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Just wanted to start with a quick note to say that it was great to see so many of you come out to experience Robert Rich's wonderful performance this past weekend at the Church of the Holy Trinity and to report that the show was a huge sonic success. The PiNG wants to thank all those who pulled together and worked very hard over the past few weeks to make this event happen, thanks also go to Robert for including us in his tour and for treating us to such a great evening of sound and visuals and of course thanks to all of you who came out . . . you're encouraging us to do more things of this nature. Also wanted to note that school's almost out which means that our old friend Luna Tek will be back out on occasion reviewing PiNG happenings. In fact, Luna was spotted this past weekend and you can read her impressions of the Robert Rich show here: http://www.obliquepoetries.blogspot.com/ and now back to the weekly PiNG news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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 May 2nd . Arms Full of Sound Journey to Ambientia 2: Seasons . II . S P R I N G Set one - Arrival . Set two - The Synthitone Journey to Ambientia 2: Seasons, is the year long project from Arms Full of Sound that will take you back to that special place, deep within the ambient mind. This past February we started to return to the powerful place called Ambientia in search of the Traveler who is trapped in this timeless world of music. The seasons change one into another and back again. Our journey continues from where it was left. All must end where it began. Arms Full of Sound is an Ambient-Electronic music performance formed 4 years ago by Paul Needler. Using a large compliment of analog, digital and software synthesizers, Arms Full of Sound produces live blends of ambient music, usually all improvisational. http://www.armsfullofsound.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Before Sets CD . dac crowell / kurt doles by Dac Crowell and Kurt Doles This week's we give a taste of some of the recorded works of Rankin IL electronic artist Dac Crowell who will be coming up in a few week's for his first visit to the PiNG. This ambient CD from the now defunct Suilven Recordings label features some of Dac's recordings (both solo and with Kurt Doles) from 1994 -1997 which fills the sonic space whilst allowing the listener to focus on other activities. Don't miss Dac on May 23rd when he brings his modular and other electronic toys up to plug into the PiNG. http://www.magnatune.com/artists/dac_crowell Between Sets CD . Passage by dreamSTATE Tonight we feature the second CD release by dreamSTATE. As with their first CD "Between Realities", this recording is also from a multi media installation, but whereas the first CD was a live recording of the "waveforms" a mounted installation, this one features the original studio recordings used for the Moon Sea Crossing installation. A minor bit of trivia, there are actually two different versions of the Passage CD. The first version was a limited edition of 50 copies which were produced specifically for the installation when it was mounted at the historic Gaol in Goderich and is representative of how the music was mounted in the space. The second version was released after the installation and is a slight reworking which has a reprise of "Watershed" to make the entire CD a more rewarding and complete listening experience. Read more about it here in rik's *ping things* CD review below and hear it Tuesday @ the PiNG. http://www.dreamstate.to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . COMiNG Tuesday May 9th . RADiO iN AMBiENCE Part 1 A special presentation for Deep Wireless in collaboration with New Adventures in Sound Art featuring Debashis Sinha with Ben Grossman and Kathy Kennedy As part of the 5th annual Deep Wireless festival, a month long celebration of radio art presented by New Adventures in Sound Art, this installment of RADiO iN AMBiENCE begins with Indian percussionist and sound artist Debashis Sinha with world musician Ben Grossman in a set that uses the radio as a sound source and mixed with various percussion instruments to create ambient music. Also, Deep Wireless artist in residence Kathy Kennedy will perform a solo set of electroacoustic vocal compositions. New Adventures in Sound Art: http://www.naisa.ca Deep Wireless: http://www.naisa.ca/deepwireless Debashis Sinha: http://www.debsinha.com Ben Grossman: http://www.macrophone.org Kathy Kennedy: http://www.kathykennedy.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rik maclean's *ping things* CD Reviews dreamSTATE . "Passage" Fans of Toronto electronic artists dreamSTATE will no doubt be thrilled by the release of "Passage", a series of soundscapes specially created for an installation held in Goderich, Ontario. Inspired by the poetry of Lynn Harrigan from her collection Moon Sea Crossing, "Passage" tells the story of Aina, an Irish immigrant who settles in Huron District during the 1840s. Her life during this time is filled with hardship and turmoil, ultimately resulting in a mental breakdown which leads to her being confined in the Huron District Gaol where her mental state further declines. Through a masterful creation of sound and environment, dreamSTATE is able to draw the listener into Aina's plight and brings her story to life in a powerful and haunting manner. Meant to capture Aina's journey across the sea from Ireland to Canada, "Crossing" begins the album with slowly evolving oblique movement, environments and atmospheres coming into shape as tones become more pronounced and defined. As the track progresses, movement becomes displacement as calm and tranquil passages give way to darker and more foreboding tones. When listening to this track one can't help but feel a passing from the safety of the known into the darkness of unsurety as Aina faces a new land and a new life. Track two, "Clearing", uses more easily defined melodies and structure to tell its tale. The feeling of industry and hard labor as Aina and her family work to create a home for themselves is captured in the