While Thomas Peter experiments with random objects around him to create music, lars lundehave Hansen believes in melody without any component. They talk to Shrabasti Mallik about introducing electronic music to the Indian audience in a new way
The third chapter of Sound Reasons is an attempt to bring artistes of electronic music from all over the country under one roof. Musicians from Switzerland, India, Germany, Denmark, Bulgaria and Australia mesmerised audiences with their music. The encouraging part of the festival is the fact that people are taking genuine interest in a genre of music they are not very familiar with. The show is put together by Ish S, who is a guitar player and has extensively worked with electronic music and has composed music for theatre and contemporary dance recitals. Open Reasons was a record label to start with. Ish says, “We were doing performances and installations before that. I wanted to bring electronic music to India so that they can appreciate this art, too. In my work there have always been people from all over the world. Electronic music is covered by many countries and very few people in India do it.”
Apart from the performances there are also art installations displayed at Jorbagh. “There sound, light and video. installations One installation of sound by Marcus Maeder of Switzerland is around trees. He is continuously collecting data of trees from all over and using them artistically in the installations,” he informs.
We caught up with two musicians.
Object obsession
Thomas Peter (Switzerland)
He started as a drummer in a band in his late 20s, Thomas was unsatisfied with the musical scenario in Switzerland. He moved to Zurich to form a band. When that didn’t work out he started to create his own sound with electronic devices like the tape recorder as an experiment. He says, “I love to experiment with different noises and sounds, which can be captured with a microphone or a tape. I recorded any sound that I can hear and experiment with it. Sometimes I record a few notes of a synthesiser and mix it with other notes of some other instrument.”
He has several ways of working when he prepares for a performance. He makes up a set which he can use as a improviser to improvise with musicians like a clarinet player and a trumpet player.
His work ‘schiefer’ is shown for the first time in the festival. “What interests me is the tactile sound created when materials such as wood, metal or stone is worked upon, formed or cut. The force applied to the material is transferred to the acoustic reality, creating complex and lively sounds, physical tension and movement,” he says.
Sounds are made directly when he plays with drums with a wooden board. “I make some sounds on the wooden board and I process the sound in the computer electronically and build up a certain kind of atmosphere,” he explains. He does not deal with speed but the densities of different sound layers with gaps in between where there is silence. Thomas recalls, “That was one part where the performance got interesting when I performed in Goa recently. When the music stopped, the crickets and the sound of the wind was our music.”
Right noise
lars lundehave
Hansen (Denmark)
lars has been working in the field of ambient/drones for the past 16 years and what he chooses to bring to India is his rendition of leonard Cohen’s album Songs of love and Hate. “It is a good way to introduce to people who are not familiar with this music. I am more focussed on feelings that the music evokes. So, whether it’s electronic or acoustic is of lesser importance to me. I like to make music which is cinematic. I make the sound and the audience creates a visual image in their minds,” he says. He believes in the 323 model of Mazda, which states that all pop songs should be no longer than three minutes and 23 seconds and says that, “Within that time one has to build up everything that constitutes a good pop song.” The musician derives his inspiration from everyday activities. From reading books and watching television or movies to walking around and travelling. Although the music he plays is digital, he uses wide range of instruments from drums, guitars and base to accordions, keyboards, piano and synthesiser.
He plans to collaborate with artistes of electronic music from all over the world. But he feels that it is difficult because “everybody is so busy, either they are not at home or I am not at home.” But he has been trying to make a classic orchestral ensemble improvise. He adds, “It has almost 40 people and they could not come up with compositions as they go. They need someone to tell them exactly what to play and they need notes.”
He, however, feels that the concept of electronic music is becoming popular in India.
photos Sanjeev Kumar