Wednesday, December 21, 2011

VIDEODROME 2012 - Call For Works

Call for Submissions: VIDEODROME 2012 April 01 / 2012
Call for Submissions:
VIDEODROME 2012 at The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art
Deadline: April 1st 2012



WEBSITE: http://www.dropframevideo.com/news.html

Now accepting submissions of A/V works under 5 mins.

VIDEODROME is Toronto's foremost event for Visual Music and A/V culture since 2004. Visual Music is video and audio composition made from video edits, simultaneously video AND music where picture matches sound, cut for cut, beat for beat, rhythmic media work where sound and image are equally dominant. See examples here: http://www.dropframevideo.com/videos.html

Based on the Cronenberg concept, VIDEODROME is an exercise in televisionary excess and sensory overload, video screening as party and vice-versa, in the words of dropFRAMEvideo: "bridging the gaps between the sofa, the club, and the gallery."

Works must be complete and received by April 1st by post at 193 Augusta, Toronto, ON, M5T 2L4
Or posted to a file-sharing service such as SENDSPACE.

Proposals for live performances or installations will also be considered.
VIDEODROME is administrated by Jubal Brown, dropFRAMEvideo, and Apocalypse Tomorrow.

VIDEODROME 2012
Spring 2012, at The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art in Toronto
More info on last years event here:
http://www.mocca.ca/exhibition/videodrome-audiovisual-overdose/

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

SPECTRAL - CTM Festival 2012


CTM.12 – SPECTRAL





"// 30 January – 5 February 2012
// Various venues, Berlin

With an extensive program of concerts, discourses and an exhibition space, CTM.12 – Festival for Adventurous Music and Related Arts is appropriating the festival theme SPECTRAL to explore the current reemergence of all things ghostly and dark in experimental music, avant-pop, and art – and to speculate about its possible causes and inherent potentials.

The thirteenth edition of the Festival will be held from 30 January to 5 February 2012. As always, CTM runs parallel to and in cooperation with Berlin’s festival for art and digital culture, transmediale, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2012.

In addition to a comprehensive music program at HAU, Berghain, Passionskirche, Gretchen, Kater Holzig and Horst Krzbrg, a discourse series developed in collaboration with the philosopher, psycho-historian and author Andreas L. Hofbauer will address the festival’s theme by pursuing questions concerning art, theory, and music.

Ghosts Off the Shelf is an exhibit created by the curator, art critic, and architect Thibaut de Ruyter at the Kunstraum Kreuzberg / Bethanien, and explores the artistic use of the exponentially growing capacities of technical archives and their “inherent ghosts”. The exhibit opens on 27 January as part of Vorspiel, a comprehensive partner program within which a number of independent Berlin art, music, and media spaces will present their activities.

transmediale and CTM will once again present exciting collaborative projects at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt.

The full music, discourse and exhibition program will be revealed soon, meanwhile have look on the program preview."

Source: http://www.ctm-festival.de/ctm-festival/ctm12.html

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Blues Chord Progressions

When it comes to popular music, it's hard to overlook the influence of the blues. You can hear it in everything from Led Zepplin to Nora Jones. It has also had a huge effect on jazz, pop and many types of folk music. There are a number of ways that you hear these effects. One of them is on chord progressions used in songs. Most people think that this is simply a matter of the I-IV-V blues form but it goes way beyond that. Today we'll look at some of the other common blues type progressions.

I-bIII-IV

This is the one that's used in all types of music from metal to dance. Some may think that it's a version of a minor chord progression but the main difference is the melody is a major scale played over the progression. A number of scales can be used over this progression; the major, blues and mixolydian scales are all available. This progression is used in two ways. First it's often used as the main idea in a rock song, usually played with a riff or reocurring line. It's also used in sequences where you would use a I-bIII-IV using the I chord and then transpose the entire progression up a fourth to be used over the IV chord. For example a E-G-A progression to a A-C-D progression.


I--IV-bVII-I

This is another progression that seems like it's 'borrowed' from the minor but like the progression above, it's used for major, minor and blues melodies. The bVII is often interjected into diatonic chord progressions but when used in this context it takes on the function of the V chord and pulls the harmony back to the I. Diatonic chords can be used with this progression but you'll often find that the progression on it's own pulls you in a more rock/blues direction.

I7-IV7-V7

You can hear the blues influence in this progression right from the first chord. Unlike a modal progression, all of the chords are dominant 7th which has a somewhat more 'unstable' sound than the straight major I. A number of scales can be used with this progression including blues, minor or major pentatonic, mixolydian, and major. Also, the b7th note in each chord may be used in the melody as a 'blue' note adding more interest. The progression is the core of the blues.

I7#9-bIII-IV


This the famous 'Jimi Hendrix chord'. Although used by many musicians, Jimi was the one that arguably made it famous. Sharp 9 chords are great for blues because they contain the natural 3 (from the harmony) and flat 3 (from the blues scale). Both rock and jazz musicians alike use this chord extensively when playing the blues as it tends to have more of a 'bluesier feel' than straight 9 (and especially b9 which lends more to a minor blues progression). The bIII and IV are added to finish off the progression although the sharp 9 chord will work with any blues progression.

I7-IV7-I-bVI-V7

This an added chord to end of the IV-V. A bVI chord is added to the turnaround to add a bit of spice. All of the chords in this example are major.

Im-IVm-V7(b9)

This the minor blues. There are many variations of this. The minors replace the majors in your standard blues progression. The flat 9 may or may not be used; it simply reinforces the minor sound. Minor 7ths may also be used.

Im-IVm-bVI-V7

Another variation of the minor blues. Often the bVI is added for a little more variety. Jazz musicians often take these progressions and add ii-V's and secondary dominants throughout the progression. Musicians like John Coltrane are famous for making up their own special variation of blues changes.

Just The Beginning

There are numerous variations of the blues. Too many to mention in this post. Any of the progressions listed above may be used in a 12 bar blues format or on their own. Many of these appear in pop, country and jazz tunes. There is no limit to the variations or ways in which you can use them. Take one at a time and explore the possibilities.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Jean Piché - OCÉANES

Jean Piché
OCÉANES, 2010/2011


Exploring parallels between image and music with particle generated image and granular synthesis generated sound - incredibly beautifully composed.

'A videomusic work by Jean Piché, 'exploring the aesthetic potential of particle based computer generated imagery. Analogous to granular sound processing, particle synthesis allows for the creation and control of complex materials using an large number of very small components. Sound and image coordination does not explicitely use synchresis as a discursive device but aims for an elevated relation based on metaphor and emotional detachment, as if contemplating a field of images from a distant perspective.'
source: http://vimeo.com/25933560

view on vimeo


OCÉANES from Jean Piché on Vimeo.