Per and Erdem in Paris

[mark francombe <mark@markfrancombe.com>]

I have to just comment on this clip from Per and Erdem in Paris.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=6DWezuFTdgE

Its astounding!
I quite simply would have paid to fly to Paris to see this in the octophonic version if I had known.
I have their SubCity album, but I must say, Im not a huge fan of listening to recorded abstract music, although it might be my favorite genre of music to hear played live. (abstract... god terrible word, I kind of include this in improv, but as I know this gig was based on SunCity (or the other way round) I cant really call it Improv).

Although quite different musicians, both Erdem and Per share one important quality... and thats .. er... quality. Both in terms of timbre and taste.
Firstly their tone or  timbre is very distorted and warped electronically, I hear bit crushich and ring modulations and granulations in both of their sounds, but amazingly (and something I find very hard to achieve) their audio quality is very clean, almost antiseptic, very digital and precise. There is no hiss or grunge or sludge or muffled tones at all, its all crystal clear.

Im sure Per would put this down to being all in the digital domain. Even though my set-up is almost a hardware version of Pers set-u, mine is plagued by cables and hiss and hums and distortion and level issues and impedance problems. I'm afraid I'm too attached to my boxes to change, but if someone were to persuade me, it would be Per.

As for quality of taste, they know that its important to take your time, although they slip into some toe-tapping beats once or twice, with abstract electronic music I always feel its important to be aware of pace, for the user to accept that "this is it" and not think that its some kind of drawn out intro. When accepted, this music shines and I see it more like classical music, carefully composed and completely clear of ego and pomp.

Pers flute is theonly thing that, doesnt quit "fit" into teh sound picture, it has a slightly retro feel to it, reminding one of previous experimental uses of the instrument, like Kraftwerk, Gong or dare I say... Jethro Tull?? The references are a bit too much for me, a bit too er... ethnic...  but you know.. musically I have to say it still fits wonderfully. It actually is the instrument that brings in the most techno part of the perfomance, the loping (not looping... look it up!!)  2 step beat. I suppose when an instrument has a particular reference for you, its impossible not to think of it... Almost like if Erdem suddenly whipped out a Didgeridoo, or Per some Bagpipes. (Now tell me, that someone DIDNT just think of a rainbow jumper and dreadlocks, and a guy in a kilt???)

One thing Per, I noticed in your setup that you described to Chris for the Istanbul show (guessing it was quite simerlar) that you are using the GR55 as a foot controller. Im very interested in the nitty gritty of that. Can you tell me, what controller are you using to actully loop in Mobius with? Is it all on the Faderfox? If you are considering the iPhone route, you should really think about the Missing Link. Iknow your thinking about using it to change parameters on the Laptop, but I have made a very simple iTouch interface for the CCs sent externally to the GR55. So you can have hand control of all those lovely parameters. 

Its here http://www.markfrancombe.com/plugis/GR30ASSIGNS2.touchosc if you want it
This all it is... 
https://img.skitch.com/20120226-b4889dnwfdh5hi4xg9a3dg4gwy.jpg

simple but very very useful

Per and Erdem, please give me at least 3 months notice of your next gig together, I'll need to save up for an air ticket!

 

-- 
Mark Francombe

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