In 2009, Kunstradio celebrated Art’s Birthday together with IMA Institute of Media Archeology, Experimental Studio of Slovak Radio, and Radio Tilos Budapest in IMA’s exhibition “Magical Soundmachines” at Kulturfabrik Hainburg.
On January 16th, the first day of the two-the-days-event, three groups put together especially for this occasion played: the Intergalactic Joystick Orchestra from Bratislava, Ahad & Én from Budapest and the IMA Orchestra of Soundmachines from Graz and Vienna.

IMA Orchestra of Soundmachines

Eva Ursprung / Polyvox
Katharina Klement / Neo Bechstein Flügel
Cordula Bösze / Theremin
Ushi Reiter / Edison Phonograph
Reni Hofmüller / Mockingboard

special guests: Seppo Gründler / Hönig Synthesizer, Markus Decker / Gramophone

Conzept: Elisabeth Schimana

Safe and Sound Variations on seven themes

Seven pieces of music recorded on wax cylinder or shellac disk are interpreted and played in variations by the IMA Orchestra of Sound Machines. Aerial soundscapes: from the subtle sound of an Edison Phonograph to Arctic whirls of a Polyvox, ethereous waves of a Theremin to digital fighter game sounds of a Mockingboard, from eternal envelopes of a Hönig-Synthesizer to the gyrations of gramophones and accompanied by neo-Bechstein Karaoke.

Joystick Radio Melody Orchestra

Robert Rudolf - IGL - (Meta-Leader)
Ján Ančic - IGK - (Key-stretcher)
Karol Horvath - IGK - (Key-stretcher)
Givan Bell - IGK - (Key-stretcher)
Bohdan Fedor - IGK - (Key-stretcher)
Juraj Ďuriš - IGT - (Time-stretcher)
Katarína Smiková - IGS - (Meta-Scanner)
Laco Kerata - IGS - (Meta-Singer)
Roman Laščiak - IGS - (Meta-Sound)
Vladimír Slaninka - IGC - (Color-stretcher)
ARTe - ACD - Artistic Concrete Director
Emil - TCD - Technical Concrete Director

Méta-Mallette (Meta-Instrument)

Méta-Mallette is Meta-Instrument controlled by the hands of the player or ensembles, which groups the players manipulating a joystick. This configuration is often used for pedagogical purposes, but not only. Based on sample manipulation this “game” is perfectly able to seduce a professional musician. Intuitive sound transformation could be also accompanied by its video representation, changing the Meta-Mallet into a charming multi media instrument, played with great pleasure.

Puce Muse exists already about two decades. All this period was dedicated to musical research, electronic instrument development, concert organisation and musical pedagogy. Puce-Muse founder, Serge de Laubier, is a French composer, sound engineer and musician who studied at the Paris Conservatory and at the Louis Lumière National School.

Ahad & En, (aka Zsolt Söres & Pal Toth): “op. 90117”

The composition characterised by formation strategy and immediate transitions; the use of unstable acoustic systems and continuous sound layers, unique electronic instruments (circuit bent toys, crackle box, Korg DS-10 etc.) which can develop towards a sound economy, very similar to minimalism’s compositional solutions such as micro-structural and sound reduction space arrangement, respectively a situationist détournement space arrangement (often preferring field recordings and environmental noises). Their piece is characterised by the dramaturgy of the situation of intensive concentration and reaction times (slower and quicker processes) because of a sense of suspension, where sounds are looped for a longer or shorter time, recycled and changed only slightly. Comprising an improvised method of editing, it confronts the listener with an evolving sense of time and duration that transcend questions of musical to focus in the idea of shape, in the potentialities of a sound representation as stream of consciousness.

Links:
Art'S Birthday 2009
Dokumentation IMA
Zauberhafte Klangmaschinen
Experimental Studio des slowakischen Rundfunks
Radio Tilos, Budapest
Art’s Birthday Network