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THE AMBiENT PiNG . http://www.theambientping.com Tuesdays @ HACiENDA . 794 Bathurst Street at Bloor . Toronto (upstairs - directly across from the Bathurst subway station) Doors open at 9pm . 1st set at 9:30 . PayWhatYouCan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THiS Tuesday March 21st . Interweaver and NOT_digital Leif Bloomquist (Interweaver, Schema Factor) returns to the PiNG; bringing with him a set of electro-ambience incorporating deep sonic drones, playful energetic synth sounds, and manipulated beats. http://www.leifbloomquist.net Braving the 401 to come in from Windsor ON, NOT_digital brings their organic electronica to the PiNG stage for the second set. The past few years have seen NOT_digital grow from a few scribblings in a book to full live performances and a more than full length CD release. It started with simple electronic loops and found sounds sampling, continued with melodic and structural ideas and finished with complex orchestral and vocal harmonies. These all serving to soothe, frustrate, and question both the creators and the listeners. The live performance NOT_digital is Erik Ingalls and Stephen Hargreaves. These sounds are much more alive and intense than those heard captured to a simple CD. http://www.myspace.com/notdigital http://notdigital.on.to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Before Sets CD . Passage by dreamSTATE To start the evening off we return to last year's CD release of dreamSTATE's ambient soundscapes from the Bread & Water multimedia installation in the Huron Historic Gaol. As Passage was inspired by Lynn Harrigan's book of poetry Moon Sea Crossing, this will be a preview of a little of what is to come at next week's PiNG when Lynn joins dreamSTATE and The Devil in the Design for the second set. http://www.dreamstate.to http://www.lynnharrigan.com http://www.myspace.com/ogison Between Sets CD . Terraforms by Sylken This week we feature the latest from Eric Hopper's project Sylken. Featuring a collection of players from the PiNG community as well as some far away friends, Sylken delivers a beautiful series of tracks which once again evoke the project name. Read more about it here in rik's *ping things* CD review below and hear it Tuesday @ the PiNG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COMiNG Tuesday March 28th . Vessel = Menno Krant + The Devil in the Design and dreamSTATE with The Devil in the Design + Lynn Harrigan VESSEL; A collaborative performance with Phil Ogison {The Devil in The Design} and Menno Krant Vessel: This project represents the interface of two artistic disciplines, visual art and music. Modern Artist Menno Krant; painter and Phil Ogison; Ambient Guitarist and Electronics Improviser, combine their unique gifts in a series of five performances, which explore the definition of music as fine art and the body as vessel for sound and colour. The first of these performances will take place March 28.06 in Toronto. Menno Krant is a self-taught visionary artist whose unique painting techniques have given him international recognition and acclaim. Mr. Krant has been the subject of many documentaries and scholarly dissertations. Phil Ogison has been involved in the experimental visual and audio art scene since the mid 1960s. He continues to work in both areas with a current emphasis on performing ambient/experimental music with a variety of artists, notably members of the Worthy Records collective and THE AMBiENT PiNG Community in Toronto. Phil's music is available on the world wide web, through ping things and The Canadian Music Centre. http://tditd.tripod.com/vessel http://www.mennokrant.com http://www.myspace.com/ogison To close the evening, a mixed set of ambient electronic soundscapes, sequences and poetry by dreamSTATE with The Devil in The Design and Lynn Harrigan. http://www.dreamstate.to http://www.lynnharrigan.com http://www.myspace.com/ogison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rik maclean's *ping things* CD Reviews Sylken . "Terraforms" Eric Hopper's project Sylken returns with "Terraforms", a beautiful example of the ambient ideal. Working with some of the brightest talents in the AMBiENT PiNG community including frequent collaborator Steven Sauve, along with Wally Jericho, Jamie Todd of dreamSTATE, Terry O'Brien of Anomalous Disturbances and Gregory Kyryluk of Alpha Wave Movement, Hopper has collected a series of melodic ambient tracks of great beauty and wonder. >From the throbbing pulse of opening track "Terra Rising", where graceful arpeggios and deep pads blend together with each other to form a delicate web of sound, the listener is caught up in the beauty inherent in all of Sylken's work. A lovely way to start the disc. "Landfalls" follows, a track that suggests a rainforest, an environment rich with vivid colour and beauty, lush keyboard washes bringing to mind thick forests of greenery. A wonderful example of environmental ambience. Track three "Breath of Life" slows down the tempo slightly, a fragile and beautiful piece where occasional piano dances around sweeping soundscapes that pass through the sound field like a slow wind. Fragile and lovely. "Enfoldment" brings about a womb-like listening experience where the senses become focused entirely on the music, Wally Jericho's sax bringing an otherworldly beauty to the piece. "The Shores of Space" is a fine example of space music, a track that evokes the sensation of slow orbits around alien planets. Oblique movement and gently building waves of sound are underscored by soft melodies suggestive of stars. Beautiful. Title track "Terraforms" is a lovely percolating soundscape that brings to mind the birth of planets, continents slowly taking shape over the course of millions of years. Wally Jericho appears again, lovely trumpet work giving the track an organic feeling, the spark of a soul that reminds us that the earth is just as much of a living thing as you or I. "World of One" blends pads and drones, echoing tones and keening notes to suggest a pulse, a heartbeat, the beginnings of life. Subtly shifting tones and the tinkling of glass play throughout, a stunning