This was a recording made at the prestigious Film Academy of China in Beijing where a friend of mine, Jurgen Frenz, was teaching audio engineering. Avant-saxophonist Li Tie Qiao for some time had been a leading force in organising free improvisation and experimental music in Beijing and throughout China. Zhang Shou Wang was on the edge of alternate band experimentation as the guitarist and front person for the bands Car Sick Cars and White. It was a first opportunity for me to use my then new instrument the Cilia (conjoined with Max apps) with other players. We also used a graphic notation to guide us, the first time I tried doing this, pitch tracking from the players, but also setting up preconditions. This can be seen on my Vimeo channel. This was quietly ecstatic, intensely measured and sonorously noisy music making. Really a great experience to have played with these two wonderful players. Even though it was recorded in 2009, it seem to me to be even more relevant today. Many thanks to Jurgen, with whom I had several outstanding collaborations while in Beijing.
We used my first pitch tracking driven graphic scores. Sort of primitive but entertaining in their own way. Click on images to go see and listen.
