20 August 2000

Hey Tom My Man!

The idea of rocking together has set my mind in motion. I'd like to put together a tour for us! Spring 2001, 20 to 30 days, 10 to 15 dates, something like that. A package of acts, performing for 2 to 3 hours. I've already asked Joke/Sudden Infant and rm74/Reto Mäder (the guy who masters my stuff) and they both would like to join. I've also asked Daniel/Tochnit Aleph in an email I sent two seconds ago... Whaddya think? If yes, let's get our contacts sorted so we can start organizing, booking, et cetera!

As for our act, I've imagined the following: you and me do voice, plus whatever FX we might want to use. A third party reworks, alters, and plays with our sounds, rearranging the audio through a mixing desk. As to the structure of our act, I'm not yet sure; a 15 to 20 minute crescendo that hits hard (with some humor) is always a good starting point. I can imagine working a lot with FX, cutting and channeling my voice into different forms for maximum impact.  Field recordings from tape and/or DAT are also a possibility. I'm afraid screaming and physical abuse on my part is not possible anymore, however, at least in the way I used to do it. My back...

Couldn't we get that screaming Polish woman to join us?

23 August 00

(Om's replies are in yellow.)

Tommyknocker!

Dave! I'm very excited about the Spring 2001 tour, especially from the oft-maligned, er, artistic standpoint.

Yep, me too. It shall be GRAND, an endless loop of mental orgasms.

God help me, but I want to create works of mammoth scale... The sounds I hear in my head go far beyond TLASILA; they go beyond genre. I'm not entirely sure if I'll ever be able to adequately capture them, but I will make the effort until I am too damn dead to care!

Beyond the beyond is our starting point. Before that, we need good inspiration and a helluva lot of transpiration.

A radical folk opera, suffused with coruscating wit and withering sexuality, draped in derisive haute finery. I hear the sounds produced by the movements of galaxies, a musical notation based on the orbits of gas giants around distant suns... Or, maybe we'll just do Seal covers.

Psychological border-crossing and the blackest of all humours with lewd concupiscence, deviated sensual affronts and most bizarre conundrums strewn in for good measure. Punk as fuck! And sick! Sick! Sick! And hilarious! And totally confrontational! With a giant smile! But worked out to the last detail - no improv shit. Aleatory, okay, but tight as a virgin's ass. We'll blow everything to bits!

(Let's see... We'll need a pan flute, a kazoo, and three rusted tin whistles...)

I've got one whistle... ;)
 
The timeline you propose is ideal. Perhaps we can book more than 15 dates, or at least slot in a few radio station performances, interviews, etc. Your health is of prime importance, of course; I wouldn't want to attempt too taxing a schedule.

Well, I've never done something like this before. My ideas are all there. But in reality, we'll have to see as we go along. The aspect of my health I'm most concerned about has more to do with the rigour of performance than the tour itinerary, tight schedules, etc. The idea of only having a gig every second day  has more to do with having the space to build up the ferocity for each new show. But that's maybe thinking too far ahead. As I well imagine, we'll probably end up wanting to play twice a day.

I'm delighted that you've asked Joke, Reto, and Daniel to join!

All we need now is a driver. I want to add more acts to the list; I'll have to chose carefully.

Wish I had better continental contacts, but apart from the fellow who runs AGOG in Hamburg and the Hayfever crew in Bremen (whom I just barely know), my address book is rather barren.

That's alright. I can fully concentrate on my contacts. I don't mind the work; in fact, it becomes easier. I was just asking in order to find out how we might suss organizing the tour together.

Your conception of the performance mirrors my own!

There will be more as we go along.....

I would suggest a few days' (or longer) rehearsal before we set out; we can de-bug the presentation, work on staging, etc.

Sounds marvelous! But before you come here we should know the kind of direction we'll take (and also decide on the tools we'll use, how they're used, mics, FX, procurement, etc.)

I'll prepare a selection of CD-Rs with background templates, vocal samples, etc. Once I've arrived, we can begin the process of selection.

I'll also prepare stuff for use in playback. What kind of tools/gadgets are you thinking of using? They'll have to be user-friendly, and sort of unbreakable, if you know what i mean...

24 September 2000

My thoughts again and again come to OHNE, what it might be on stage... What I'd like is something very visual, actionist, theatrical. I imagine different roles we slip into as we go along - roles that are expressed acoustically (by voice), but also by movements. Underlain, of course, with sounds we use, play, or trigger otherwise. You use the word "opera"; I think that's pretty much the same as I mean. A strong atmosphere, strong dynamics, and a crushing crescendo. A frame of scenes that lead us from one moment to the next. Perhaps even a mix of occasional sound with much more acting. Can I use the word "ritualistic"? I prefer powerful sonic adventures and insane human sounds, bizarre poetry and actors in trance drifting towards insanity and then into it. No costuming, of course.  Something rooted in passion and nature... Sounds of thunder, rain, animals, forests, dense and loud, but mangled, enhanced. We'll go into long rising wails or make sounds like handicapped people who cannot speak properly... Slowed down. Sounds of fire, of digging in earth, insect sounds, insects in the background. Sounds broken by blasts of spastic grunts, shaking bodies, strobe lights, slabs of sonic ferocities and words thrown through the air. Sounds of defined origin that could go both ways.  Do you see it? Forces beautiful and intriguing. We should have something like a set, a play, a script, scenes or moments connected with sounds we know we wanna use and distributed to the participants. Dunno, just thoughts...

text courtesy dave phillips / om myth