Marian Murray, Alexander Hawkins, Paul Dowling and Tony O’Connor (photo: © 2010 Julia Healy)

Big, big thanks to guest artist Alexander Hawkins for taking time out of his busy schedule to join the Lab; for his generosity and his musicality. I can’t think of a better improviser with whom to close the season.

Thanks also to the double basses of The Real-Time Company (for the Ad-Hoc Association) Of… (Paul Dowling and Tony O’Connor), and to all who performed (Andrea Bonino, Juniper Hill, Marian Murray, Han-earl Park and Kevin Terry). We gratefully acknowledges the support of the UCC School of Music and the Basement Project Space in making the June 2010 event possible. Thank again to Veronica Tadman for work behind the scenes, and to photographer Julia Healy [see the photographs (new window)…].

And as always, thanks to all who came to listen, and to all who supported the Lab during the 2009–2010 season. See you in October!

As with all the recordings since December 2008, this month’s recordings are covered under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. [More info…]

Big thanks to Juniper Hill who, with shape note singers Sam Backer, Claire Hogan, Sadhbh O’Flynn, Barry Twomey and Robert Wedgbury, contributed of the most adventurous of Labs. Thanks also to The Real-Time Company (for the Ad-Hoc Association) Of… Marian Murray, Claudia Schwab and Kevin Terry for revisiting (and reinventing) the Stet Lab double fiddle and guitar format. Kudos to all who performed, regulars (Andrea Bonino, Tony O’Connor and Han-earl Park) and newcomer (Gavin Prior), and to Veronica Tadman for work behind the scenes.

Thanks for listening!

note: Because of the poor audio quality of the recordings (there’s significant distortion on the recordings of the vocal ensemble), I am not releasing the full recording of the May 2010 performances. If I am able to ameliorate the recordings, the complete recording of the May 2010 performances may be available at a later date. In the meantime, if any of the performers involved would like copies of the recording, please get in touch.

As with all the recordings since December 2008, this month’s recordings are covered under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. [More info…]

John Godfrey and Han-earl Park (photo: © 2010 Julia Healy)

A very warm thanks to guest artist John Godfrey for some high-energy improvisations. Thanks also to everyone else who played: regulars (Tony O’Connor, Han-earl Park, Owen Sutton, Veronica Tadman and Kevin Terry), returning familiar faces (Andrea Bonino), and newcomers (Enda Buckley, Ilse De Ziah, Bertrand Galen and Athoulis Tsiopani). Major kudos to photographer Julia Healy [see the photographs (new window)…], and to all who helped in the backstage running of the Lab.

Finally a big thanks to all who came to listen!

As with all the recordings since December 2008, this month’s recordings are covered under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. [More info…]

Nick Williams and Paul Stapleton (photo: © 2010 Julia Healy)

Thanks to Paul Stapleton and Nick Williams for an exciting and eclectic set, to everyone else that played (Juniper Hill, Ruti Lachs, Tony O’Connor, Han-earl Park, Veronica Tadman and Kevin Terry), and to photographer Julia Healy [see the photographs (new window)…].

Last but not least, special thanks to all who came to listen and witness musical mutations in motion!

As with all the recordings since December 2008, this month’s recordings are covered under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. [More info…]

Kevin Terry, Evan Dorrian and Marian Murray (photo: © 2010 Julia Healy)

A warm thanks to Evan Dorrian for playing and his generosity on stage, and to all who performed, Stet Lab (ir)regulars (Paul Dowling, Susan Geaney, Juniper Hill, Marian Murray, Han-earl Park, Owen Sutton, Veronica Tadman and Kevin Terry) and newcomers (Philip Guiton and Claudia Schwab). Kudos again to Kevin for refereeing on the night, Veronica for MCing, and to photographer Julia Healy [see the photographs (new window)…].

As always, special thanks to all who came to support this event!

As with all the recordings since December 2008, this month’s recordings are covered under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. [More info…]

Han-earl Park was making good interesting sounds on guitar and pedals and stuff; Kevin Terry played the cello, what a lovely sound, and later Jesse Ronneau found some fun wacky stuff to do with it; Anthony O’Connor did some cool bendy things to his bass guitar; and vocalist Veronica Tadman made some sweet vocal shreeps that I thought people only did in the privacy of their own home.

And then the friendly, encouraging folk there drew me into the session. You can listen to that if you want.

I played with Korhan Erel and Kevin Terry. Korhan seemed to be playing something like a mobile phone and a Wii handset with the computer. I don’t know what he was doing, but he did it well! Kevin was playing something I could recognise as an instrument, namely a guitar. A lovely encouraging steady stream of things I could recognise as notes. I played some stuff that I couldn’t recognise as a tune, but the audience seemed to recognise it as valid, cos they clapped, and even laughed once or twice at the funny bits!

