PR's Album

Diary of Work on SoGG

2011-04-13T21:23:00.028Z

SoGG schedule (notes to self)

I wish to document the progress and development of this new suite and am even considering starting a new blog for this purpose. In the meantime, the following is an attempt to trace some of the footprints of work on Songs of Garden Guitars:

Begun Fri April 1st with inspiration of reworked title and reinvention of CD cover (from British Library's 'Songs of Garden Birds').

1st movie templates made: Guitar Birds Songs 1 to 4. Blackbirdstarter folder made of actual blackbird song for ref (mainly length of phrases and gaps between).

Sat 2/4/11 First recording session

Sun 3/4/11 First Sons made ('B' Sons for Guitar Birds Songs 1)

Mon 4/4/11 Work on interactive templates; work on Guitar Birds Songs 1 & 2

Tue 5/4/11 New bird silhouette graphic for player 2

Wed 6/4/11 (University School day) Notes on train for ideas regarding presentation, concept and performance rules

(Q -- when did I work on Guitar Birds Songs 3?)

Thur 7/4/11 Scanned written notes

Fri 8/4/11 More visual ideas for gtr/bird graphic, general layout of design. Recording session.

Sat 9/4/11 Spoken notes made (as mp3s), online research on birdsong (including this article on vocal development in birds: http://stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Vocal_Development.html); recording session; making of Sons

Sun 10/4/11 'Second wing Guitar Birds Song 4' - recording; making of Sons

Mon 11/4/11 More spoken notes made; Recording session (went very well)

Tue 12/4/11 Making of Sons (selection, adjusting, naming)

Wed 13/4/11 Integrating of Sons and new Nets for Guitar Birds Songs 4

Thur-Fri 14-15/4/11 More work on GBS4 - selection and recategorising of Sons; development of more Net ideas including 'solos' as x4 repeats

SoGG

2011-04-07T18:49:00.006Z

Today has been the first day this year when a coat has not been needed when venturing outside... so what better time to begin blogging again after a Winter of cold and blank spaces.

And, I have also begun working on a new piece of PMusic: Songs of Garden Guitars and will document its development here.

PMusic EP007

2010-09-12T10:20:00.005Z

2010 (9th September):
Have now launched a new, free PMusic SINGLE entitled 'A Walk Away From You (Keeping Quiet)' in collaboration with artist/composer/vocalist Carla J. Patterson (AKA Carla Cryptic) - have a listen at: www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/AWalkAwayFromYou/AWalkAwayFromYou.html

feedback welcome ;-)

Floriography

2010-05-08T13:11:00.015Z

You know how you just come across something one day and it can be the seed of future work...

I was reading Saturday's 'Guide' (published by the Grauniad newpaper), and in the exhibitions section there was a review of Nick Fox's Phantasieblume - 'a series of paintings inspired by the Victorian cultural phenomenon of Floriography'...
This does look like a terrific show but my interest was really captured by that word 'Floriography' - the combination of nature and science, and the echoes of my previous research areas - Phonography, Graphophone, Sonograph etc.

Writing with flowers - writing with fruit?

And so I came to thinking about some new words to inform my ideas for painting and made a sketchBook entry.

----------------------------

And speaking of coded flowers, the Lib Dems and the Conservatives are now in coalition -with the media thrown by this new situation and often trying to outdo each other in pointless, trivial banalities (BBC News 24 had some 'expert' reading Cameron's and Clegg's respective body language as they both went into No. 10). The truth is no one knows how this will turn out.

Field Majority

2010-05-07T08:36:00.021Z

Ah well. Good news and indeterminate news, as indicated by this photo.

The good news is that the 2009 Field Report arrived Wednesday morning and here you can see me using it as a shield to protect me from the news that arrived Friday morning - the loss of the Labour Party vote and the arrival of a hung parliament. I don't often comment on mainstream politics given the remit of this blog but these are unsettled times politically and I hope have the seeds of positive change in them. The Liberal Democrats, fronted by Nick Clegg, appeared to have a surge of interest which would help develop a three-way rather than two-way form of politics. We are left wondering if this is ever possible now.

And talking of seeds of positive change, the latest Field Report is as creatively rich and enjoyable as ever. As has become my ritual, I sat down to digest it in one sitting, although I have saved looking through the appended material, attached to the back cover, for a later time. I note with interest that rather like the footnotes in Flann O'Brien's 'The Third Policeman' - this extra material is heading to become larger than the main text i.e. the book. I wonder if the future editions of the Report will take a different shape?

Appropriately enough, the cover contains a reworked image of Paul Strand's 'Wall Street' from 1915:

Paul Strand 1915

David Dellafiora 2009

The insides of this collective bookwork are as eclectic as ever and it's difficult to resist the urge to scan the whole book to show you (though I won't be doing this today! ;-) so here are just a few snapshot examples:

I especially like this piece by Peter and Sven de Ru:

www.kunstenko.com

More power to the Field to continue to spoil its ballot paper...

Flexion Quadrat

2010-04-30T23:00:00.004Z

This painting was made on the surface of a glossy calender and although it hasn't quite worked, it has opened up some more pathways. It's reminiscent of an old map and the texture is like that of the skin of a baked potato.

The 'paint' is strawberry with salt, overlaid with patches of strawberry, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Pieces/slices of strawberry were also added, giving textural 'features'.

X marks the spot.

Vessels: Vase; Book; CD

2010-04-21T18:43:00.009Z

The above is a small (A5) painting made on printer paper. I like the way various elements have separated out into zones, each with its own crystal formation. A friend of mine saw figurative qualities in this piece - she said it reminded her of a Morandi vase.

After my last blog I followed a link to Blog2Print -a company that converts your bog into a book format. After trying it out and being pleased with the results, it occurred to me that this is an excellent way for me to generate a new bookwork with many advantages: something to show to interested parties, a diary of my creative life over the last six years (and a means of self-reflection for the placing of future energies) and an object which could mark the closing of this blog and presage a new one.

She hasn't had much of a look-in for a while. I first planned the release of Inlet's Daughter in 2005 and now it's 5 years later. I need to decide whether to continue Motile -but at the moment I'm inclined to think I will. It does look as if I'll be able to buy a new desktop computer this Summer and this could well provide the impetus to make more music and for RMusic 003 to see the light of Autumn.

I do hope so.

April Summary: Volcanos and Paintings

2010-04-20T11:53:00.020Z

Since I last wrote two unguessable events have occurred, both beginning on Thursday 15th April. Firstly Nick Clegg, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, was judged to have 'won' the televised partly leader debate, boosting the LD ratings to unprecedented levels. Brian Eno will be pleased. Secondly, an icelandic volcano called 'Eyjafjallajökull' erupted sending clouds of volcanic dust into the air, causing most of northern Europe and elsewhere to suspend all aircraft travel.

And so with the echoes of this in mind here are some photos of my most recent work to date:

Fragaria Bed

Fragaria Bed (detail)

Fragaria Scale Study

I think the above piece from the latest batch is particularly successful. It comprises strawberry pieces and liquid, salt, bicarbonate of soda, on printer paper (20.5cm x 20.5cm). Unusually, photographs don't do this piece justice (I think a lot of my work exists best as either time-based i.e. short duration paintings or derived photographs). It pulls together a lot of my interest in macro/micro worlds, references to SatNav images, geology, biology etc. while retaining a good colour balance and composition. I look at this piece and it just chimes with me.

Have made some other pieces which I will detail soon. Very refreshing to get feedback from my friends Nomi and Sarah on consecutive days.

Bought some second-hand, 'adult' joke cartoon books to feed into my mourHu bookwork (more of which later).

Carla has sent me a file for use in our new PMusic Single which I shall work on over the weekend.

I have made pages for the new invited Consembles H, I, J and K.

Currently listening to 'Dream Theory in Malaya' by Jon Hassell.

Riders

2010-04-13T09:54:00.007Z

Rather appropriately, on Saturday - the day of the Grand National, I noticed another peripheral painting or two, generated by the process of working on the main canvas. I call these pieces 'Riders' and they are edits made from the newspaper underlining the recent strawberry painting.

