WIRED: The Future of Music is an evening of music, sonic inventions and talks, exploring where the music industry may be heading. Following my feature in this month’s Wired magazine, Spacedog will be playing a short set at this event at the Hospital Club, London, 20 July. I’ll report back with news of other performers on the bill – it sounds like an interesting night!
Thanks so much to everyone at Wired UK for putting me in this month’s magazine. The article was penned by the marvellous Leila Johnston (aka Final Bullet), author, blogger, comedy writer, editor of Hackers! newspaper.
The accompanying photo, which has a lovely whiff of the music hall, is by Leon Csernohlavek. It shows Spacedog robots Hugo, Edgar Allan (crow) and Clara 2.0, along with the Ealing Feeder (my robotic carillon) and yours truly, trying to look haughty while playing the saw – never easy. It’s a miracle of digital manipulation. I don’t usually look this posh, nor does my 1950s frock which I ripped while loading my theremin into a cab the night before the shoot.
Sonus (still from video shoot)
Spacedog are thrilled to be participating in Sonus, an homage to the analogue age and incandescent light for the Rushes Soho Shorts Festival. Filmed in a secret location in Chelsea, this short film was devised by Arthertz and filmed by Ridley Scott Associates. It explores many of our shared obsessions with early analogue technology.
Here is a preliminary still from the film shoot, showing Spacedog vocalist Jenny Angliss as the medium, channelling ‘the other side’ through radio static, aided by her incandescent light. I’ll be providing some incidental music, composed of theremin, radio static and bells (bells performed by percussionist Stephen Hiscock).
As I explained in my recent salon talk Ghost Radio, gramophones and radios are transmitters of disembodied voices – a feat that seemed so remarkable in the early 20th century, it lead many people to think these new machines could explain telepathy and ghosts.
Film geeks please note: Sonus was recorded on RED cameras, fresh from the latest Alien shoot. It’s going to look gorgeous! You’ll be able to see it for yourself at the Rushes Soho Short Film Makers’ Market, BAFTA, London on Sunday 24 July.
Spacedog with their award for Best Music Event, Brighton Festival and Fringe 2011
We’re over the moon! Televisor – our new Spacedog show – featuring humans, theremin, robots, Baird televisor and an unplugged guest appearance from Professor Elemental – has been awarded Best Music Event of the Brighton Festival and Fringe 2011. Thanks to everyone who put in a good word for us and to the Latest 7 Awards committee for embracing our oddity and backing our act.
We now plan to take Televisor to more venues, festivals and cities. If you’d like to see and hear Spacedog at your event, drop us a line!
Line-up in the photograph (left to right): Jenny Angliss, Colin Uttley, Sarah Angliss, Stephen Hiscock. Thanks to Peter Crisp for the photo.
Thanks to The Brunswick and Bom-Banes for being such generous hosts during the Fringe and to the Marlborough for supporting us in previous years.
Also on the shortlist was this Balkan Brass Battle which sounds tip top.
From Televisor:
With jet black eyes and hair singed by the lights of John Logie Baird’s early televisor, Stooky Bill was the inventor’s ventriloquial sidekick. Stooky’s face appeared as a streaky blob on the second ever televisor image, around 1925. A ‘stooky’ is a plaster cast. Made of plaster himself, Stooky had sufficient contrast to be just about discernible on Baird’s earliest televisor images. And he stayed still, like the most patient human sitter, while Baird adjusted his televisor equipment.
John Logie-Baird in Frith Street, Soho, London, c1925. This photo shows there were at least two Stookies.
Source: Here’s Looking at You, B Norman 1984
Spacedog’s own Stooky-like Hugo makes three:
“It felt like an audio version of The Shining, played on instruments thrown together in sheds somewhere near Bletchley Park
…mediaeval electronica meets Trip Hop meets Tomorrow’s World. Superb.”
Read a review from Tirimasu, Fringe Review
“Scientists, engineers but above all musicians, their genius lies in
their magpie collections of intellectual exotica”. * * * *
Read a review from Richard Stamp (aka FringeGuru)
“Spacedog deserves wider recognition for this constantly surprising,
inventive and moving show” * * * * *
Read a review from Stuart Huggett, Latest 7 Magazine
Read a preview of Televisor from Richard Stamp (Fringe Guru).
Eerie musicians Spacedog summon the spirit of John Logie Baird as they perform with flickering projections, created live on their working reconstruction of Baird’s original 1920s televisor.