It was my first time (can’t ya tell?!).

It was fun at the time, but was it music? I’m going along again this Monday to listen, enjoy and learn. And I’ll leave the melodica at home.

In the words of my 16 yr old Liam, when he had a listen to the Stet Lab recording: “It’s like a club where you and your cronies can get together and make weird noises.”

Korhan Erel, Jesse Ronneau, Han-earl Park and Veronica Tadman (photo: © 2010 Julia Healy)

Thanks to Korhan Erel for performing, and to everyone who played on the night (Ruti Lachs, Tony O’Connor, Han-earl Park, Jesse Ronneau, Veronica Tadman and Kevin Terry) including newcomer to the Stet Lab stage and old-timers. Special thanks to Kevin for refereeing on the night, Veronica for MCing, and to photographer Julia Healy [see the photographs (new window)…].

Last but not least, thanks to all who, despite adverse meteorological conditions, came to support this event. We couldn’t do this without you!

As with all the recordings since December 2008, this month’s recordings are covered under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. [More info…]

The evening will also mark the second appearance by the trio of Han-earl Park (guitar), Jesse Ronneau (double bass) and Veronica Tadman (voice).

Should be a good one. We hope to see y’all there!

Stet Lab featuring Korhan Erel

Monday, 11 January 2010

9:00 pm (doors: 8:45 pm)

Upstairs @ The Roundy [map…]
Castle Street
Cork, Ireland

€10 (€5)

Stet Lab kicks off the new year upstairs at The Roundy, Castle Street, Cork, Ireland on Monday, 11 January 2010. This month’s Stet Lab introduces to Ireland, the Istanbul-based electronic musician, computer artist and improviser Korhan Erel.

Those who have attended Stet Lab events will have seen many electronic performers on stage, but Korhan Erel is one of a kind. Erel’s work is well known within the experimental and electronic music scenes and with the international improvised music community. Approaching his computer-based performances as a musician, performer and instrumentalist, he avoids the easy trap of over-clouding the sound field with layers and overpopulating the frequency spectra, allowing space for other performers. Radically rethinking the laptop, in his hands it becomes, according to Erel, the “sound body and resonator,” whilst the controller is “the exciter.”

Erel is a pioneer of the free improvisation scene in Istanbul, founding the ensemble Islak Köpek, and releasing the first Turkish free improvisation recording in December 2008. His work  has been released on the re:konstruKt label; he has performed at STEIM (Amsterdam), and has performed with Le Quan Ninh, Kirstie Simpson, Karlheinz Essl, Nora Volkova Ensemble, Markus Wenninger, Attila Dora, Artur Vidal, Sebastien Branche, Ecotone Experimental Theater, Mary Margaret Moore, Richard Nunns, Christian Asplund, Oguz Büyükberber, Umut Caglar, Robert Reigle, Sevket Akinci, Kevin William Davis, Dilek Acay, Dirk Stromberg, Volkan Terzioglu, Erdem Helvacioglu, Elektronik Kumpanya and Tolga Tüzün.

This month also sees the return of the trio of Cork-based improvisers, Han-earl Park (guitar), Jesse Ronneau (double bass) and Veronica Tadman (voice), adding an analogue contrast to the digital main act.

The event will begin at 9:00 pm (doors open at 8:45 pm) and entry is €10 (€5).

Stet Lab will return on Monday, 8 February 2010 featuring drummer Evan Dorrian from Canberra, Australia.

the performers

Korhan Erel: computer and electronics musician, performer, improviser, composer.

Turkish composer / improvisor based in Istanbul. He is a founding member of Islak Kopek, Turkey’s pioneer free improvisation group. He performed and had compositions played in radios, festivals in Turkey, Austria, Australia, Holland and Germany.

Korhan approaches computer performances from a conventional instrument approach. He refrains from using many sound layers and frequency ranges in order to leave space for acoustic and electric instruments he plays with. He also plays melodica and Cracklebox in ensemble performances. For his solo performances, he augments the computer with other sound sources, such as analog electronics (modular synths, guitar effects, oscillators, digital effects). He plays his computer instruments similar to a conventional instrument player—the laptop is the “sound body” and the “resonators,” the controllers are the “exciters”. The screen is occasionally used for monitoring software status and is not used as a part of the performance, thus avoiding the typical look of the laptop musician, staring at the screen all throughout a performance. He uses Wiimotes, and a Kaosspad 2 as the “fretboards” for his instrument.