My first thought was to mount them with a white card surround, as depicted, (which I may still do) but soon realised they won't last too long in their current form as the newspaper will yellow - so I scanned them at high resolution for possible later printing.

Lots of food for thought here.

13th Reflection

2010-04-13T09:53:00.012Z

The edges of this painting again prove interesting - this time with what I term my 'icicles' forming and drying to produce mini sculptural forms: something I will develop in future work.

------------------------------

By itself, I felt the composition felt rather empty thus exemplifying how I judge this type of work to operate effectively at different scales (a smaller square canvas would have enough visual interest for me using this recipe). And so after much deliberation I decided that another element needed to be introduced into this canvas and so I attached a plastic lid (a carefully chosen green) to be filled with the strawberry/salt solution.

The location of the lid was suggested by the way the mix had pooled in the last pouring giving a nicely off-centre, yet balanced position.

9th Return

2010-04-13T09:07:00.007Z

Back from my hols on the 9th April - out of the taxi, up the stairs and into the kitchen, dropping my bags off on the way. Painting not completely dry but one more day with the central heating on in the evening and early morning should see it completed.

The painting is a lot more orange, and yellower around the edges where the egg white mix was applied, than when wet. This makes the colour less dramatic. Also, I'm not sure about the composition now; it seems to need more... but I don't want to 'fiddle' or over-complicate.

I'll return to it Saturday morning with fresh eyes.

P.S. Methinks I should have an exhibition called: 'Watching Paint Dry'.

4th Bridge

2010-03-31T18:31:00.004Z

Painting obs just before I go away for my Easter break. You can see here the darker margin continuing to persist while the liquid in the centre of the pool has yet to dry - longer drying time often yields larger crystals.

The edges shown here provide a good example of the accidental (or hitherto incidental) places where the painting may be found. As the frame of mind in which I approached this work, in particular, was very open, it could be these edges provide the inspiration for future exploration.

3rd Layer

2010-03-30T22:50:00.006Z

Bit of a flat day today so back to the painting.

> The left-hand side with the canvas is drying darker (and more purple) than the side with the printer paper, which is interesting and makes me think perhaps the canvas or its primer are more acidic or alkaline.

> I poured some more liquid strawberry/salt onto the surface of the canvas so forming a kind of pool. After having done this I wondered whether I should have as it disturbed the purplish margin of the canvas side - nevertheless the more liquid the larger the crystals. I do have an intuition that this painting is going to be successful and a move forward.

> The very edges of the painting are beginning to crystalise.

Second Coat

2010-03-29T20:09:00.009Z

Back from meetings at the Uni and as a counter to a rather grey, drizzly day - more work on the painting:

> with the pink, egg white containing surround almost dry, I applied a red strawberry/salt layer all over, so that the margins were covered and the liquid began to pool in the centre, which was my intention (so that larger crystals will form there).

> currently uncertain as to what the difference will be to those areas underpinned by the printer paper sheet as opposed to the bare canvas but it may be that the vermillion colour is held more fast.

> hard to photograph the painting under neon light (I began work on it around 8pm) so I have provided a couple of images. You can see from these the beginning of compositional features.

> prepared a mix of salt/strawberry tops containing foliage as a separate liquid, but haven't used it as yet.

As always, look forward to seeing what happens next - I'm one of those odd people that finds watching paint dry fascinating.

'I'm painting, I'm painting again'

2010-03-28T17:04:00.012Z

As the song says*

Just for the hell of it rapidly assembled a painting:

> glued an A4 sheet of printer paper to the right-hand side of a square canvas. Placed canvas flat and face up on my kitchen table, wooden supports and newspaper underneath.

> took half of the strawberry/salt mix I prepared a couple of days ago and whisked it with three egg whites to produce a pink froth (idea I've had for a while - want to see if the egg-white gives a more viscous, therefore more crystal-encouraging medium). Mixture was pinker than I had anticipated. The fried egg yolk sandwiches were delicious.

> applied pink froth to the edges of the canvas (see photos).

> will revisit tonight.

* 'Artists Only' by Talking Heads

'I'm painting, I'm painting again.
I'm painting, I'm painting again.
I'm cleaning, I'm cleaning again.
I'm cleaning, I'm cleaning my brain...'

New Shelves

2010-03-27T10:52:00.008Z

I'm resurfacing again after being ill with CFS for a while so the world is beginning to take on colour again and my desire to be creative returns.

I posted my Field Report pages last Saturday (20th March) and have emailed Carla Cryptic to resume the threads of our collaboration on a PMusic Single. Also have plans over the Easter break to write up the text for some invited Consembles (more of this later). Have been working on an artist website for my colleague and friend Sarah Bennett - making me consider the possibilities of Chameleon Lectra in this direction (I must update my own site!). So much to think about. Ideas and plans pile up like the excess books that are strewn across the convenient resting places of my flat.

I've been thinking about putting up some new shelves.

One More Day - for John Dankworth

2010-02-07T10:59:00.014Z

I was saddened to hear, this Sunday, of the death of John Dankworth. I met him and his wife Cleo Laine in 1980, while Cleo was recording tracks at Essex Studios for an album which became One More Day (with music by Daryl Runswick - one of her rarest). I was the 'tape op' (trainee recording engineer) on these sessions and both John and Cleo made a big impression on me.

My first encounter with Mr. D was when he entered the studio control room and Cleo said: 'John we need an A'. He spontaneously sang and held the note and ran all the way to the studio, only to find that on pressing the appropriate piano key he was a microtone out - just enough to be excruciatingly funny (it could well have been the piano).

Tribute

Walk Into January (Mythogeography 2010)

2010-01-15T11:14:00.027Z

Photo: '20/FLOWERPOT LANE' (I added the 10)

Note:
'Phil Smith, a senior research associate in Theatre & Performance, is opening up his research work to other members of the university (academic, research, technical and professional).

Phil's background is in theatre-making, as a writer and dramaturg, specialising in recent years in performance inspired by walking. For his most present research he is carrying out a series of walks, experimenting with the use of ‘inner maps’ (simple mental disciplines with a spatial aspect) and monitoring their possible applications for exploratory walking, and what disruptive or reparative qualities they have for walkers.

While some of the walks will be solo, Phil is now inviting any interested member of the university staff to join him for one of his ‘Inner Map Walks’.'

And so as per the above Phil invited me to walk with him around St. Thomas in Exeter UK. There were a few false starts (as there often are with someone who suffers from CFS - Solvitur Ambulando?) but we finally met on Monday 11th Jan in the newly-minted year of 2010. It was cold. In fact when we first met, by the railway arches, we began by looking at the melted water running behind the ice - a sort of covered waterfall - on the brickwork.

Phil declared the theme of our unguided tour to be 'texture' and we used this as a point of focus 'case we rambled too far. We walked around many subjects - the inappropriate use of rarefied terms in science esp. geology and medicine; councils' neglect of the visual landscape; the poetry and politics of using local materials; the variety of front gardens; our various forms of previous employment and the cheapest shop for beer in Exeter. We talked around the behind streets of St Thomas in parallel to Cowick Street and found churches, surprising curved brickwork, a closed community and the variety of front gardens.

We concluded our journey in suitably surreal fashion with a cup of tea and some eats in Crafty Cakes, a hybrid café/cake decorating shop in Cowick Street which led, perhaps inevitably, to discussions of wedding ceremonies we had attended before branching out into talking about writing, music and performance.

I think Phil would find Rochester fascinating so we parted with another sideways walk as a possibility...

recommended:

Counter-tourism at www.mythogeography.com

Walk walk walk: an archaeology of the familiar and the forgotten

walkwalkwalk: Stories from the Exeter Archive

2010 - A Music Odyssey

2010-01-14T21:32:00.004Z

Thinking in tens:
a new decade
ten years in which to make beautiful music

and write that novel

a rosary (15/11/09)

2009-11-15T16:16:00.007Z

How does the concept of difference relate to verbs?

Shall I produce an album of trumpet sound landscapes (and invite Amy to participate?)

