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SKIF++ SK ++ [01,02,03,04,00] CD info | ||||||||
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The electronic audio-visual trio SKIF++ is a collaboration of Jeff Carey (laptop SuperCollider), Robert van Heumen (laptop LiSa) and Bas van Koolwijk (laptop Max/MSP/Jitter). Sound gets processed into video and back, ranging from sonic bursts to melodic melancholy, using joysticks and selfmade controllers to keep it all in line (most of the time). Every SKIF++ performance is improvised, but based on structures that give each set its distinct character. SKIF++ is part of the N Collective.
The SKIF++ video is generated live with a digital application that was inspired by the workings of the 1972 Rutt/Etra scan. processor The Rutt/Etra scan processor was essentially an analog computer which allowed for electronic real-time manipulation of the deflection signals that generate the television raster. The SKIF++ digital application uses audio signals for input and scans the incoming data to produce its characteristic graphics, delivering a very tight connection between the three players. The SKIF++ audio is generated by SuperCollider3 and LiSa X Š SC3 delivers highly complex synthesized audio blocks while LiSa takes care of magnifying sampled material into territories unknown - all in a highly responsive environment. While the interaction from audio to video is digital, the counterpart is the musical response of the players to the green thing projected on the screen. | ||||||||
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After-the-fact (quotes and reviews) ’As an example, Rovan points to Skif++, a Dutch electronic-music group known for performing its own compositions using a combination of playful do-it-yourself instruments and computer-game joysticks. “In electronic-music circles, they’re kind of like rock stars,” Rovan says of the group, which will give a 10 p.m. concert at the Space at Alice gallery on Friday, Oct. 5. “The guys are all associated with the STEIM Institute, which is one of the biggest institutes in the world dedicated to developing new musical instruments.” ’ Providence Journal ’So far, Pixilerations has included openings for gallery shows on Sept. 28, two concerts last weekend and a screening of short films Wednesday at the Cable Car Cinema. Electronic, audio-visual trio SKIF++ will perform tonight at the Space at Alice. "They’re like rock stars in Amsterdam," Pletcher said. "All around Europe, too." ’ Brown Daily Herald SK ++ [01,02,03,04,00] CD info Bio SKIF++ accomplices | ||||||||
 SKIF++ enhanced audio-visual CD release on fridgesound: SK ++ [01,02,03,04,00] The audio part of the CD can be played in every CD player - for the visual content a computer is needed. The CD can be purchased through fridgesound. | ||||||||
Preview of SKIF++ sound and image:
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| Download SKIF++ promosheet and high resolution image. | ||||||||
| Review Some weeks ago I reviewed the very first solo CD by Robert van Heumen, and wrote that he's, among the many other things he does, a member of Skif++. There is now a CD available by this group, which is Van Heumen on a laptop playing LiSa, Jeff Carey (whom you may know as 87 Central, who plays with Super Collidor on his laptop)) and Bas van Koolwijk who plays with Jitter and is responsible for the groups' visual side. The recordings were already made in 2006, but it took some cross-atlantic mixing as Van Heumen lives in Amsterdam and Carey in Washington. This is a typical work of the improvising computer laptoposse. Things beep, scratch, hiss and meow about in a brittle, fast manner, but Skif++ is all to aware of the trap of unlistenable noise music generated with too many ones and zeroes. Hence the extensive editing process applied to this music makes this so much stronger than your average laptop doodling. Skif++ knows how to pull back gear and play a piece that is softer, with even a hint of melody such as in '02'. On other occassions things seem to explode and large, extensive clouds fly over, like over the flat Dutch ground. But here too things never become boring or long. Skif++ knows when to pull back, make a move, a new gesture and offer new insights. Also on the CD is a film by Bas van Koolwijk, which gives us the exact representation, I think, of what Skif++'s music looks like: academic and in a odd, fresh way, also old fashioned, but then entirely updated to these times. Get my drift? (FdW) Frans de Waard - Vitalweekly [top] | ||||||||
Bio SKIF++ accomplices | ||||||||
