STUK & Docville: Sisters With Transistors (film) + Julia Eckhardt plays Éliane Radigue • UITVERKOCHT

SISTERS WITH TRANSISTORS

De opmerkelijke wereld van de elektronische muziek is sinds haar ontstaan in het begin van de 20e eeuw voortdurend in beweging geweest. Van de onbegrensde mogelijkheden van digitale synthesizers tot de recente heropleving van analoge opnames; van de onmogelijk perfecte toonhoogte van Auto-Tune tot de democratisering van het maken van muziek voor een generatie 'slaapkamer'-producers - elk van deze buitengewone ontwikkelingen is rechtstreeks verbonden met het werk en het kunstenaarschap van de vrouwen die in Sisters with Transistors aan bod komen: Clara Rockmore, Daphne Oram, Bebe Barron, Delia Derbyshire, Maryanne Amacher, Pauline Oliveros, Wendy Carlos, Eliane Radigue, Suzanne Ciani en Laurie Spiegel behoren tot de grootste pioniers van het moderne geluid en we voelen nog steeds hun invloed, maar de meeste mensen hebben nog nooit van hen gehoord.

Written and Directed by Lisa Rovner
Produced by Anna Lena Vaney
www.sisterswithtransistors.com

JULIA ECKHARDT

Julia Eckhardt is muzikant en organisator in de geluidskunst. Ze is oprichter en artistiek co-directeur van Q-O2 werkplaats in Brussel, waar ze vershillende thematische onderzoeksprojecten conceptualiseert. Als performer van gecomponeerde en geïmproviseerde muziek werkte ze samen met heel wat artiesten, en ze werkt zeer vaak met Éliane Radigue, wier werk ze overal ter wereld uitvoert en ze ook verschillende keren opname. Eckhardt geeft lezingen over onderwerpen als geluid, gender en de publieke ruimte, en is (co-)auteur van The Second Sound, conversation on gender and music, Grounds for Possible Music, The Middle Matter – sound as interstice en Éliane Radigue – Intermediary Spaces/Espaces intermédiaires.

ELIANE RADIGUE ABOUT OCCAM OCEAN

“The idea for this piece was initially inspired by a large mural that I saw by chance in 1973, at the Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles. It showed the “spectrum of electromagnetic waves” moving from the largest to the smallest of known measurable wavelengths. Out of this large spectrum, there is a tiny zone from slightly less than 100 Hz to slightly more than 10 KHz that the ears of certain species populating the planet earth, have transformed into “sounds”.

Later, I discovered interesting parallels with several of my reflections on William of Ockham and his famous treatise “Ockham’s Razor”. Expressed most succinctly in his own words, “The simplest, the best”, it has been adapted and used by numerous artists/creators.

Last, came the distant recollection of a science fiction story I had read about the existence of a mythical ocean. Only the title remained etched in my memory, “Occam’s Razor”, which explains the origin of the spelling I chose. It seems in fact that the Ocean with its multiple waves allows us to symbolically be in contact with a rather large spectrum of vibrating undulations, stretching from great deep-sea swells to wavelets sparkling on a fine summer day. This explains the overall “structure” of the project.

The work mode is based on an individual “image” illustrated and evoked within each solo. Each musician is guided by his or her personal “image”. This provides the essential, letting descriptive words and evocations establish a system of communication as the piece is being elaborated, and through this intuitive-instinctive process, we are guided to the very essence of music. There will be as many solos as there are volunteers willing to enter into this shared experience.

They become the “sources”.”