Sanne Krogh Groth

Provoking, disturbing, hacking : Media archaeology as a framework for the understanding of contemporary DIY composers’ instruments and ideas

The article is a discussion of works by two Danish composers who both, with self-constructed instruments challenge computer music both as genre, the understanding and use of conventional technology and the relation to history. At first glance, the use of the homemade instruments appears as a common characteristic. But, when one takes a closer look, different discourses and various discussions of media and materiality are revealed. In the article the various positions are unfolded through discussions within the theoretical field of media archaeology, - a science with roots in media studies, but also an important framework for the production and understanding of a variety of DIY practices. The overall purpose with the article is two folded: On the one side it illustrates how theories from the field of media archaeology contributes with interesting perspectives on discussions of artistic work, within the artistic area of DIY. On the other hand, it also serves as a critical discussion of media archaeology, as not being the solution to every aspect of artistic practices. The two artists are Morten Riis and Goodiepal.

Sound Art Situations

This article is an analysis of two sound art performances that took place June 2015 in outdoor public spaces in the social housing area Urbanplanen in Copenhagen, Denmark. The two performances were On the production of a poor acoustics by Brandon LaBelle and Green Interactive Biofeedback Environments (GIBE) by Jeremy Woodruff. In order to investigate the complex situation that arises when sound art is staged in such contexts, the authors of this article suggest exploring the events through approaching them as ‘situations’ (Doherty 2009). With this approach it becomes possible to engage and combine theories from several fields. Aspects of sound art studies, performance studies and contemporary art studies are presented in order to theoretically explore the very diverse dimensions of the two sound art pieces: Visual, auditory, performative, social, spatial and durational dimensions become integrated within the analysis, pursuing the most comprehensive interpretation of the pieces possible. (Less)

Composers on Stage: Ambiguous Authorship in Contemporary Music Performance

In recent years, workflows within the field of contemporary classical music have changed drastically. Increasingly, composers are active in the process of creating and co-creating performances, not only the auditory dimensions but also the visual design and theatrical staging. The practice has recently been termed The New Discipline [Jennifer Walshe (2016, March 4). The new discipline: A compositional manifesto. Retrieved from www.borealis.no]. Of particular interest to the present article are composers of this practice taking part in the performance itself, not as professional musicians but involving themselves in other ways. The article explores the ambivalent authorship at stake in these performances, arguing that they appear to be projects that reveal the processes of musical performance in ways that undermine the Romantic idea of the composer while concurrently celebrating that very same idea through their exposition and staging of the composer. The examples used to illustrate my argument are analyses of All the Time (Hodkinson, 2001), Buenos Aires (Steen-Andersen 2014) and Ord for Ord (Rønsholdt, 2014).

EMS – Elektron Musik Studion in Stockholm

In 1964 the electronic music studio EMS, Stockholm opened as a conventional analogue studio. The primary intension with the institution was to build the world’s most advanced hybrid studio and to conduct an international research program into sound and sound perception. With financial support from the Swedish government and by the effort of the studio director Knut Wiggen, these visions were realised in 1970. Meanwhile, many composers did not intend to follow Wiggen’s ambitions visions. Strong wills, social changes and technological challenges trigged countless conflicts and tensions in the milieu.