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Psst . . . the PiNG has quietly been working with Jon Spencer to bring Robert Rich back to Toronto for a performance as part of his 2006 Spring Tour. We're still working out the final details, so things are subject to change, but here's the scoop: THE AMBiENT PiNG & Jon Spencer Present ROBERT RICH . LiVE . SATURDAY APRiL 29th 2006 Holy Trinity Church . 10 Trinity Square, Toronto (south of Dundas . west of Yonge . behind The Eaton Centre) More details and ticket info soon @ http://www.THEAMBiENTPiNG.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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 April 4th . WHIPPOORWILL (Chris Gartner, & Great Bob Scott) and POLMO POLPO (Sandro Perri) WHIPPOORWILL is a new duo from the former Look People rhythm section of bassist/guitarist Chris Gartner, and drummer Great Bob Scott. This is an exciting and innovative group that creates a forest of sound and texture with just two people. Gartner plays composed guitar and bass loops live, switching instruments within the pieces to form the illusion of a number of players at once. Scott's infamous drumming is spiced with electronic triggering, and samples. Dense multitracked soundscapes composed by Gartner, and live video projections augment their live shows. The two members of WHIPPOORWILL have been part of a number of high profile acts over the years. They both toured Europe and North America as members of Canada's legendary "Look People", and appeared in recordings, magazines, television shows, rock videos, and Lollapalooza festivals with the group. http://www.myspace.com/chrisandgreatbob Also on the bill, Polmo Polpo is the solo project of Toronto composer, musician and producer Sandro Perri. Between 1999 and 2002, he released several full length and EP releases, beginning with his own label, Audi Sensa, and later moving on to various releases with Alien8, Intr-version, and Constellation. Perri operates in a strange netherworld between avant-dub and more post-rock influences and pointedly incorporates traditional instruments into his electronic experiments "as part of the fabric." Polmo Polpo creates a unique blend of dense and intoxicating layers of hisses and crackles, looped percussion, long-burn drones and submerged rhythms overlaid with instrumental sources (slide guitar, strings, accordion). "Polmo Polpo" loosely translates as "octopus lung" in Italian. Much of Perri's music is reminiscent of deepwater, photic zone atmospheres. http://www.alien8recordings.com/subsf05.php3 http://www.audisensa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Before Sets CD . Rainforest by Robert Rich Well how could we not given the above news. To celebrate Robert Rich's return to the ambient north, we'll be featuring some of our favourites from his extensive catalogue as we lead up to his Toronto performance at the end of April. Tonight we drift back to 1989 to hear the polyrhythmic, electroaccoustic journey of Rainforest which was the introduction for many of us here to Robert's sonic realms of "glurp" and "shimmer." http://www.robertrich.com Between Sets CD . Degrees of Separation by The Circular Ruins Tonight we feature Degrees of Separation by Anthony Paul Kerby's The Circular Ruins. APK's music is a complex and distinctive amalgam of ambient, groove ambient, and experimental forms of electronica. Read more about it here in rik's *ping things* CD review below and hear it Tuesday @ the PiNG. http://www.databloem.com/z_tcr.htm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COMiNG Tuesday April 11th . PHOLDE and Greg Lauzon It's a night of heavy metal, PiNG style, as Alan Bloor returns as Pholde to bow, scrape, brush and caress his self created metal sound sculptures with other metal objects to produce atmospheric hauntingly spacious soundscapes. http://www.theambientping.com/pholde/home.html Next up will be Greg Lauzon's first live performance with his recently built Spring Dulcimer which is like a Hammered Dulcimer except that it uses springs instead of wire strings. Greg will also be using a pan drum and a Yang Chin (Chinese Hammered Dulcimer) and effects to compliment the Spring Dulcimer. The show will be an exploration of melodic ambient percussion. Some songs will be pre-written, others will be improvised within the East Indian Ragas. http://www.greglauzon.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rik maclean's *ping things* CD Reviews The Circular Ruins . "Degrees of Separation" Anthony Paul Kirby has proven time and time again that he is an impressive musical talent with a firm understanding of ambient/electronic ideals. Over the years his work as both The Circular Ruins and Lammergeyer has delighted and inspired me, leaving both a strong impression and a tremendous appreciation for his work. And so it should come as no surprise that I'm quite taken with his latest release as The Circular Ruins "Degrees of Separation". It's a stunning collection that stands up with the best of Kirby's catalogue, continuing and developing on the work that he's done in the past. The long form piece "Epiphenomena" opens the disc, a masterful blend of drone and melody interspersed with infrequent samples. It's a fascinating work that unfolds over the course of it's sixteen plus minutes, where a bed of dark ambience anchors the track while lighter tones rise up to break the surface. Melodic phrases and occasional notes run throughout the track providing touchstones and reference points for the work as a whole, giving suggestions of theme and ideal, but never giving the plot