There will be a crackle of static as Fringe regulars the Angliss sisters evoke the earliest days of television in their new evening of deliciously unsettling music. Televisor is the latest retro-futuristic treat from their band Spacedog, mixing theremin, saw, vocals, waterphone and live action from the group’s famous, uncanny musical robots. And this year, their music is given an extra kick from tip-top percussionist Stephen Hiscock (Ensemble Bash).
Technically cranky, faltering, and even a little dangerous, Baird’s televisor was a world away from the bland plasma screens we see today; a perfect match, in fact, for Spacedog’s trademark, homespun electronica, haunted by an analogue past.
Highlights include a new torch song for variety star Tommy Cooper and a high-energy anthem to the awe-inspiring Soviet Ekranoplan (aka The Caspian Sea Monster).
“A word of mouth wonder”, the Londonist.
“Like a classic surrealist object from a dream”, FAD magazine
“Spacedog…generate the kind of gore-free spinechilling terror that mainstream cinema seems to have forgotten”, the Londonist.
Bom-Bane’s Brighton, Tuesday 24 May
Doors open 8:00pm
Show starts 8:30pm
Show lasts approx. 1hr 40 mins (including short interval)
Booking and tickets
Our Televisor shows at the Brunswick are now over – thanks to everyone who came along – but we’ll be reprising the Spacedog set at Bom-Bane’s Tuesday 24 May. Please note: The Bom-Bane’s show will not include a guest spot from our dear friend Professor Elemental as he will be strutting his stuff at the Steampunk World Fair, New Jersey, USA.
Brighton Festival Fringe
Spacedog are warming up the valves and making plans for the Brighton Festival Fringe, 2011:
The Brunswick, Hove
8pm 9 and 16 May 2011
Tickets £8 (£7)
Eerie musicians Spacedog summon the spirit of John Logie Baird as they perform with flickering projections, created live on their working reconstruction of Baird’s original 1920s televisor.
There will be a crackle of static as Fringe regulars the Angliss sisters evoke the earliest days of television in their new evening of deliciously unsettling music. Televisor is the latest retro-futuristic treat from their band Spacedog, mixing theremin, saw, vocals, waterphone and live action from the group’s famous, uncanny musical robots. And this year, their music is given an extra kick from tip-top percussionist Stephen Hiscock (Ensemble Bash).
Technically cranky, faltering, and even a little dangerous, Baird’s televisor was a world away from the bland plasma screens we see today; a perfect match, in fact, for Spacedog’s trademark, homespun electronica, haunted by an analogue past.
Steampunk favourite, gentleman wordsmith Professor Elemental, will be guesting – he’ll perform a brand new number with Spacedog as well as a couple of his classics. Other highlights include a new torch song for variety star Tommy Cooper and a high-energy anthem to the awe-inspiring Soviet Ekranoplan (aka The Caspian Sea Monster).
“A word of mouth wonder”, the Londonist.
“Like a classic surrealist object from a dream”, FAD magazine
“Spacedog…generate the kind of gore-free spinechilling terror that mainstream cinema seems to have forgotten”, the Londonist.
George Street, Brighton 24 May 2011
Spacedog will be reprising some of the Televisor set as we squeeze our theremin and musical robots into Bom-Bane’s, Brighton’s most beautiful and diminutive music venue. Limited space – booking advisable!
For Laika (a song from Spacedog featuring theremin and robotic bells)
Extra event!
Ocean Rooms, Brighton 11 May
Ticket details tbc
Two talks for a special Fringe edition of Catalyst Club, hosted by Playgroup and Dr David Bramwell
In the early 20th century, radio and gramophones seemed so remarkable, some tried to use these inventions to explain the spirit world and telepathy. Engineer and theremin player Sarah Angliss reminds us of a strange time when a handful of leading physicists flirted freely with the paranormal. Sarah’s talk includes live aether music mixed with genuine voices from beyond the grave – recordings of soldiers who were lost on the battlefields of the First and Second World Wars.
Starting with the ghost train on the Palace Pier, Colin Uttley examines how the 18th-century phantasmagoria became this classic fairground ‘dark ride’. He also examines a Victorian railway disaster, deep in a tunnel just outside Brighton, which inspired Charles Dickens to write his haunting tale The Signalman. Includes classic ghost train special effects – hold onto your seats!
Radio listening in the former USSR, c1954. Photo: Sergei Polishchuk.
I'm performing live at the Lovebytes Festival, Sheffield, QEDCon, Manchester, and the Catalyst Club, Brighton, and composing music for CE3K-inspired Electronic Encounters and some other forthcoming collaborations (stay tuned for news). I'm also hard at work, re-engineering some Spacedog robots, and selecting films for Rocket Lolly, Spacedog's two-hander with Project Moonbase at the Edinburgh Science Festival in April.