Are there natural rhythms to creativity or am I just lazy?

Do I prefer wild roses?

Did Matt Collins know I would find this?

Leaf Soup (November Thoughts)

2009-11-15T13:28:00.011Z

Reluctantly had to go out this morning to pick up money for tomorrow's taxi and food shopping. However, as I made my way to the shops I saw how fresh and beautiful yesterday's storms had left everything. So I made a second journey with my camera and collected some ideas...

My mind was full of recent things and the crisp air always seems to encourage clear and wide-ranging thinking. So I thought of the possibilities of the trumpet for albums, in both its raw and cooked states (acoustic and electronic) following on from contact with trumpeter Amy Horvey who sent some sounds to Consemble G yesterday.

And I though of the language soup that is Semiology, as I prepared and gave a lecture on this and other topics to my first year group last Wednesday -hence the allusion to Lévi-Strauss above. Through re-contacting it through my research I've become much more interested and sympathetic towards Post-Structuralism (it was the only mode of analysis when I was an art student so I rather took against it).

It still leaves me with questions though (every pun intended).

I find inspiration in the general thrust of writers such as Barthes and Derrida as they point to the fact of writing (language) being a potential trap - and the way beyond this trap is to be playful, to constantly reinvent, to be comfortable with being decentred.

The problem I have is with the whole of language being structured through difference; intuitively I feel this is wrong or at least only part of the story. And I'm left wondering whether I am in error through my misunderstanding of difficult material or whether I'm correct and need to explore alternatives. On a day in November.

Firework Music

2009-11-09T20:23:00.035Z

November the 5th: Guy Fawkes night, Bonfire night, Firework night. I like the last one the best, the idea of works in fire - earth works, water works, fire works...

I've always loved Firework night; when I was a child the comics (Beano, Dandy etc.) would be full of their characters lighting bonfires and watching impossibly exotic rockets and bangers and catherine wheels fizz and whistle and explode.

My family would always gather around a real garden bonfire and we would have roast potatoes in their jackets and watch as my father carefully placed the empty milk bottles as launch pads for skyrockets or lit the blue touch paper and retired (as the instructions quaintly put it) before the world became a mass of green or red or amber flames.

I loved everything about fireworks - I loved buying them, choosing them individually to amass a collection. I loved the fact that you could gaze at them, hold them, excitedly wondering exactly what experience they would bring, what colours and sparks and surprises they would give. I loved the poetry of their names, (Silver Rain, Traffic Lights, Versuvius, Crackling Cauldron, Wallop Wobbler), I loved their shapes and I loved their graphics. So much so, that my sister and I would explore the garden the following day looking for their burnt-out shells so we could collect them to remember the pleasure they had given. And I have just found a book (and related website) by Mark Fleming called 'Firework Art' which as the title suggests, is full of these nocturnal evocations and is a thing of beauty.

And this has reminded me (remember, remember) that one day I intend to make some Parallel Music pieces on the theme of Fire Works.

-all images from 'Firework Art' by Mark Fleming - the book costs £10.99 including 1st class postage (in the UK) and also contains 4 colour postcards of a Standard Firewoks ad. Excellent value and thoroughly recommended - a real labour of love.

Fragaria (prelude) - slideshow and thoughts

2009-10-22T18:50:00.014Z

I have now put up a slideshow of images: www.paulramsay.co.uk/fragariaprelude/slideshow.html relating to my 'Fragaria (prelude)' show, prompted by a talk I gave yesterday (21st Oct.) to the Land/Water research group at the University of Plymouth.

Preparing for this show has made me focus on how best to present and articulate my work and so has been very useful. I've had some very positive feedback and I am looking forward to developing some bookworks and the next event (the 'prelude' in the title is intended to suggest this show as a forerunner to a larger exhibition).

***

On another note, I am posting out the latest CL Consemble newsletter on the 25th October:
www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/newsletters/CL_Newsletter10.html

Fragaria (prelude)

2009-09-18T19:35:00.010Z

Fragaria (prelude)
a small show of paintings

from 18th September to October 28th 2009

Scott Building Foyer,
University of Plymouth,
Drake Circus,
Plymouth,
Devon PL4 8AA

Paintings (on wall):
1./ Raspberry with salt on 12” record painted white*
2./ Blueberry with salt on 12” record painted white*
3./ Blackberry with salt on 12” record painted white*
* with acknowledgements to Ellie Parker for providing these records, ready-painted with emulsion.

Work on plinths:
4 Paint tins [pitara, red plum, strawberry, raspberry]
Fragaria (island)
Periodic Review
Cerasum

These speculative pieces have grown out of my previous explorative practice of combining sodium chloride (salt) with water-based paints - a practice which enables me to work in a space between chance and control in my artwork (and runs parallel to my work with indeterminate music composition).

During the Summer of 2008 I began to use fruit, first as an admixture to my acrylic/salt mix, then eventually realising that fruit alone provides all of the essentials of commercial paints for my purposes: hue, texture, a covering medium etc. while also returning paint to its roots: poetic yet fallible.

The application of fruit/salt to a variety of surfaces has generated the possibility of my developing a vocabulary of objects in relation to form (e.g. the square, the circle) and content (meditations on chance and composition, the poetics of the gramophone record, the act of painting and in the case of ‘Cerasum’, sexuality).

Consemble: EFGC2 Concluded

2009-08-31T22:27:00.005Z

Midnight the 31st August 2009 sees the conclusion of the second round of Consemble licences:
Consemble E: 'soul electric'
Consemble F: 'washed up on your island'
Consemble G: 'sky writing'
and the continuation (second licence):
Consemble C2: 'the idea of voice'

Consemble has been a great success this year with an even wider range of contributors (particularly due to my networking through NetNewMusic and OPENFluxus). I'm very encouraged by this and am considering how to develop Consemble even further.

Over 43 contributors have taken part and although the licences are now closed to the general public I am going to invite participation from a few key people (with a deadline of Saturday 24th Oct.) - I will then issue a newsletter and another blog article.

newpost

2009-08-26T14:52:00.003Z

Since I am on holiday with Teo, here's a stamp of our recent collaborative painting (blackberry, redcurrant, lime, melon).

Proposition (Cherry; Raspberry) v

2009-08-15T13:56:00.003Z

Above is an edited snapshot of the painting, now dry. Not completely finished, as I am going to paint the edges, but nevertheless a version of the 'finished' work.

Proposition (Cherry; Raspberry) iv

2009-08-06T19:47:00.006Z

A cherry vocano with a large raspberry seed prominence.

A serrated coastal edge boardering two large, deep red territories. To the South West, a paler ravine harbouring clearer crystal structures.

A weather of changes soon...

On the Use and Abuse of Random

2009-08-05T09:33:00.030Z

> How random are you?

Rowntrees recently released some sweets in the UK called 'Randoms' - part of the ad campaign runs: 'what makes them so unique is that contain four different textures, six fruit flavours and 258 different shape and colour combinations. With shapes as diverse as a monkey, cupcake, acorn, shuttlecock, palm tree and even a pair of y-fronts! This really is variety like never before'.

There seems to be the beginnings of a trend within manufacturing to drawn on the influence of generative systems to produce variety. Recently, faber and faber commissioned some book designs that
are unique for every copy: 'Faber Finds generative book covers'

Of course, I hope this trend continues.

However, what I really want to write about here is a recent linguistic development in the UK. I first noticed it amongst my students but you now hear it in advertising, on radio, even the BBC news: namely the use of random as an adjective. Previously, there have been legitimate occasions for this: you often hear something like 'I made a random decision' - although the alternative 'I made a decision at random' sounds more elegant to me. What I am highlighting though are phrases such as 'a random man came up to me' or 'wow, that experience was completely random'.

You can have fun with the first example: I imagine a 'random man' as one whose clothes magically keep changing - now he's wearing a deerstalker with a red suit, now a bowler with speedos etc. What is meant used to be said as 'a man came up to me at random'. The meaning of the second example is quite hard to capture exactly but runs something like 'I had a strange/unexpected/disorientating experience.'