away so much that you can't imbue it with your own meaning, your own understanding. The title track "Degrees of Separation" follows, a study in connectivity where form and pattern is created by association. It's a very dense piece with many levels all blending together in a loosely woven mix, masterfully assembled in such a way as to form bonds between it's elements while still allowing for those same elements to retain a certain distinction between them. Track three, "Doon Hill", is a fine example of locational ambience, a piece meant to evoke the memory of a particular magical spot in Scotland where the barriers between our world and Faerie are thinner than the norm. While I've never visited Doon Hill myself, Kirby has done an excellent job in recreating it's charms enough so that I feel I've been there in some way. Maybe seeing such a magical environment in my mind's eye makes it even more real to me than an actual physical visit? Either way it's a testimony to Kirby's talent that I can feel so connected to this space. "Empty Hands" uses oblique motion as a backdrop for a series of subtle arpeggios and almost jazzy riffs. Beautiful and bright in it's presentation, "Empty Hands" brings to mind future possibilities and hope, the chance to go beyond our limitations to create something new and better. The fifth track "Departure" moves away from the drone textures used in earlier tracks, opting instead to use a burbling synth that plays underneath a series of beautifully sweeping pads. Sublime and lovely, this one is surely my favourite track on the disc. "Darkness Between Them" follows in a similar pattern, employing sweeps and sustained notes to maximum effect. The track seems to exist as a companion piece to the earlier "Degrees of Separation", but where that track suggested connectivity this one gives the impression of isolation between it's elements, a strong feeling of separate existence. Still beautiful, still inspiring, but perhaps with a touch more regret in it's charms. "Subspace-Overdrive" closes the disc, a flight into space and all of the mystery that entails. Twinkling stars, meteor dust, nebulae and more, it's the sound of the heavens, the sound of beyond. A charming excursion outside of our selves and a wonderful way to close the disc. Without doubt, "Degrees of Separation" is a stunning collection that re-enforces my belief that Kirby is one of the most significant ambient/electronic artists working today. All of the tracks on this disc give pause for thought, reflection, and contemplation, all of them send the mind reeling with possibility and opportunity. An essential work by an essential talent. rik - ping things "Degrees of Separation" is on sale now at ping things! Visit http://www.pingthings.com/CIRCULARdegrees.htm to hear mp3 samples "Degrees of Separation" is one of many discs you'll hear featured on ping things radio every Sunday and Wednesday nights from 9pm to 12am EST on Live365! Tune in to http://www.live365.com/stations/marastorment to hear some great music from artists in the ping things catalogue. And as an added treat, this week's show features a special almost live performance by mara's torment! Don't miss it! http://www.pingthings.com = ambient + electronic + chill things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * Other Toronto area sonic/visual events of interest this week: * Thursday April 6th . 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, April 6th . Pianist Eve Egoyan - Double CD Launch and Concert - pianist Eve Egoyan will perform works from her two new recordings, WEAVE and ASKING, her fourth and fifth discs of music by living composers. Glenn Gould Studio, 250 Front St. West $15 - Students/seniors/arts workers $10 * Thursday April 6 . 4 in 1 Guitarist Ken Aldcroft and drummer Dave Clark blast off on a crisscross ride through the wonderful universe of T Sphere Monk. Good times guaranteed. 9pm . the Red Guitar . 603 Markham St * Friday, April 7th . Leftover Daylight Series i- Remnants Trio Ken Aldcroft- guitar, Evan Shaw- alto sax, Joe Sorbara- drums ii/iii- From Chicago Rempis Percussion Quartet Dave Rempis- alto sax, Anton Hatwich- bass, Frank Rosaly- drums, Tim Daisey- drums 9pm . ARRAYMUSIC Studio 60 Atlantic Ave., Ste 218 . $15/10 * Saturday April 8th . The Window Series - Eric Chenaux & John Oswald + Paul Swoger-Ruston & friends First set: Eric Chenaux and John Oswald improvise on hollow-body electric guitar and alto saxophone. Second set: Compositions by Paul Swoger-Ruston for electric guitar and Rhodes. Featuring Jordan Wright, Josh Thorpe, Mike Kane, Nicole Marchessau, and Richard Benedict. Lots of nice microtones! Co-presented by Arraymusic. 9.30 pm . Arraymusic Studio, 60 Atlantic, side door . $5 * Saturday, April 8th . THE GROUP OF SIXXX with FABle 8 PM . The Music Gallery . 197 John St., Toronto $10 regular/$7 members & seniors/$5 students . all ages * Sunday April 9th . The Man Show featuring Final Fantasy, Mantler, Matias + guests . two shows: 4 PM & 8 PM The Music Gallery . 197 John St. . $10 . all ages * Sunday April 9th . The NOW Series 2:00- Workshop- Ken Aldcroft- Improvisation / Composition 4:00- Aldcroft / Haas w/ ken aldcroft- guitar, andy haas- soprano saxophone 5:00- Alex Lukashevsky + guests w/ alex lukashevsky + guests 6:00- Haas / Thomson / Sorbara / Yue / Wilson w/ andy haas- soprano saxophone, scott thomson- trombone, joe sorbara- drums/percussion, andy yue- electric piano, john wilson- guitar NOW Lounge, 189 Church St. . $6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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.