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Jeff Carey - http://www.radiantslab.com/87central Electronic music composer Jeff Carey, based in the US and in the Netherlands, has been working with experimental, improvised and composed electronic, electro-acoustic, and acousmatic music since the early 90's. Originally from the suburbs of Washington DC, he has performed a handful of hardcore bands and has played electronic music or presented pieces and installations in the US and Europe at festivals and venues such as Boralis (NO), Gaudeamus Music Week (NL), Chelsea Museum of Art (US), Transmediale (DE), NuMusic(NO), Sonic Acts (NL), Ekko Festival (NO), Cave 12 (CH), DNK-Amsterdam (NL), Trondhiem Matchmaking (NO), MOCADC (US), The Network (BE), and Placard (UK). Having studied Audio Technology at American University (1994), and computer music composition at the Instituut voor Sonologie in the Koningklijk Conservatorium in Den Haag (2002), his work has evolved from an interest in no-input-mixer and field recordings to include a focus on non-standard synthesis, algorithmic composition and digital instrumentalism. Apart from purely acousmatic and electro-acoustic composition, he is focused on performative aspects of computer music and improvisation. He has played in the groups 87 Central, Office-R(6), SKIF++, USA/USB, N-Ensemble, and collaborated or performed with Francis Marie Uitti, Gert-Jan Prins, Cor Fuhler, Oren Ambarchi, Tobias Delius, Jaap Blonk and the numerous members of the N-Collective to name a famous few. Recent compositions include the acousmatic pieces 'Blueshift', 'Music for Broken Flute and Stolen Computer', and 'Point Source 01' for Double Bass and computer. Carey builds custom electronic instruments for musicians (most notably, MoHa!) and teaches courses in the synthesis programming language SuperCollider 3, recently at new media/arts institutions including NoTAM, BEK, TEKS (NO), STEIM (NL), and ITP (US). He is one of many founding members of the N-Collective, a pan-European music collective, and works to promote and present N-Events in the Americas. Robert van Heumen http://hardhatarea.com Robert van Heumen is working with electronic, experimental, improvised and composed music, music-theater and sound art. Recent works include 5.1 surround compositions '12 Bullets' and 'Fury (after anger)' and the audio-visual sound art piece Solitude (with multi-media artist Arnoud Noordegraaf) based on a book by Paul Auster. As a musician he uses STEIM's live sampling software LiSa and real-time audio-synthesis and algorithmic composition software SuperCollider. He is active as a member of the electro-acoustic sextet OfficeR (with Koen Nutters cs.), electronic audio-visual trio SKIF++ (with Jeff Carey & Bas van Koolwijk), scratchband RKS (with Keir Neuringer & dj sniff), Shackle (working with Anne LaBerge on restriction), founding member of the N Collective, and has shared the stage with Tom Tlalim, dj sniff (Takuro Mizuta Lippit), Michel Waisvisz, Richard Barrett, Oguz Buyukberber, Luc Houtkamp, Guy Harries, Morten J. Olsen, Daniel Schorno, Roddy Schrock, Audrey Chen and Nate Wooley. His soundworld is a mixture of digital crackles, environmental sounds, voices, sounds from kitchen appliances, half of the time smashed beyond repair. Next to all of this he is Managing Director of the STEIM foundation in Amsterdam, curator of the Local Stop concert series and member of STEIM's Artistic Committee. In a previous life he was a mathematician, trumpet player and software programmer. He still reads L.E.J. Brouwer. Selected Works: Solo semi-improvised piece 'They Would Get Angry Sometimes', Ambient CD Silent on the Fridgesound label (2007), 5.1 electronic composition 'Fury (after anger)' for Sonic Circuits (2006), headphones sound composition for the audiovisual production 'Solitude' (2005), cds 'N - Live at STEIM' and 'N Collective - News from Holland' - with various groups of the N Collective, compositions for choreographies 'Amour Fou' (2003), 'Drink me' (2004), 'STAU' (2004), 'Derivatives' (2005) by Anouk van Dijk Bas van Koolwijk http://www.umatic.nl/info_bas.html Video and audio artist Bas van Koolwijk analyses the disturbances produced by video, transforming them into numeric code, in order to produce a visual and acoustic sequence in which sounds and images vigorously interact. His video works can be seen as an aggressive attack on the illusion of the medium itself. Through a rigorous and formalistic approach, Van Koolwijk exposes the face of the machine which lives behind the often-placating veil of the televised image. Distributed by the Netherlands Media Art Institute, his videos are regularly screened at international video art festivals, museums and art galleries. Next to producing single screen works and installations, Van Koolwijk creates performances with realtime audio/video applications, solo as well as with others. His performances have been hosted by numerous festivals and events including MUTEK (Montreal CA), Netmage (Bologna IT), Club Transmediale (Berlin DE), Avanto (Helsinki FI), Sonic Acts (Amsterdam NL), Dissonanze (Rome IT). Recent collaborations include projects as SYNCHRONATOR with Gert-Jan Prins, N-collective's SKIF++ and YOKOMONO/VIDEO with Staalplaat Soundsystem. [top] | ||||||||
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