Part of me (the grumpy old man part) deplores this use of 'random' -but I'm mindful of the kind of discussions in Stephen Pinker's book 'The Language Instinct' so perhaps the language is changing and I have to learn to live with it. One aspect I can challenge though is, perhaps, a philosophical one: the assumption that the notion of randomness is straightforward.

Let me give some examples of how it is not.

The first one is close to home: in Parallel Music, as a form of short-hand, I describe it as drawing on computer random number generation to provide the indeterminacy. In actual fact, computers use pseudo-random number generation, as there will always be a slight numerical bias in the output. Also, within this system, the possibilities of different versions are very large but not infinite: given enough time, one could hear all the possible permutations of a piece of PMusic.

Secondly, to what extent is the phrase 'I chose a colour at random' actually true? Ever since discussions of the unconscious mind, we have become aware of the possibility of mental events beyond our control (or at least, recognition) influencing our behaviour. And nowadays we are increasingly aware of the importance of our genetic heritage as a contributing factor in our lives. Therefore can we ever truly make a random decision? Did the man really come up to you at random?

What I really don't like in much of the recent use of the word random is the implication of a certain passivity, a lack of responsibility: 'Oh the world's all random so you can't get involved; this random man blew up a bus; politics is all totally random' etc.

Well this random man is telling you: it's not as random as you think.

Proposition (Cherry; Raspberry) iii

2009-08-04T19:32:00.019Z

Another miserable day weather-wise, the complete opposite of the spirit of this painting, Summery and playful.

Added more layers today and attended to the edges of the colours, although I am waiting for the central stripe to dry (pink with blue) before I fill in the remaining white. Although not shown in this photo, I have now filled in the top left of this painting which unfortunately overlaid some delicate blue pink crystals - which is why I am being careful to preserve them in the centre, if possible.

Working in this way one is never fully in control so you have to be prepared to accept the changes as they occur. I've tried to adopt an improvisational frame of mind working on this piece to bridge the gap between experiment and control - not an easy balance but at the moment I think things are developing well: I get a certain charge when looking at this painting, showing some of the possibilities of cherry and raspberry in terms of colour and texture. The salt both preserves and crystalizes - in many senses of this word.

This is the first fruit painting I've made which fully draws on my previous fascination with geologic-type layering. I'm particularly interested in what happens at the edges of the layers, the connecting 'micro' layers with their small details - food for 'small looking' (more of which later).

Proposition (Cherry; Raspberry) ii

2009-08-03T14:39:00.017Z

Typically uninspiring English weather this Monday; a constructive day nevertheless.

Spent the morning planning out the Fine Art stage 1 Critical Studies programme with my colleague Sarah. We are trying to get the balance right between covering what we believe to be important areas (politics, semiology, feminism, psychoanalysis etc.) while appreciating that many students are encountering these topics for pretty much the first time. Lectures therefore need to be broad and inspiring without compromising the complexities that arise. Not easy, but I believe we made some progress.

Especially in our discussion of Prog Rock*.

Added some more to the painting and noticed that crystals didn't begin to form until around 12.30pm i.e. about twenty four hours from initial making (see below) -which goes to show that even with central heating, these things can't be hurried.

Looking forward to adding more lines to complete the surface when the first ones have dried.

*BBC recently screened a program on so-called 'Prog Rock' which we both enjoyed but found rather contentious.

Proposition (Cherry; Raspberry)

2009-08-02T12:08:00.019Z

Above is the prepared canvas, primed with a white emulsion/pva mix, with diagonal strips of faun matt paper, photo gloss paper and some yellow cartridge paper glued to the surface. The joins are unimportant as my intention is to eventually cover the entire canvas in fruit/salt solution.

Here are the initial stages of painting; I'm using dark cherry and two varieties of raspberry: one redish and one with a more pinkish hue (at least when wet). I'm going to allow these first applications to begin to dry before adding more material, this evening or tomorrow.

Culturally, cherries and raspberries are an unusual combination - not impossible to assemble, but like most fruits each having its own separate world.

---------------------------------

Talking of unusual combinations here's 'Stardust' and 'Black Coffee' by the lovely Sarah Vaughan being stirred together in the cup of chance by Jim Andrews: Stardust & Black Coffee

Auger

2009-08-01T19:06:00.013Z

Well June (Joon) melted into July melting into August.

Teo arrives next week and I can't wait.

Been ill for a sustained period now -but thankfully feeling better even as I type. Going to do a Lightning Technique course soon, so will report on its effects. Have noticed good quality of sleep really makes a positive difference. This year has been a slog, though, so far.

Degree Show has been and gone, but with a group of students continuing to show their work at the DegreeArt.com gallery, 30 Vyner Street, London from 6th to 16th August. Go and see some beautiful work.

Have had many more submissions from Consemblers including Ted Houghtaling, Emma Payne from fedbybirds, Steve Moshier (excerpts from his 'Brief Encounters'), Cem Gurney, Jukka-Pekka Kervinen and Dave Dellafiora: 'Hi Paul, you should get the cd in a few days as it was sent last week. As I said before please feel free to cut the music up. The method used was one I copied from one of the autistic guys I work with, playing youtube with a number of windows open, all playing at once and rolling back the sound almost like scratching effect.'

-and more, with more sounds promised!

Painting has focussed on exploring the effect of using different papers (often to make birthday cards for family and friends). Have recently been using gloss printing papers and matt card with cherry, raspberry, blackberry and strawberry salt solutions. In fact, I'm all ready to go with a prepared canvas this evening. In fact, the reason I am writing this blog is to escape from the noise of kids outside my flat so I can pass the time until they disperse. In fact, they're gone now...

Joon

2009-06-06T09:49:00.003Z

Bed, 2009

Colour gamut

Strawberry field

Elected to Vote

2009-06-04T15:58:00.004Z

Went to vote today just as the weather improved. It has been can'tsleep hot but was forecast to be averagejune cold. So the sunlight streamed through the Karate Club voting hall as the tumbleweeds blew across my path. Apart from the administrators there was no one else there - it actually felt as if I was the only St Thomas resident who was going to mark his X. I toyed with the Greens but finally went with the Reds, if only because it looks as if the simplistic media presentation is going to swing a Labour 'meltdown' from a reactionary public at a time when we should be questioning rightwing Capitalist thinking rather than the presentation skills of Gordon B.

It saddens me to see a BNP rep for Europe on a Ballot paper, especially in Devon.

The focus has been removed from its rightful position - the examination of the raw greed of the very rich and the desperately poor quality of management (outside of government) that pervades this country and beyond.

Bank of Holiday Monday

2009-05-25T13:12:00.006Z

Still recovering myself.

Trying to diary a future.

Degree Shows coming up.

No composed music for a short while, although still listening to 'Last night the moon came...'

Looking through the annual Field Report still better than going to a Biennale...

Bank of Holiday Monday pays golden coins of rest.

Sat All Day

2009-05-23T18:58:00.016Z

After a very full and tiring week at work, Saturday - time to rest and catch up.

Consemble Son count is very healthy with a couple of months to go:
Consemble C2 - 54
Consemble E - 35
Consemble F - 39
Consemble G - 31
(all out of a maximum of 60)
Quite a few of the recent ones are from composers via NetNewMusic.
I plan to add some wah guitar to E and some drawing sounds (the sound of stylus on papyrus) to G quite soon.
*
Finished the Bourriaud and enjoyed it, then discovered to my delight there is a book called 'Non-relational Aesthetics' by Charlie Gere (and others), who I knew at Middlesex and who has gone on to great, if unrelational, things. Not everyone is a fan of this response but I will certainly seek it out. Also found some interesting online perceptions of RA. One criminal omission is any real discussion of sound or music - it seems to me that an average, intelligent Rock concert fulfils many of Bourriaud's requirements for an art of contact. Should also mention that RA is no longer all that contemporary and the debate has moved on. A few more coffees and I may chase after it.
*
Small painting show now moved to early Sept. though the 'canvasses' continue to build up. It's recently occurred to me that a 'Fragaria' accompanying bookwork could contain some scans of sketches for work, as well as text and photos. Still thinking about how to represent it online (without being ripped off).

