Raymonde
Thibaut de Raymond is still really underground. If you look him up on Discogs, only his Vlek release under the name Raymonde is mentioned. But it seems he is involved in a lot more that is still eluding cyber-scrutiny. His music is the outcome of disjointing philosophical assumptions, tribal music and advanced electro-acoustic practice. When performing quadraphonically he goes simply adds IV to his moniker, Raymonde, a simple and elegant contraption of Ray and Monde. A light beam shining on the world maybe? Or just the world of Thibaut de Raymond? I will ask him some questions about what he does, how he does it, where it comes from, why he does it and eventually life, the universe and everything.
22 November 2019 |
AG 14
Peter Michael Hamel
Peter Michael Hamel is a German composer, improviser, musician, writer, teacher and maybe under-recognized artist. He is now 71 years old and this implies an active career of over 50 years. He has been involved in a number of pioneering collectives such as Embryo and Between, he’s written an essential book (“through music to the self”), released an extensive amount of records and composed a wide range of scores in which he consistently embraces elements from a wide variety of musical traditions ranging from traditional Indian music, improvisation, contemporary classical music...
He is a holistic composer. He does not discriminate chords for being too harmonic nor does he avoid dissonant tone clusters for being too difficult. This, almost like a cliché, makes him hard to pin down to a certain scene or current. He is a composer for, and of, the now. When he’s improvising he IS in the now. When he is composing, he is creating circumstances to place his audience and performers in the now.
“Others have divided themselves, I haven’t.” He states in an interview for BR Klassik in 2017 for his 70th birthday. He did not have the urge to put himself in a corner. He rather stood in the middle to see all the corners, and the walls making up the space.
I had the pleasure and honour of talking to the man. In this article you can find a reworking of the interviews I did.
01 March 2019 |
AG 14
JUNG AN TAGEN
Jung an Tagen is one of the monikers of Stefan Juster. He is a Vienna-based post-millennial, hardcore arpeggiator and loose avant-gardist of all things new techno. With his latest record Das Fest der Reichen (edition Mego, 2016), the man proved that there is a direct link between hardcore gabba music and the sound experiments of the Darmstadt studios. In his universe, abstract electronic music is something you can absolutely dance to, and techno can be a banger in terms of hermetic experiment. Jürgen De Blonde, proto-millenial and endearing, Ghent-based electronic musician asked his fellow vanguard a few questions.
20 February 2018 |
AG 11
WIDT
Antonina Nowacka & Bogumiła Piotrowska explore the endless possibilities of video feedback and extended vocal techniques, blending both into an overwhelming synaesthetic experience that is as elegant as colorful. They released last year the highly recommended self-titled AV album (dvd + cd, Zoharum records) which proves that they are one of Poland’s vanguards of the new generation experimentalists. Jürgen De Blonde interviewed the duo about psychedelic experiences, non-conventional concert contexts and modes of perception. Artists in conversation.
09 January 2018 |
AG 10.1
Tony Conrad
History is like music, completely in the present; an essay on Tony Conrad’s legacy.
15 November 2017 |
AG 10
Hiele Martens
Sometimes the sum of 1 + 1 adds up to 3. But if you add up 2 of Belgium’s finest composers and musicians, it adds up to an infinite number. Hiele Martens (be), or the unexpected collaboration of Lieven Martens Moana and Roman Hiele, produced last months the most challenging music we have heard since long. They delve deep into a new territory that can be a 2017 update of Maurice Kagels Exotica, but for highly self-aware electronic musicians. We expect their debut on Ultra Eczema as one of the highlights of upcoming year.
Jürgen De Blonde, on his side as well a pretty challenging composer that will release a new album on KRAAK soonish, tuned in to the Hiele Martens’ territory with a couple of stylish questions.
15 February 2017 |
AG 9