Juice for the Baby, Spacedog's debut album, is here! I'm ducking out of the Kinetica Art Faire this year but am huddled indoors, writing, sleuthing (investigating a recording in the archives) and devising a new biologically-inspired musical instrument - all will be revealed soon.
Juice for the Baby, Spacedog's debut album, launches in mid-December. Join us for the launch gigs at the Marlborough, Brighton, on 9 December and the Horse Hospital, London, on 14 December.
A busy month writing and editing the forthcoming Spacedog album - stay tuned for news.
I'm focusing on my writing this month (so am quite the hermit) but I'm squeezing in the occasional live performance here and there.
I'm looking forward to working with Helen Keen in her Spacetacular on 20th. I'm writing a code-based work for the new label Chordpunch and some owlish music for that fine wordsmith Professor Elemental.
Spacedog are booked into the studio at the end of the month to complete work on our album.
A busy month writing, preparing a get-together of maker musicians for the Brighton Maker Faire After-show party. I've also been electrifying a teapot for the Chi-Tek - an exhibition by MzTek of female tech artists at the V&A. And with my fellow Spacedog Stephen Hisock, I made an appearance on the 10th Anniversary edition of BBC Click.
The Spacedog song For Laika is now available on iTunes (and the album is on its way). Meanwhile, we've been busy preparing our set for Green Man, including the first outing of our torch song for Tommy Cooper.
I'm procrastinating over a teapot which I'm going to electrify for a MzTek event at the Victoria and Albert Museum in September.
I took a short trip to a very rainy Edinburgh Fringe where I played at an event for Edinburgh Skeptics in the Royal Observatory and made some plans for a Spacedog show next summer.
Apart from that, I've been busy writing. More news on that shortly, I hope...
I'm interviewed by Leila Johnston in this month's Wired UK magazine and will be appearing with my fellow Spacedogs at a Wired: The Future of Music on 20 July.
I've rounded up a bumper crop of links and soundclips for my BBC Radio 4 doc The Bird Fancyer's Delight, which is broadcast on 5 and 9 July and is also available on Listen Again. Thanks for all your cheery emails about the doc, to ProjectMoonbase for mentioning it in their podcast PMB038 and for the many national papers who gave the documentary such lovely reviews - I'm glad people enjoyed it! On Sunday 10 July, the doc was featured on Graham Seed's Pick of the Week (Radio 4). A good week!
My latest collaboration with Richard Wiseman is a free and fun magic trick for your iPhone. It's called Paranormality and it's been put together for the launch of his book by the same name in the US. Thanks to Phillis on Derrren Brown's blog for giving the app a mention - thousands of people have now downloaded it and are busy bamboozling their friends.
Playing theremin for Louise Colborne's homage to Loie Fuller (pioneering cybernetic dancer c1900) and composing sounds for Sonus, an homage to the analogue age with Spacedog, ArtHertz, Rushes Soho Shorts Festival and Ridley Scott Associates. Discovering how easy (or difficult) it is to publicise events in 2011 without Twitter - will report back!
Getting ready for BEAM - a brand new festival of electronics and music at Brunel University (24-26 June). I'll be speaking, running a workshop on optical flow and performing live with my fellow Spacedogs. I'll also be playing a short theremin set at the Speaky Spokey, a new arts salon in Brighton (Wed 22 June).
Putting the finishing touches to a sonic-themed BBC Radio 4 documentary, with producer Neil McCarthy, due for transmission on 5 July 2011.
Playing a short set at the the Absinthe Ball, Lewes, 17 June, and highlights of our Televisor set at Richard Strange's legendary Cabaret Futura, 20 June.
Presenting a workshop for Hack Circus at Interesting, in the Conway Hall, London, 18 June, and performing theremin at a family day at the Science Museum, 19 June.
Listen to this BBC Radio 4 documentary about teaching birds to sing human music. Read my research notes.
Watch this talk and read about my salon talks for adults, featuring phonographs, theremins and other delights.
View Hugo, the Ealing Feeder and other robots I've created for my music group Spacedog.
Try these magic apps which I've created for the iPhone in partnership with Richard Wiseman.
Read about my world renowned collaboration, exploring the strange psychological effects of extreme bass sound.
View clips and read reviews of this award winning show featuring human and robot performers.
A free tutorial on how to play this ethereal, European skiffle instrument.
Find out about this night of rare vintage science clips, some of which are accompanied by live music.