Brief: Encounters

2009-05-17T20:32:00.010Z

'Encounters'
University of Plymouth
Second Year Students
Fine Art Show 2009

16th - 22nd May
open 11am to 7pm

The Brewhouse, Royal William Yard,
Plymouth, Devon UK

Scintilla

2009-05-17T19:48:00.001Z

need to tidy + blue Sunday = here

Bed and Two Posts

2009-05-14T16:28:00.009Z

I had three arrivals recently.

One was a heavy cold that turned into a 'flu-like illness - the kind where your life shrinks to the size of a bed. After a couple of days of trying to sleep it off (so I would be able to function at work) I stumble downstairs to find two packages:

One was the most recent Field Report, painstakingly assembled by Dave Dellafiora. I tore off the three layers of packaging and sat down to read the news from the Field. Better than ever, the 2008 Report continues to represent the diversity of art possibilities away from Gallery Mainstreet. [see also: report-from-field-2007]

One was Jon Hassell's 'Last night the moon came dropping its clothes in the street' - an album whose originality and beauty I will have to try to describe after I am fed and well...

Lazy Relational Sunday

2009-04-19T12:06:00.021Z

Just started reading Bourriaud's 'Relational Aesthetics' while drinking my second coffee of the day. RA seems to be the new buzz phrase around college and I need to engage again with current art theory (my recent reading has been on Sound, particularly in relation to neurology). As I've been marking theses, another term: 'overdetermined' has also been reoccurring...

My first impression is quite positive, although the translation is rather inelegant in places and Bourriaud sometimes uses that rather French rhetorical-assertive tone that you also find in Barthes, Derrida et al. so that you feel as if you're being addressed as an insider but simultaneously positioned as a fraud because, secretly, you yourself have made all those assumptions that are now being challenged.

Some of the terms defined are useful:
'Relational (art)
A set of artistic practices which take as their theoretical and practical point of departure the whole of human relations and their social context, rather than an independent and private space.'

others less so:
'Semionaut
The contemporary artist is a semionaut, he (sic) invents trajectories between signs.'

-which suggests a return to the rather narrow orthodoxies of semiology and rings just a bit silly, in my view.

More interesting is the discussion of the interstice and how artists open up new spaces for transaction and discussion. The privileging of process over the art object is nothing new, but here Bourriaud identifies a political charge in this, leading one towards the possibilities of humanist intervention in a rigid, suffocating marketplace. I'm hoping, as I continue to read, that there will be an intelligent discussion of music, especially Rock, as it is my contention that theories of visual art and sonic art have been falsely kept apart for too long. The live music performance is as radical an artistic gesture as any in Bourriaud's typology.

I am only a short way into this slim book and I very much want to read on and reflect on my practice in RA's light; that has to be a compliment. Dare I risk a third coffee?

Spring Cleaning '09

2009-04-18T09:50:00.020Z

After a fairly relaxing but poignant Easter I return to report on current developments.

Since I last blogged my painting practice has continued to flourish and grow, with my current work centering on the record and variations upon it (taking, for example, the idea of a label surrounded by a circular lake of sound). I need to confirm but I believe I am setting up a small show of work very soon, in the Scott Building in Plymouth University where I lecture. I want to use this as a spring board for a larger show this Summer, which will also include some form of bookwork. As I have been working with strawberries for some of these pieces, the tentative title of the Plymouth show is 'Fragaria - towards future variations'. As my friend Sarah commented (who teaches an MA Fine Art course) my recent work is complex, with apparently disparate strands being collided, but I feel an effective display of my work will lead the audience through the brambles to the fruit ;-)

I am still thinking how best to represent my work online and need to reflect further on how I want to structure paulramsay.co.uk so that I achieve a balance between old and new work. Rightly or wrongly I always feel I want to do justice to earlier material, particularly music, as the work didn't have much exposure at the time it was made and I think there are some good pieces there - things that I listen to as much as I listen to anything else. It is also coming up to the 30 year anniversary of 'Photographs of Sound' - an album recorded and released by PGRS, the first improvising band I was a member of - and so it would be appropriate to mark this with some form of interweb celebration I think...

This round of Consembles has been very productive, with a number of new participants getting involved, and the promise of sounds from many more. I am pleased in the way that this project has put me in touch with many interesting artists/musicians (and I intend to develop this further, possibly into the territory of 'Inlets' Daughter' and certainly for MAAKOF).

I am already collaborating with the delightful Carla Cryptic on a new PMusic Single and this is an exciting development for me, being able to work internationally across the web, with like-minded people.

Another encouraging sign has been the inclusion of an overview of PMusic and Consemble by Peter van Cooten in his blog 'DreamScenes'. Peter is also involved in Folio Radio - a radio show in the Netherlands and we are talking about the possibility of PMusic featuring in a half-hour slot on the programme in June or July of this year.

I still have several things I need to attend to:
'Inlets Daughter' and/or 'eTudes'
A bookwork on Parallel Music
MAAKOF
Beatrice Harrison project
'Red' painting project
my website (as mentioned)
and more...

Spring cleaning my art while time flies by...

New Licenses

2009-02-03T18:09:00.010Z

Feb 1st soft launch for three new Consembles:
Consemble E: 'soul electric'
Consemble F: 'washed up on your island'
Consemble G: 'sky writing'

and a continuation (second licence):
Consemble C2: 'the idea of voice'

Please feel free to contribute your own sounds
'let's build some music together'

First in 2009

2009-01-06T10:02:00.009Z

Hopefully, a multi-coloured year with the release of:
Albums,
Bookworks,
Consembles
and the
Development of
paintings and
other visual pieces

6/9/08 to 5/1/09

2008-09-06T22:55:00.023Z

This entry actually covers the period from:
Saturday, September 06, 2008 to Monday, January 05, 2009.

During the above period much has happened, particularly within my painting (I've been doing lots of it), that I haven't been able to document in this blog. The recent demands of my job (including an exhausting, but ultimately productive, 'periodic review') and periods of illness have taken me away from self-reflective writing. Concurrently, the possibilities for documentation of my paintings have grown so much that I feel a separate web presence, possibly within my paulramsay.co.uk site, is called for, this having the added advantage of freeing up space here to mention painting as just one activity I'm engaged in and perhaps returning the focus of this blog primarily to discussions of music and Chameleon Lectra.

The following then is a summary of activity and interests that have arisen from my visual explorations:

I began painting again as a means of creative relaxation - away from the computer but not away from my muse. My first pieces revisited the territory I had explored after my degree, with the added advantage that I generally had (have) more money, time and space with which to pursue them.

One of the biggest differences was that I chose to work mainly on canvas, both as a signifier of 'painting' and a convenient means of mounting work on walls. Previously I had used hardboard, MDF, paper or reworked existing prints/paintings.

I use, primarily, square canvasses and the motifs of square and circle appeared in my early, recent work, further emphasized by my occasional incorporation of records.

Some interesting references:
Pallete
Anthocyanins (pigment in fruits such as strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, cranberry, cherry etc.)
Kermes
Cochineal

above: 'Fleurs des Sels' (September - December 2008)

Strawberry September

2008-09-02T12:48:00.024Z

I've always had a thing about strawberries. One of my earliest memories is looking for wild strawberries with my father in Swanscombe woods (the wild ones have a beautiful concentrated flavour).

Taste
I was shocked when a girl in my infants' class said she disliked them. I think this was the moment when I began to understand that people are not the same, that we are separate entities with diverse tastes. However, this really upset me when I was six - how could anyone not like strawberries?

Thief
In my early twenties I worked for the Post Office as a counter clerk (mainly to raise funds for my music projects). As experiences go it was rather a dull one but I do remember being struck, one day, by an issue of stamps based on William Morris's 'Strawberry Thief'. I took this inspiration home with me and ended up writing a piece for Four Point Paint with the eponymous title. We performed this piece, along with three others, at a small gig in Southampton and for each piece we also created a visual image which we suspended above us. I did a reinvented Strawberry Thief illustration in gouache, incorporating some biographical elements.

