audience on an internal sonic excursion. Chuck van Zyl has been recording electronic music & performing in public for over 15 years. Van Zyl originally worked under the name Xisle, but is best known for hosting one of the US's most successful radio shows of electronic music, STAR'S END, for over 20 years. Art Cohen has been pushing the limits of the electric guitar in the studio and in live performance for well over 15 years. He uses processing to enhance the space around his guitar and loops his live sound to create lush layers to create soundworlds of immense depth and beauty. General Chaos Visuals will be adding additional dimensions to the performance with their hypnotic analog light paintings. MoIT: http://members.bellatlantic.net/~chuckv/pr2.html General Chaos: http://www.generalchaosvisuals.com Between Sets CD - "Belladona" by Daniel Lanois Not precisely ambient, but unquestionably beautiful, this brand new instrumental album from producer extraordinaire Daniel Lanois is rooted in his gently expressive pedal-steel guitar. http://www.daniellanois.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Coming Tuesday June 28th - Rob Piilonen with Todd Pearson and Nick Storring with Rose Bolton, Michael Dobinson & Michael Keith Nick Storring: http://www.nickstorring.com Rose Bolton: http://www3.sympatico.ca/larry_lake/rosienobars.htm Michael Dobinson: http://www3.sympatico.ca/larry_lake/mikeynobars.htm Michael Keith: http://p3.hostingprod.com/@alexiteric.com/michaelkeith.html . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ||: IN THE LOOP :|| by Luna Tek Wednesday June 15th saw the end of an unexpected heatwave: just as the crushing humidity and smog dissipated, two of Toronto's acclaimed musical innovators arrived to play THE AMBiENT PiNG. True to form, Pholde and John Kameel Farah presented sound art that pushed the boundaries between music and noise and music and science respectively. Pholde (Alan Bloor aka Knurl) performed the first set on a new metal sound sculpture. Although it appeared to be a simpler version of his welded instruments, Bloor pointed out that he "can get more out of this sculpture" than many of his more elaborate ones. The sculpture created for this show was constructed out of a piece of metal grating ( approximately 1/2" meshing) with metal flanges. Contact mics were attached to the metal meshing and effects pedals were used to manipulate the sound. Bloor played his instrument with metal files and tubes. Although billed as an underwater experience, the primary sound effect was subterranean, much like travelling through American poet Muriel Rukeyser's "Caves of Ajanta." The underwater element was most evident in those sections of the concert with a Gavin Bryers feel. Pholde's distincitve sound is one that gets under your skin with its atmospheric ambience. Always intriguing, the concert engaged the sympathy [as in sympathetic nervous system] of the audience by evoking feelings of tension and an expectation of resolution. Scott M2, a PiNG organizer, commented on the delicate harmonics achieved by Pholde during the quieter passages of this evening's performance. Accompanying John Kameel Farah's performance on his laptop and Nord Lead 3 synth in the 2nd set were visuals by U of T astronomy prof, John Dubinski. Based on the real physics of galaxies, Dubinski's images of galaxies colliding broached the science-art divide. Farah and Dubinski have worked together over the past year preparing a DVD scheduled for release in the fall of 2005. Using a super-computing technique, Dubinski's visuals follow the motions of the stars. Farah composed a series of soundscapes for Dubinski's video images that traverse the aural range of glitchy moments to fluttering drones and spacey atmospherics with a textural dimension. Likening his "reality-based art" to the interactions of the stars, Dubinsky points out that the visuals follow the spiral forms and patterns using numerical depictions of events in nature. Dubinski has created a computer program that predicts the interaction of natural phenomena, noting that while "reality is more random," this program explores how gravity can sculpt beautiful forms and patterns. More information can be found at: www.pholde.com www.johnfarah.com and http://www.cita.utoronto.ca/~dubinski/ Luna Tec - luna@theambientping.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rik maclean's *ping things* CD Reviews "Body Cage", the latest release by Aidan Baker's project Nadia, is a fascinating piece of work influenced by the condition Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, a rare illness where muscles and connective tissue slowly turn to bone ultimately causing immobility. By way of slowly buidling tension, a sense of dread and unease, the disc succinctly and powerfully captures the fear of one's body slowly becoming a prison. Powerful and emotive, "Body Cage" is most certainly an example of uneasy listening. "Clinodactyl" begins the disc, a slow expansion from minimal sound sources gradually building in strength as the song progresses, ultimately becoming a wall of sound, a dark monolith of droning feedback and percussion. It's frightening piece, but a truly beautiful one nonetheless. "Autosomal" follows, opening with a writhing snake-like piece of guitar work playing overtop a sparse hi hat rhythm that gradually evolves into a percussive barrage. As I listen to it I can't help but feel this is a track that truly captures a feeling of claustrophobia, one that encapsulates all the phobia inherent in that state of mind. Chilling. The final track "Ossification" begins with a repeated arpegio loop and an alternately climbing and receding drone. As the piece progresses, tones shift and mutate around eachother, weaving and interplaying in subtle ways to become something completely different from it's original component pieces. Throughtout the disc, one can't help but feel the gradual loss of control of the body, the slow imprisonment that comes from progression, a sense of sheer helplessness. Aidan Baker has proven himself in the past to have a tremendous ability to create music that leads his listeners in terms of sensation and experience. With "Body Cage" he has progressed beyond that level of talent and added a physical component as well. Truly a moving and emotional work from a master manipulator of the senses. rik maclean - rik@pingthings.com http://www.pingthings.com = ambient + electronic + chill things Send an e-mail to pingthings-subscribe@yahoogroups.com for updates on *all* the latest releases on sale at ping things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THE AMBiENT PiNG is a social sound/art event presenting live performances by Toronto's finest ambient, chillout, improv and experimental music artists plus performers from across the continent, every Tuesday evening at HACiENDA - 794 Bathurst Street at Bloor. http://www.theambientping.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Please forward this e-mail to any friends who may be interested in live ambient, chillout and experimental music performances or to any of your appropriate newsgroups. Thanks.