Korhan’s compositions blend industrial sounds, found sounds, abstract sound textures and acoustic instruments into sound collages. He is currently working on new instrument designs on Audiomulch that will enable him to create instant compositions and sound collages for solo and group performances as well as playing with dancers, video artists. One such project is called Ses Duvari, a collaboration with video artist Ilknur Büyükberber.

Korhan has been recording with Islak Köpek and other improvisers since 2006 and plays on the following releases:

Islak Köpek / Islak Köpek – A.K. Müzik (www.akmuzik.com.tr)

Umut Caglar & Korhan Erel – Music for Walkie-Talkies #2 (www.rekonstrukt.com)

Oğuz Büyükberber, Umut Çağlar, Korhan Erel, Florent Merlet – twentyeight-twelve-twothousandandeight (www.rekonstrukt.com)

Korhan has played with the following artists:

Le Quan Ninh, Kirstie Simpson, Karlheinz Essl, Nora Volkova Ensemble, Markus Wenninger, Attila Dora, Artur Vidal, Sebastien Branche, Ecotone Experimental Theater, Mary Margaret Moore, Richard Nunns, Christian Asplund, Oguz Büyükberber, Umut Caglar, Robert Reigle, Sevket Akinci, Kevin William Davis, Dilek Acay, Dirk Stromberg, Volkan Terzioglu, Erdem Helvacioglu, Elektronik Kumpanya, Tolga Tüzün.

Han-earl Park works from/within/around the traditions of idiom-agnostic, experimental improvised musics, sometimes engineering theater, sometimes inventing ritual. He prefers collaborative, multi-authored contexts, and has worked with animators, film makers, poets, theater and mime performers, dancers and installation artists. As a musician (guitar, banjo, bass guitar, piano, electronics and software) he has performed in clubs, theaters, art galleries, concert halls, and (ad-hoc) alternative spaces in Denmark, England, Ireland, The Netherlands, Scotland and the USA.

He is involved in ongoing collaborations with Bruce Coates, and with Franziska Schroeder, fifteen year long associations with Alex Fiennes and Murray Campbell, and has performed with Ishmael Wadada Leo Smith, George E. Lewis, J. D. Parran, Paul Dunmall, Pauline Oliveros, Kato Hideki, Mark Sanders, Chick Lyall, Jan Langedijk, Stu Ritchie, Koen Nutters, Pedro Rebelo, Elspeth Murray, Mark Trayle and Hannes Raffaseder. He is also the constructor of io 0.0.1 beta, an interactive musical artifact, and cofounder of the Church of Sonology.

Park is a recipient of grants from the Arts Council of Ireland, and a recipient of the Ahmanson Foundation Scholarship and the Calarts Scholarship. He has appeared at festivals including Sonic Acts (Amsterdam), the Center for Experiments in Art, Information and Technology Festival (California), dialogues festival (Edinburgh), Sonorities (Belfast) and VAIN Live Art (Oxford). In addition to numerous self-released CDs, his work has been released by Owlhouse Recordings, frimp.co.uk and Frog Peak Music. He has performed live on Resonance FM (London) and on Drift Radio (at mediascot.org), and his recordings have been featured on Kalvos and Damian’s New Music Bazaar (Vermont), and You Are Hear (at www.youarehear.co.uk) which was selected as Critics’ Choice by The Independent (UK).

Additionally, Park founded and curates Stet Lab, a monthly improvised music space in Cork, Ireland, and teaches improvisation at the UCC Department of Music.

Jesse Ronneau is an award winning composer and improviser specializing in experimental acoustic and electro-acoustic music, specifically music using explorative instrumental techniques and live-processing. Jesse received degrees in Composition from the University of Cincinnati, Roosevelt University, and Northwestern University. His works have been performed (and continue to be performed) extensively throughout Continental Europe, the UK, Ireland and the US. He is currently a lecturer of composition at University College Cork.

Neil O’Loghlen, Han-earl Park, Justin Yang and Paul Dowling (photo: © 2009 Julia Healy)

A big thanks to our guest artist Justin Yang for making the journey down to Cork to perform with us.

Kudos to the Stet Lab (ir)regulars who performed on the night (Paul Dowling, Susan Geaney, Marian Murray, Neil O’Loghlen, Han-earl Park, Kevin Terry and Veronica Tadman) and to newcomer Scott Wade, and thanks again to Julia Healy (assisted by Cian Ó Beacháin) for the photography  [see the photographs (new window)…].

Last but not least, thanks to all who came to support this event. We hope to see you again next year!

As with all the recordings since December 2008, this month’s recordings are covered under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. [More info…]