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LPM 2011 MINSK

LPM 2011 MINSK

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Live Performers Meeting

Ў Gallery of Contemporary Art, Мiнск, Belarus

  • September 22 // 22 2011 | Y EXHIBITION AREA, Ў Gallery of Contemporary Art, Мiнск, Belarus
  • September 23 // 25 2011 | Ў Gallery of Contemporary Art, Мiнск, Belarus

Festival

DIE MASCHINENANBETER

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DIE MASCHINENANBETER
Piotr Tolmachov (DIE MASCHINENANBETER)

Collapsing Radioforce Mantras

http://www.behance.net/gallery/DIE-MASCHINENANBETER-COLLAPSING-RADIOFORCE-MANTRAS/1716873

My project centres around exploring of hypnotic side of various voice communications between flight operation officers and pilots of US & EU strategic reconnaissance aircrafts like TR-1(U-2), SR-71 etc. It is based on unique tape recordings that were made by my brother Sergei Tolmachov between 1988 and 1989, during military service in USSR Air Defence Forces near Oranienbaum(Sint-Petersburg). I use different layers that represent different realms:

Voice>

It is really difficult to categorise the way these people communicate: it is not a regular talk, it is not singing, it is not poetry reading, nor it is raping. They belonged to “voice subculture” that was never exposed to the public, hence abandoned, forgotten, unknown. They repeat their call signs, coordinates, messages over and over again on a daily basis through years which become so polished so fluid so musical so hypnotic that you can call it their daily mantras.

I selected 11 fragments from the tape (with the duration up to 10 seconds) that were used as mantras (consequently repeated fragment of voice communication with a slight decrease of duration with every next loop until it finally ceases in time). Each point of mantra’s collapse is ended by the same mantra with the original duration. All mantras are divided by continuous interlude radio speeches.

Sound>

Besides voice communications, this tape contains all kind of sound traces left from radio frequencies, distortions, additional subharmonics caused by transmitting, receiving and recording equipment.

Unfortunately, weak tape machines and worn tape couldn’t reproduce all nuances of that powerful sound. To reconstruct this layer of raw sound electricity, I decided to use sound of soviet-era analogue synthesizers, organs and drum modules from 80s of last century.

It is well known that major part of soviet synthesizers were designed and produced at military plants and were made from the same electrical circuits, used the same ideas as their older brothers (all kinds of radio transmitters, receivers etc.). Therefore they share the same sound signatures.

Video> The whole history of soviet cosmic & sci-fi movies compressed in 30 minutes.

The idea of this project is to bring together above mentioned realms including all related notions, objects, ideas, people, sounds and remelt them at such a degree that they are no more perceived as eclectic parts but rather as solid bases of another consistent cyber space, where you can easily reconnect and reunite them with each other in single space and time.

Duration (minutes)

30

What is needed

Technical needs

Audio:

4 audio speakers (2 front + 2 back), 1 subwoofer, 2 audio monitors

Video:

1) 2 adjacent equal in size video screens (4:3) (see video on CD for example of video setup); the screens should be mounted on such a height that they won’t interfere with the shadow or body of the performer; the bigger the screens the better.

2) 2 Video projectors (one with ability to mirror the video image)

3) Duo video signal splitter (to be able to feed video signal from video output of MacBook pro to video projectors )

Space:

environment dark enough for video projection, space with good sound acoustics (not too reverberant), should be possible to put speakers in front and in the back of listeners.

  • AV Performance
DIE MASCHINENANBETER
DIE MASCHINENANBETER

Belgium Antwerp

Events

LPM 2011 MINSK
LPM 2011 MINSK
Sunday, 25 September 2011