A well favoured strategy for coping with the modern world is to remix it. For example, if sick of the viagra spam clogging your inbox, why not compose song lyrics with it and perform to rnb backing tracks while wearing a ‘strap-on dildo-AV controller’, like Brisbane artist Thea Baumann? Or check the remix strategies below –
Cold Cutz Collaborative Feature Length Film
www.nowthemovie.com
“The kind of motion picture I am interested in will be like creating the modern LP record. It will be mixed into ways of thinking rather than cut linearly,” sez Francis Ford Coppola. And if non-linear cutz do it for you, then your pants may already be wet at the prospect of a Cold Cut feature on the big screen, dialogue free along the lines of Baraka or the Qaatsi films, but utilising the latest in Ninja beat-splicing and AV tricknology, and helped by a supporting crew that includes BBC documentary editors. Ze website ( www.nowthemovie.com) explains how anybody can contribute files and samples to the mix, discuss themes and editing decisions on a message board and even share in the profits of the final film.
“This will be a film in which aesthetics of vjing are used quite strongly to make it different – but we’ll have to wait and see – it’s an experiment which’ll be driven by what footage people contribute, ” enthuses Matt, who apart from this, running the label and launching a recent DVD retrospective of ninja_clips (Zen-tv) – is still finding time for another album.
“The next Cold Cut album will be released in spring 2005, and will feature ‘Cooking with Cold-Cut’, which is an av cut-up about genetically engineered food – we’ll probably release it next time Monsanto fuck something up…”
DIY MIDI Controllers
http://www.audiomulch.com/midipic/
Aside from authoring the well-respected audiomulch software, Ross Bencina has been busy performing with VR gloves as part of his laptop performance trio, Simulus. Kind chap that he is, he has also published online the fruits of his research into building custom MIDI devices for controlling software. Sample Snip:
“By combining a PIC microcontroller or Basic Stamp II with a few passive components it is not difficult to construct your own knob box, trigger box, or other MIDI input device. A knowledge of electronics may be required for interfacing to some sensors. Both the Stamp and PIC provide an economical (under US$100) entry point into the world of alternative MIDI controllers.”
Bounty on Kofi Annan’s Head
CNN Breaking News… Osama Bin Laden has placed a BOUNTY on Kofi Annan’s head. Kofi, the former UN chief who recently admitted he and the international community could and should have done more to stop the 1994 Rwandan genocide where 800,000 Tutsis in Rwanda were slaughtered in the biggest massacre since the holocaust in world war II, as you can clearly see, is not impressed.
Next Wave Festival in Melb
Check the massive www.nextwave.org.au program for highlights such as these:
Harvey Pekar speaks – yes the cack-yourself-tastic comic artist that American Splendour was modelled around, which should be a real treat in person eh? May 24th
Ladies Skipping League Tour of Booty & The Kingpins – May 29 @ Fed Square.
Launch of the www.undergrowth.org ?? ‘digizine’ with live av & thea_trickle performances – May 26@ Festival Club
Launch of www.neopoetry.org DVD – also May 26
Salam Pax speaks – about his hugely popular Blog from Baghdad – May 25
New Pollutants, Music VS Physics, Curse of Dialect, Dsico etc – May 29-30 @ Festival Club
Critical Culture series of forums, with great speakers, 5 sessions a day – may 24-30
A zillion other launches, exhibitions & pah_tayz…