Otoliths #68, the Southern Summer 2023 issue, was released today. As always, crammed with text, vispo, mixed media and unclassifiable works from across the international literary avant garde. Follow the linked text to the contents for full details. Hours of great reading/viewing.
I’m pleased to be represented in this issue by an array of work, including five text pieces from my most recent explorations, plus the short asemic video “Codex Null” and five still images taken from the video. You can check out the poems here, and the vispo here. The poems are “Bird Lessons,” “Magnified Channels,” “leak allusion,” “more so,” and “Later Mages.”
Yesterday my poem “Milkshake Flumes” appeared in the online poetry journal Mad Swirl. You can read the poem here. If you click on my name, it goes to a archive of all my pieces published by the journal. It’s great to be part of the journal again!
I’m very pleased to be part of the Virginia focused issue of The Southern Poetry Anthology (Volume IX in a series), which includes poets from across the state. My poem “Hold This Moment in Stone” was selected almost two years ago (back when I was still a resident in my native state) to be part of the book. So it’s been a long wait! The anthology is available in print and ebook versions. Publication and ordering info here. (Also available on Amazon, etc.)
According to the back cover blurb, ‘This collection includes well-known, established, and celebrated poets such as Charles Wright, Claudia Emerson, Gregory Orr, Ellen Bryant Voigt, R. T. Smith, Forrest Gander, and Rita Dove, and the editors have dedicated equal focus on newer, diverse poets who continue to broaden and enrich the literary legacy of this beautiful state.” Although I’m not familiar with most of those “well-known” poets, I was happy to see my friends Mel Nichols and Rod Smith represented with generous samplings of their work.
“Hold This Moment in Stone” is part of my “Civilization’s Lost” series, and ironically it was one of the last of those pieces to be published. After I sent it to the Southern Poetry Anthology, Futures Trading accepted it–although editor Caleb Puckett suggested an edit, saying the poem “has a lot of potential. However, it does feel slightly rambling–like it could use a tighter focus as you move from stanza to stanza.” So I did change one stanza, the second to the last one on the page above, and he took it. The Southern Poetry Anthology was open to previously published work, so this wasn’t a problem. But I never changed the version I sent to the anthology, and they took it as is! I kind of think the poem is stronger with the edit, but it goes to show you never know what editors will like or dislike about a piece. You can read the edited version in Futures Tradinghere. No matter what, I’m pleased that two places accepted the work, and I think both versions work well. When it comes time to publishing the “Civilization’s Lost” series as a book, I’m not sure which version of the poem I’ll use.
Otoliths #67, the Southern Spring 2022 issue, dropped on October 31 just in time for Halloween. Puns about the issue being filled with both tricks and treats aside, it’s another encyclopedic view of the international literary avant garde with visual poetry, art work, text pieces, essays and hybrid forms from around the world. Check out the contents here.
I’m pleased to be represented by a selection of visual and text pieces, including an asemic video called “Silent Letters,” which includes some of my original experimental electronic music, and ten stills from the video. These are asemic vispo in themselves. Five text pieces of recent vintage round off my contributions: “Glass Ladder,” “Game On,” “What We Did,” “din dings,” and “those who repeat it.” You can check out the vispo here and the text works here.
Music video for Totem Codes’ “Phantom Boutique,” continuing the theme of synthpop type instrumentals. All analog electronics, using Arturia Matrix Brute and Drum Brute. Play loud with headphones for maximum bass response. Video created using analog tapes and long chain of analog and digital FX, re-amped from CRT TV using digital camera at HD setting. All video disintegration and pixilation intended!
Music video for Totem Codes’ “Jasmine Hologram,” now on YouTube. This one isn’t technically part of the same video album, but it’s similar in synthpop feel and imagery. All analog electronics, using Arturia Matrix Brute and Drum Brute. Play loud with headphones for maximum bass response. Video created using analog tapes and long chain of analog and digital FX, re-amped from CRT TV using digital camera at HD setting. All video disintegration and pixilation intended!
Music video for Totem Codes’ “Siobhan,” the last track of a video album of new synth pop material. All analog electronics, using Arturia Matrix Brute and Drum Brute. Play loud with headphones for maximum bass response. Video created using analog tapes and long chain of analog and digital FX, re-amped from CRT TV using digital camera at HD setting. All video disintegration and pixilation intended!
Music video for Totem Codes’ “Flying Years,” another track of a video album of new synth pop material. All analog electronics, using Arturia Matrix Brute and Drum Brute. Play loud with headphones for maximum bass response. Video created using analog tapes and long chain of analog and digital FX, re-amped from CRT TV using digital camera at HD setting. All video disintegration and pixilation intended!
That time my wife Raquel and I joined the Stylus turntable ensemble for a performance at the 2014 Sonic Circuits Festival in Silver Spring, MD. For this incarnation, Stylus was expanded by strings and other electronics from members of Stylus leader/composer Jim Adams’ other group BLK w/Bear. The piece entitled “To Satisfy Their Cruel Hunger” involves rather high concept inspiration and compositional techniques which I will leave to Jim to explain in his program notes, as follows:
STYLUS BLK ARKESTRA – featuring STYLUS turntable ensemble with additional performers from Washington’s avant-garde, modern classical and noise communities as BLK ARKESTRA and ONE CHORD PONIES – staged a major work for modern Classical ensemble, electronics and vintage turntables at the 2014 Sonic Circuits Festival, 05 October 2014.
TO SATISFY THEIR CRUEL HUNGER re-conceptualizes + interprets the Jamestown Settlement’s ‘Starving Time’ (1609-1610) and the now confirmed reports of resident’s cannibalism.
The score is structured from Morse code signals along with visual interpretations of artifacts from Jamestown Settlement archaeological digs, particularly the skeletal remains of its cruel hunger’s victims. The six movements of TO SATISFY THEIR CRUEL HUNGER incorporate vintage Califone turntables, prepared vinyl recordings, cello, guitars, bass, analog electronics, MIDI piano and Morse Code. Prepared vinyl is inscribed with J M S T W N and 1 6 0 9 1 0 in Roman numerals.
“First they ate their horses, then dogs, cats, rats, mice and snakes. Some, to satisfy their cruel hunger, ate the leather of their shoes. As the weeks turned to months, nothing was spared to maintain life. How many of the growing numbers of dead were cannibalized is unknown. But it is almost certain the girl was not the only victim. There is scientific evidence that the settlers at Jamestown had turned to cannibalism during the starving time.” BBC News, 01 May 2013 www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-22362831
PERFORMERS: Anthony Pirog (turntable / guitar); Daniel Barbiero (double bass); Chris Videll (electronics); Doug Poplin (cello); Jeff Barsky (guitar); Guillermo Pizarro (digital contributor); PD Sexton (digital contributor); Gary Rouzer: (turntable); Jeff Bagato (turntable); Chester Hawkins (turntable); Keith Sinzsinger (turntable); Raquel Leone-Bagato (turntable); and JS Adams, artistic director (loops / electronics / Morse Code / mix + manipulations ).
Music video for Totem Codes’ “Domino Magic,” second track of a planned video album of new synth pop material. All analog electronics, using Arturia Matrix Brute and Drum Brute. Play loud with headphones for maximum bass response. Video created using analog tapes and long chain of analog and digital FX, re-amped from CRT TV using digital camera at HD setting. All video disintegration and pixilation intended!
jeff bagato 