Terrain
I've been painting with strawberries as a continuation with my work with fruit (see previous entry 'Brush') and it has been a very interesting challenge. Unlike raspberries, the colour tends to remain uniform - vermillion when wet and a darker red (crimson) when dry. The flatness of the colour heightens the role of texture in a monochrome painting. The use of strawberries, following on from the raspberries, (see entry below) has also made me reflect on the symbolic and metaphoric potential of this activity with fruit and accordingly has opened up several areas for exploration (including narrative, provenance and chemistry).

above: 'Strawberry Echoes' September 2008

Consemble: End of First Year

2008-09-02T11:03:00.009Z

The deadline of 31st August 2008 being duly reached, the music licences for Consembles A, B, C and D have now 'expired' (although the music never ends ;-)

http://www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/Consemble-A.html
http://www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/Consemble-B.html
http://www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/Consemble-C.html
http://www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/Consemble-D.html

A very successful first year conclusion to an expansive project. Over 30 people took part, with the spread of backgrounds I was looking for: sound artists, mail artists, amateurs, children, dilettantes, experts.

My next task is to write some mini-essays on the experience and then redesign and re-launch the Consemble pages. I'll blog when this is achieved.

There will also be three new open licences for 2008/9: Consembles E and F, and a second 'idea of voice' (as this was a popular choice) Consemble C2. Deadline 31st August 2009.

Consemble: construct, assemble, compose, ensemble

Dusk Letter/Dusk Disk

2008-08-23T22:15:00.019Z

Been away for a break, visiting friends and family in and around Rochester, Kent. Pleasantly surprised today by a letter from David Dellafiora found on my doormat today just as I was about to do catch-up supermarket shopping.

The package also contained a disk for submission to Consemble B: 'Dusk' with several tracks of birdsong recorded in Australia, at dusk, by Dave and his partner and fellow artist Sue Hartigan.

It is refreshing to get a contribution that has been put together with such care and integrity. There is a kind of creative energy that is perpetuated by such activity and Dave, and Sue, always contribute fully to any project they're engaged in.

Said in my reply email:
'Thanks once again for participating - and it's refreshing to get a CD in the mail that has been so lovingly crafted: it will certainly go into my archive! ...I'm pleased with Consemble B as it has the rather introverted, purple sky feel I was hoping for. I've gained a lot from doing this project and particularly in terms of composition I feel I've also learned and developed a sensibility for PMusic and its potential'.

Current Consembles now have just a eight more days to run.

click on the above image to hear track 1 of the disk

also listen here to Consemble B: 'Dusk'

Variations (and other pieces)

2008-08-04T14:06:00.010Z

As it's Monday and I'm not working on anything specifically today I thought I'd take a moment to give an overview of recent work.

Here are some of the other works generated by yesterday's painting session:

And here are some of the other pieces in progress:

Intending to buy some more paint and canvasses tomorrow; I may work on the strawberry/salt crystal project later this week.

Brush

2008-08-03T21:49:00.031Z

The day has arrived.

After all my preparation, from priming canvasses and painting their edges, to visiting B&Q and WHS and pound shops for materials, to purchasing British fruit in Sainsburys, I'm finally at the point where I will coat a canvas in paint, salt solution and raspberries - and then leave it to dry.

My attitude to painting, the frame of mind I adopt, is very similar to my one for composing music: the paintings grow and develop partially through control, partially through accidents and unforeseen outcomes. I like working in this gap between chance and order. I also view each painting as a kind of dynamic experiment, which may or may not have a successful outcome but will at least provide an experience from which to learn.

1./ blender 2./ add fruit 3./ add salt sol. 4./ pulse

5./ pour mix 6./ mix in paint 7./ apply to canvas

Now all we have to do is wait:

ingredients:
Raspberries (variety Glen Ample, Scotland)
Atlantic Sea Salt (solution)
Velvet Matt Emulsion (Craig & Rose) - Red Velvet
Velvet Matt Emulsion (Craig & Rose) - Oriental Red
Chalky Emulsion (Craig & Rose) - Deep Burgundy
Acrylic (WHS) - Rose Madder
Acrylic (Cryler: Daler Rowney) - Cadmium Red
Acrylic (Galleria: Windsor & Newton) - Crimson

Consemble/Paint

2008-07-28T18:26:00.019Z

Busy again sifting the web for people to invite to Consemble and emailing sound art project sites to request placement of Consemble on their links pages - there's a particularly good presentation at netEX which has resulted in quite a few visits.

Also received some more sounds from a musician from Chile so spent an enjoyable morning creating Sons from this material.

I've learned a great deal from this project and when this current round ends on the 31st August I shall place a mini essay on the site reflecting on the experience. One of the things that has surprised me is that people generally say 'here are my sounds - edit and use them accordingly'. I was expecting participants to be much more 'hands on' about their contributions, so the lightness of touch is refreshing. Having said this I'm not sure to what extent people are listening to the Consembles prior to sending the sounds they 'think ought to be included in the projects' - I'll have to consider this for future work. At the moment I think I will set up three new Consembles beginning on the first of September with a deadline of the 31st August 2009 (as this fits well with my timetable in relation to college work).

Painting is progressing well with the 'strawberry' canvas being prepared and another small square canvas primed for tests. That totals around 6 paintings in gestation. Have been very spoiled recently as we have had some very warm, sunny days perfect for drying canvasses quickly. It now feels as if a storm is brewing so we may be returning to cooler, English slower drying times.

I think providing a list of 'ingredients' for each painting will be a useful way of contextualising them; a small bookwork based on this idea may be appropriate.

I also think going to my kitchen for a break and refreshment will be useful; a biscuit and a cup of tea may be appropriate here. Must phone Geoff.

Paint/Consemble

2008-07-26T16:52:00.024Z

After returning from a much needed and appreciated two week break in Rochester, Kent, my creative life has been invigorated and focussed on painting and the Consemble project. College is in recess for the summer and apart from some admin, thesis supervision and webwork, I have some breathing space in which to develop my practice.

The above image is of the underpainting for a raspberry/salt crystal canvas I'm currently working on; this is one of a planned series which will also include strawberries and, possibly, citrus fruits. In fact the reference to strawberries and the aesthetics of this work are reminding me of the time I worked woth William Morris's image 'Strawberry Thief' which generated both a re-worked watercolour and music for the gtr duo 4 point paint.

It feels very good to be painting again after being away from it for too long (mainly because of my music projects). I'm re-remembering all those small but essential techniques through which to generate the most effective work. I have a few other plans - one for a canvas utilising circular paints from a reworked children's painting kit and one for a canvas incorporating a gramophone record (and this should help me pick up the thread of my thinking from 'Works Of Friction' last year).

I'm also having a drive to publicise Consemble and get some more sounds submitted before the August 31st deadline - if you'd like to listen or take part please do: www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/Consemble.html

Had a very good day last Tuesday when I had three people respond with some excellent work: two submissions for 'the idea of voice' (currently the most populous Consemble with 42 sons) and one for 'Snapshot' which is taking on a rather pastoral feel. Prior to this artist Jockel Liess contributed to 'Dusk' and I'm hoping more people will be in contact soon after my sending emails to hertz lion, the Sonic Arts Network, generative.net (indirectly) and others this week. In fact Sunday will also be a Consemble email day (as well as a paint drying day).

Now where's that pear cider?...

Trading Card Past

2008-06-30T13:21:00.005Z

Monstruos Diabolicos - I love these!

I'll write more about Trading Cards in the future

By Degrees

2008-06-19T23:55:00.005Z

Fine Art
Degree Show
2008

Private view:
13th June - 6pm
Public show now open:
14th - 21st June
10am-4pm
@
Roland Levinsky Building, Drake Circus, Plymouth
&
Mills Bakery, Royal William Yard, Plymouth
UK
www.plymouthfineart.co.uk/degreeshow.html

Report from the Field of 2007

2008-05-16T00:05:00.023Z

Ah, what joy! It's that time of year when a thump at your letterbox announces the arrival of the latest Field Report - the annual journal of Mail Art group Field Study International.

