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!
Music video for Totem Codes’ “Halo Child,” second track of a planned video album of new 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!
Here’s the music video for Totem Codes’ “Merry Little Kingdom,” part of a planned video album. All analog electronics, using Arturia Matrix Brute and Drum Brute. Play loud with headphones for maximum bass response. Video created using analog tape 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!
This is the second new Totem Codes music video, for the song “Rainy Day.” Once again, the music is all analog electronics, using Arturia Matrix Brute and Drum Brute. Play loud with headphones for maximum bass response. Video created using analog tape 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 