repeated phrases of the track, played counter to field recordings taken from the site of Aina and Thomas' farm. A sense of form gives a sense of safety here, a sense of connection to the earth, to the land, but an underlying dark drone suggests there are issues already at hand which will culminate in Aina's decline. "Watershed" represents a turning point in the story, bringing to life a moment that ultimately leads to Aina's descent into darkness. Beginning with a calm and tranquil flow of pads and tones, the track moves from a peaceful security into a darker and more ominous tone, leading into track four, "Fall", which continues the sense of descent, sounds capturing the change of seasons, the slow loss of warmth and safety that leads into the winter months. Tones roil around each other, spinning and colliding through the sound field, as if to suggest the confusion of thought and the battling emotions that have come with her breakdown. As the piece progresses, deeper drones open up, at first only subtly but slowly gaining strength, suggesting the abyss into which Aina is staring. "Captive" captures the cold and hopeless feeling of Aina's stay in gaol, where the demons that haunt her mind are made physical through the horrible conditions she is made to bear. Bleak and desperate drones pass throughout the track, metallic sounds rising and falling, ebbing and flowing, slowly circling to match her descent. "Captive" manages to convey the sense of desperation and hopelessness Aina feels at this point, giving frightful sound to her torment. Track six, "Stone and Sky" brings some sense of hope and light to Aina's plight. Inspired by the courtyard of the gaol in which she finds herself, the track captures the freedom and light that Aina's heart aspires to. Unfortunately this hope is short-lived as it leads into "Gyre", a haunting piece where strangled tones and constrained notes struggle to be heard above a metallic drone slowly snaking from ear to ear of the listener. Bleak and without hope, this track captures the darkness that has washed over Aina's mind. And then it is done. "Watershed Reprise" finds Aina's return to her home, utilizing a return to the same calm and tranquil pads and tones to suggest a reunion with her family and the safety of clear thought. The clouds have lifted and she finds herself free once again, in body and in spirit. As brilliant as it is emotional, "Passage" is a beautiful work by one of Toronto's premier electronic acts. Many lesser talents would find themselves lost in such a dark subject matter, but dreamSTATE are able to convey the scene, the situation and the emotions felt in a succinct and powerful way. A testimony to their sophistication and artistry, "Passage" is sure to become a classic of the genre. rik - ping things "Passage" is available now at ping things! Visit http://www.pingthings.com/DSpassage.htm to hear mp3 samples and to buy a copy! And don't forget to tune in to ping things radio Sunday and Wednesdays between 9pm and 12am at http://www.live365.com/stations/marastorment This week we'll have tracks from Passage along with material from Robert Rich and this week's PiNG performer Arms Full of Sound, not to mention tons of other great stuff from the ping things catalogue! http://www.pingthings.com = ambient + electronic + chill things . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * Other Toronto area sonic/visual events of interest this week: * Wednesday May 3rd . Deep Wireless presents YOUR EAR CABARET @ the Drake Underground Actors, poets, musicians and DJs bring a feast for the ears: Anna Friz, John Oswald, Sook-Yin Lee, Christine Duncan, Paul Dutton + The Bat by Impatient Theatre, Tell by Soraya Peerbaye & Sprawl by Threshold Theatre. In Your Ear will be recorded for later broadcast for CBC radio and will also be broadcast live-to-air from the Drake on CKLN 88.1-FM. the Drake Underground . 1150 Queen Street West, doors open 7:30pm . show starts at 8:00pm . $15/$12 * Wednesday May 3rd . Shoplifting, Genders, Nervous Sleepers & Sounds of North AMerican Adult Bookstores 9pm . Sneeky Dee's . $7 * Thursday, May 4th . 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 * Friday, May 5th . Earshot #18: Kafka Fragmente A presentation of Hungarian master Gyorgy Kurtag's beautiful and intimate composition based on of the writings of Franz Kafka. Performed by soprano Kristin Mueller-Heaslip and violinist Christian Robinson. In German with English titles. 8:00 . Gallery 1313, 1313 Queen St. W. $15 / $10 (seniors/members/artsworkers) / $5 (students) * Sunday, May 7th . ISAACS SEEN AND HEARD "The Liberties" (Travels I) of Susan Howe Introduction and parts 1 & 2 of the pOemPERA of Udo Kasemets, visuals: Pierre Tremblay, Susan Layard, singer/speaker, Udo Kasemets, pianist, Paul Dutton, speaker. 3 p.m . at Victoria University, Emmanuel College 75 Queens Park . Free admission * Sunday, May 7th . The NOW Series presented by AIMT and the NOW Lounge 4:00- Skinny Vinny-(from Boston) Josh Jefferson- Sax & Toy Flute Andrew Eisenberg- Percussion 5:00- Mike and Mike(from hell) Mike hansen-turntables Michael Keith-acoustic guitar 6:00- Mike and Mike and Vinny - a collision of the first 2 groups 4-7PM . The NOW Lounge - 189 Church St. . $6 * Sunday, May 7th . Soundstreams Canada presents CABARET + featuring two world premieres by Brian Current (Canada) and the sensational Frankenstein!! by HK Gruber (Austria) 8 PM . Glenn Gould Studio . $25 adult / $20 senior/ $5 student * May 1st - 31st . New Adventures In Sound Art Presents: Deep Wireless Festival. a month-long celebration of radio and transmission art, radio artists, sound artists and enthusiasts can experience performances, sound installations, new commissions, special radio broadcasts, a CD launch and conference. Conference Pass $150/130 (+$20 discount - early bird registration) Early bird registration deadline is April 14th, day rates available. May 1st - 31st . The Drake Hotel (1150 Queen St W) & Ryerson University Student Campus Centre (55 Gould St) more info at http://www.deepwireless.ca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 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.