This edition is the thirteenth and it does not disappoint, in fact this publication is growing in terms of energy, scope, media - and size! What was once a breakfast-sized meal is now a ten course feast - impossible to digest in one sitting.

Coincidentally, as one of my contributed pages was for Consemble, the theme of sound is also pursued in this Field Report by Martin Desloovere's Thaw to Melt tracks (with link to 'ode to communicage') and the man from icons's binaural recordings of journeys to and from the BMC gallery, Brighton (these being provided on the Report's first audio CD).

There is a sense of maturity here as well - of Mail Art having grown up - and, on its own terms become more articulate and sophisticated. That's not to say that there isn't the place for intermittent idiot glee or the occasional anarchic acid slash - but the thing that strikes me is the sense of community (or communities) here, that the politics of Mail Art has lead it into people's lives in areas that Art, with the exception of music, rarely reach.

Although the Report is the work of many contributors, it is assembled with integrity and great care by David Dellafiora, maître d' of Field Study - and so many thanks to him from myself and fellow Studyiers.

(above 2 images by the Sticker Dude, raggededgepress.com)

...Strikes Again

2008-05-13T15:53:00.012Z

I have recently been redesigning the Fine Art website and have placed some images from the current Second Year show online:

BIGmouth
2nd Year Fine Art exhibition
10th-17th May 2008
opening times: 10am-4pm
venue: New Cooperage Building,
Royal William Yard,
Plymouth, Devon
UK
Faculty of Arts * University of Plymouth
http://www.plymouthfineart.co.uk/secondyearshow.html

Park and Record

2008-05-11T21:26:00.015Z

Yesterday, after doing my Saturday shop at the supermarket, I unexpectedly came across an event in local Pinces park organised by Exeter's Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM). The weather was glorious, cream teas were on sale and it was good to see the park filled with people - a real community event. There was a Global Gardeners Touring Exhibition featured, with stalls and free-standing posters, and entertainment was provided courtesy of Wren Music. This event also sought to promote the livinghere.org.uk website which features a 'living history of the area West of the Exe' and has a space for members to add their own material documenting their lives in Exeter.

I returned to the park with my minidisc 'hoover' and gathered recordings for half and hour or so really enjoying what felt like my first real taste of Summer. The sounds of children, birds, folk music and ocassional overhead 'planes was a rich mix.

Today (Sunday) I digitised these recordings and made some summer Sons which I placed in Consemble A and Consemble C. Have a listen?

Cathedrals of Hiss/New Online Studio

2008-05-05T19:23:00.026Z

It's Bank Holiday Monday and a good time to blog. I've had a recent period of unwellness and been somewhat detoured from working on Inlets' Daughter but have found myself engaged on two different projects...

1
I was recently sifting through some old cassettes of music I had recorded over the past 25 years or so with the vague idea of digitising some of them to place on my new website (see 2). One of them stood out from the rest for a couple of reasons: it was uncharacteristically very badly recorded*, with lots of hissss but it also stayed with me, wanting to play it again and again.

This cassette was labelled '4 Point Paint' which was an improvised gtr duo I formed with Robin Watts in Southampton in the early '80s. The name comes from the fact that we commissioned to be made (from a local electronics firm) a signal splitter which allowed us to output our guitars to four seperate amps. Across some of these connections we placed effects pedals (phasers, flangers etc.) so that we created a kind of surround sound - when such things were uncommon.

It would be true to say that we never really developed the system or even played live as much as we might but this was a colourful time when Robin and I were in several bands and had other commitments.

We played a handful of venues including (from memory):
inside:
• Southampton University Concourse,
• Southampton Civic Centre
• The Deannery Annexe, Southampton (twice, I think),
outside:
• City Centre, Above Bar, Southampton (near the art gallery),
• A field with some cows (Robin also had a spare car battery which we used to power our outdoor ‘gigs’).

It would be fair to say that we left the musical world (even the musical world of Southamption) relatively untroubled - perhaps with exception of the cows - but we definitely had something. Our playing was underpinned by a rapport developed from our repeated improvising together, and our style was under the influence of systems music, enabling us to move into combining and offsetting patterns of notes one moment and then veering off into new areas the next.

As I have described, most of our band time was spent improvising together and from these improvisations we would develop frameworks for music to play at our live performances. The rediscovered cassette contained four such improvisations.

...And so at first I digitised the 4 Point Paint tracks with the intention of removing as much of the hiss as I could without spoiling the sound of the guitars. As I worked with the tracks however, taking them into Logic Audio to mix hissed and unhissed versions together and gnashing my teeth and cursing at the whole idea of hiss a great deal - I gradually began to see that hiss was perhaps not my enemy and that I should embrace hiss and even use it as my guide ;o) (which means I realised I could gently reinvent the tracks, with subtle reverbs and new additions here and there and use the hiss as a guiding aesthetic). I then became interested in not just documenting the past but using it to produce new material.

From there it was a short step to designing a CD cover and preparing to release a VERY limited edition (of 2 only) of '4 Point Paint'.

The main revelation however, has been that I can view my past recordings as ingredients for new work - so more of this later.

* This was an era in which I veered between working in recording studios and double-tracking cassettes on my warhorse of a Hi Fi.

2
I've also sporadically been trying out some design and content ideas for paulramsay.co.uk which will work as a kind of 'online artist's studio' (and I'm busy trying to define that term) in parallel with the Chameleon Lectra site.

more entries on the above soon

Two Singles

2008-03-30T18:13:00.051Z

2 new Singles for March...

Our Devonian Lagoon (EP005)

+

eTude 23 (EP006)

...with Updated notes.

The Notes area now includes a spoken description of the intention behind Singles and some RMusic versions of the pieces.
www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/PMusic-Singles.html
www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/PMusic-Singles_notes.html

The characters of these two Singles are dissimilar and represent my attempt to create two very different listening experiences.

The first, ODL, began with quite a clear image of what I intended to evoke - a sort of romance found in an unlikely source - for more see the ODL notes. It also proved difficult to complete and was begun over a year ago. The piece followed on from exploring the use of the guitar in 'Liquid Birdsong' - this time using long slowed phrases to collide and produce a kind of incidental melody stream. I found it quite difficult to not let everything move towards turning into a kind of muddy dirge - and on some playings I'm still not sure whether I have succeeded in this. On other playings however, when I relax about listening, it conjures the atmosphere I intended (such is the challenge of PMusic composition). About halfway through working on ODL I began to think of Roxy Music's 'Hula-Kula' (but I'm not sure exactly why).

The eTude however was produced within a couple of days and my starting point was to work from scratch, so to speak, generating ideas from the core sound of scratchy guitar picks (a reference to my improvising past). I also had in mind a photograph I had taken (quite coincidentally) of a skyline with roof and TV aerial. This suggested ideas of pastoral surroundings with modern communication and when I thought of the piece as a kind of drawing instead of a finished 'painting' the whole thing took off for me, suggesting more sounds to gather.

The vocals evolved from a failed attempt to replicate something I was hearing in my head - they were going to be crisp rather than rounded - but I came to realise that they provided a counterpoint to some of the other sharper sound pools. They also reflect the fact that I had been listening to (and enjoying) 'Blood, Muscle and Air' - the latest CD from the Sonic Arts Network, curated by David Moss.

I gained a lot in premiering a piece I had made so quickly and the Single presented has been slightly reworked in light of experiencing the 'live' version in Plymouth - see previous entry.

www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/PMusic-Singles.html

From Scratch

2008-02-15T19:56:00.003Z

I will be premiering a new 'short' PMusic work etude 23 as part of the Sound and Film (Voices Festival) in Plymouth on Sunday 24th February 2008.

Echolocated

2008-02-01T12:32:00.000Z

Motile congratulations to Robert Jarvis, whose 'Echolocation' proposal has just been shortlisted for the PRS Foundation New Music Award 2008. The winner will be announced in April.