work of minimalist wonder. Track eight, "Gaia's lament" is a poignant piece, a slowly drifting series of pads that float around the senses, playing on the edge of our awareness. Nuance and infrequent shifts give shape to the track, a million instants of change so subtle that they're lost in the blink of an eye if you aren't already in tune with them. "The Drift of Time" follows, a delicate melodic ambient track where pads rise and fall in strength over top a mesmerizing tonal pattern. Stunning. "Zen Sky", featuring a guest appearance by Gregory Kyryluk of Alpha Wave Movement, closes the disc. A shimmering otherworldly piece filled with glittering notes and musical phrases, "Zen Sky" encapsulates the whole disc experience for the listener. A wonderful piece, and a lovely way to close the disc. Listening to "Terraforms" I can't help but be put under the spell of Sylken's charms. All of the tracks bring to mind a variety of different emotions and feelings throughout the course of the disc's length, a testimony to the talent and artistry inherent in the music that it can be so evocative. Once again Sylken has succeeded in creating music that brilliantly captures a mood, a feeling, a time and a space. Stunning work that comes highly recommended, as does the rest of the Sylken catalogue. "Terraforms" by Sylken is available now at ping things! http://www.pingthings.com/SYLKENterra.htm Interested in finding out more about Sylken? ping things has an exclusive interview with Eric Hopper in our featured section! Check it out at http://www.pingthings.com/PTfeaturesNF.htm Interested in hearing some tracks from "Terraforms"? Tune into ping things radio every Sunday evening from 9pm to midnight EST at http://www.live365.com/stations/marastorment to hear music from Sylken and other artists in the ping things catalogue! rik maclean - rik@pingthings.com http://www.pingthings.com = ambient + electronic + chill things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * Other Toronto area sonic/visual events of interest this week: * Monday March 20th . Marcel Au Coin trio Marcel Au Coin keyboards Chris Banks bass Jake Oelrichs drums 8pm . Dominion on Queen . 500 Queen St. E. (1 light east of parliament) . $5 * Thursday March 23rd . Improvisors' Pool The improvisors' pool is a weekly gathering for musicians who practice collective free improvisation. It welcomes players of all levels and backgrounds. 7:00-9:00 . Ralph Thornton Centre . 765 Queen Street East * Thursday March 23rd . marcel aucoin trio marcel aucoin keyboards chris banks bass jake oelrichs drums 9:30pm . supermarket 268 augusta avenue * Thursday/Friday March 23rd/24th . Tim Posgate's Jazzstory Tim Posgate, Rob Clutton, Lina Allemano and special guest: Nick Fraser 9pm . The Red Guitar 603 Markham St. * Friday, March 24th . Leftover Daylight Series in association with Arraymusic and AIMT i- Cooney / Haley / Thomson w/ shannon cooney dancer / geordie haley guitar / scott thomson trombone ii- Fisher / Jovicevic / Piilonen / Shugarman / Sorbara w/ colin fisher saxophone / jasna jovicevic reeds / rob piilonen flute / sarah shugarman violin / joe sorbara drums iii- Dan Pencer Quartet w/ dan pencer saxophone / thom gill guitar / bram gielen bass / matt pencer drums 9pm . ARRAYMUSIC Studio 60 Atlantic Ave., Ste 218 . $10/6 * Friday March 24th . Dave Clark's Woodshed Orchestra w/ special guests: the silent 5 & the Mountainside band The Woodshed Orchestra features the likes of Blake Howard-drums, Doug Friesen-bass & tuba, Michael Johnston-piano & accordion, Tom Howell-violin & piano, Joe Lapinski-guitar and Dave Clark-guitar-vocals & piano. The DCWO will takes some giant steps off of big cliffs and into the freak zone with free form stylings suited to all who would attend. The silent 5 brings about the trace-like momentum of a desert wind. The mountainside band rumbles and rolls its way through the bush and out onto the beach. 10pm . the Tranzac 292 Brunswick Ave . p.w.y.c. * Friday March 24th . CKLN 88.1 and Mark Hundevad present a memorial concert for legendary free jazz trumpeter Raphe Malik. Featuring Sabir Mateen and Kenny Baldwin on saxophones, Brandi Disterheft on bass, and Mark Hundevad on drums, vibes and percussion. 9pm . Cabbagetown Community Arts Center 454 Parliament Street . $20 * Friday, March 24th . Synchro presents BENJAMIN BOLES with resident DJs DENISE BENSON & ANDREW ALLSGOOD Andy Poolhall, 489 College St., Toronto no cover before midnight - $5 after - 19+ * Saturday March 25th . vague terrain presents... 11t1 / I am robot and proud / sourfly / dj ether.mann - vague terrain / vj / nokami This month we will be showcasing a trio of producers working within the always-ambiguous territories of IDM. This event will be the official launch Toronto based 11t1's debut album "tracks" to be released on the Suburb record label (out of London) this spring. 11t1, will be playing a variety of "pop-influenced, jazz-tinged, hip-hop misappropriated, quasi-generative" material from this new album at our event. Our second guest is I am Robot and Proud who will be premiering some of his signature electronic pop from his forthcoming album "The Electricity in your House wants to Sing" due out later this month on Darla records. Last but not least is a (fairly rare) set by bleep n' bass studio shut-in Sourfly. Rounding out the night will be a VJ performance by Nokami and an opening DJ set by vague terrain resident ether.mann. 9pm - 2am . art bar / the gladstone hotel 1214 queen st. west . $5 * Sunday March 26th . The NOW Series presented by AIMT and the NOW Lounge 2-3:30- Nick Fraser’s grant writing workshop 4:00- "Unconscious 3" John Wilson - Guitar, Jay Hay - Saxophones, Eric Allen - Drums 5:00- Nilan Perera - Guitar / Colin Fisher - Sax & Guitar 6:00- TBA NOW Lounge, 189 Church St. . $6 * Sunday March 26th . HENRY KAISER, LUKAS LIGETI, JOHN OSWALD, MICHAEL SNOW & CASEY SOKOL 8 PM . The Music Gallery, 197 John St., Toronto all ages . $20 regular/$15 member + senior/$10 student . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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 around the world, 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.