'A sound artist concentrating on compositions that aim to connect people's perceptions with their sense of place, Robert Jarvis’ shortlisted proposal is a musical composition for a ‘choir’ of bats using detectors placed at the London Wetland Centre...'
- for more see: http://www.prsf.co.uk/newmusicaward/echolocation.htm

See also blog entries for Robert's Motile album Magic Stones.

January Looks Forward

2008-01-27T21:41:00.004Z

The beginning of a new year always gives a nice sense of rhythm to the wandering line that is my life (and yours?) - a chance to delineate a fresh mental space.

And so while I am planning to realise work based on ideas I've been developing over the past year or more, I also want to leave some room for spontaneity and surprise. Fish finger fox.

And so here are some things that'll be going into the Chameleon Lectra mix - as listed in the last CL Newsletter but with additional comments - bearing in mind I haven't gathered all of the ingredients yet:

• RMusic 003: work has already begun on a new Motile album to be titled 'Inlets' Daughter' and due for release in early-to-mid '08.

This album is emerging as an extension of the territory explored in 'Inlets', with contributions from other musicians; its main influences are sea and sky. ID will be available in a range of formats and the primary album cover will be in the form of a mug - a development from my rethinking of the album.

• The four ongoing Consemble projects are continuing to grow, with more projects planned for the coming year; your contributions are welcome.

Parallel Music eTude 23, based on my experience with Consembling, will be premiered as part of the Sound and Film (Voices Festival) on Sunday 24th 2008 in the Jill Craigie Cinema, Roland Levinsky Building, University of Plymouth. This strand of the event is being organised by John Matthias.

Amongst the various contributors to Consemble are composer John Matthias and mail artist Martha Aitchison [Consemble D: 'warm surroundings'], Martin (of headphonica) [Consemble B: 'Dusk'], Teofo M from Botswana [Consemble C: 'the idea of voice'] and Cyrus, who lives in Seoul, Korea [Consemble A: 'Snapshot'].

• Parallel Music releases, in the form of interactive Singles, are currently being developed for purchase and download (Mac and PC) - initially via lulu.com. The free, earlier Singles can be heard here.

A PMusic album is pencilled in (2HB) for a 2009 launch.

Working on releasing some new PMusic in the form of Singles will allow me to continue to develop the form and content of some relatively short PMusic pieces for this year while giving me time to complete and promote the RMusic 'Inlets' Daughter'. The experience of selling the Singles will also inform the distribution of the first PMusic album. I'm very much looking forward to creating this first Parallel Music collection - it's certainly been a long time coming! (over ten years!)

• Bookworks, paper and pixel, on a range of subjects including sex, music, the sea, insect life and salt crystal painting etc. are being prepared for publication.

I released a number of publications (with some collaborative works) on my own imprint 'Alembic Books' in the early '90s and these proved to be very popular. My intention is to re-present some of this material - and also develop some new bookworks - for sale via the web, both as paperbacks and computer-based pieces (lectra). This will also fulfill my intention of extending the range of artistic activity within Chameleon Lectra.

• Work will also continue on the collaboration with Steve Thorpe (Rockworks and Soundworks), the updating of paulramsay.co.uk and the recomposing of the music of Miss Beatrice Harrison...

'the map is not the territory'

Chameleon Christmas 2007

2007-12-15T19:06:00.001Z

This year has seen the gradual evolution of PMusic from experimental, unreleased pieces (with the exception of Singles) into gallery works, planned downloads, online pieces and the Consemble project. It's heartening that I've finally got to this situation as Chameleon Lectra was initially formed as a means of distributing and promoting this new, original musical system. I am planning, scheming and plotting to continue to use this forward momentum to give PMusic the airing it deserves.

There is now a Newsletters' index page on the CL site which links, naturally enough, to previous emailed communications and the CL Newsletter 12/12/07 details the upcoming projects and aspirations for 2008 as well as providing a link to a PMusic Christmas card.

This composition also awaits anyone who read this blog before Jan 1st 2008 - just click on the moon above.

Next entry will outline Chameleon Lectra's plans for the new year, including the release (whisper it) of 'Inlets' Daughter'.

'Works Of Friction' - Setting Up & Private View

2007-09-03T12:21:00.000Z

Images from the Private View - 1st September 2007

The Works Of Friction show is now live until September 16th.

ART TERRACINA GALLERY, HAVEN BANKS, EXETER QUAY, DEVON EX2 8GR - UK
Private View: 1st September 2007 4 - 8pm
Open: 2nd - 16th September 2007 Thursday to Sunday 11am - 5pm
tel: 01392 412313
email: cristina@artterracina.co.uk

Thorpe/Ramsay: 'Works Of Friction'

2007-07-31T16:52:00.000Z

Upcoming:
Works Of Friction gallery show at Art Terracina, Exeter Quay, Devon UK - 1st to 16th September 2007
featuring: 'Rock Works' - visual/sculptural pieces by Steve Thorpe and a sound installation 'Frictional Account' by Paul Ramsay.

The show will also feature other collaborative piece between these two artists.

Recording the Sons for 'Frictional Account'.

Consemble: 'Let's Build An Album'

2007-07-19T16:52:00.002Z

After the positive experience of working on 'The Sound Of The Field', I realised that an ongoing project, in which people submitted sounds to be placed within indeterminate compositions, would be a very interesting proposition - not least because it fulfills some of the aspirations around at the moment for music to be constructed communally.

The success of what is currently termed Web 2.0 - sites such as YouTube, MySpace, Flickr - points to the idea that clusters of people can assemble material drawing on the resources of what may be understood as a group mind. My thinking on this has been further influenced by the notion of open source, the practice of mail art and ideas of the global village.

I find the phrase 'Let's Build an Album' a particularly delicious one as it suggest a music venture akin to an architectural project.

www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/Consemble.html

And I'll return to this again...

Consemble: Open Compositions PMusic Project

2007-07-18T18:59:00.000Z

The open compositions 'Consemble' project was launched on July 14th 2007 after my paper 'Parallel Music – Towards a Utopian Compositional Form' was given on the final day of the Utopia 2007 conference.

The inspiration for open compositions comes from the idea of open source and how this has been applied to various arenas, including music. Consemble, in particular, has also been informed by the success of The Sound Of The Field project which allowed me to see the potential of opening up PMusic to participation from a wider audience (in fact audience is too passive a term - participants are just that i.e. active contributors).

The description of Consemble on the CL website is as follows:

'Consemble is a new Open Compositions venture launched by Chameleon Lectra on the 14th July 2007.

To take part, you are invited to listen to the current open Consembles and then email your own sounds - the ones you think ought to be included in the project - to build ongoing, indeterminate PMusic compositions. Every contributor will be credited and the work will be available, for free, from this site. Anyone may take part - amateurs, professional composers, sound artists, non-musicians etc. - there is no age limit. You may, of course, just want to listen to the pieces as they progress.

There are a series of project licences (Consemble: A, Consemble: B etc.) - each with its own brief and specifications to guide you; the intention however is to be broad, welcoming and inclusive. Consemble can be understood as a sound art or music project.

Please bear in mind that this work will be available for free to all, including children (so no pornographic sounds etc.) and no copyrighted material. Email details are provided on each Consemble page.

The project will last for at least 1 year and may well continue beyond.

Consemble is a licence for you to be a composer.'

Open Consembles:
Consemble: A
Consemble: B
Consemble: C
Consemble: D

If you would like to take part, please visit Consemble.

Sounds of an Imagined New Arts Building

2007-06-05T13:37:00.000Z

'In September 2007 the University of Plymouth's Fine Art course will be moving from Exeter to Plymouth. One of the new locations to be used by the course will be the New Cooperage Building, Royal William Yard - also the venue for the Sonic Arts Network's Expo 2007 (22nd - 25th June).

To inaugurate the move, Chameleon Lectra has created a special licence within its Consemble 'Open Compositions' project'.

The above description is taken from the 'Consemble: Plymouth' page on the CL website and is the first manifestation of my soon to be launched 'Consemble' project (which I shall be writing about in more detail soon).

'Consemble: Plymouth' was exhibited online for the Sonic Arts Network's EXPO 2007 in Plymouth (22nd - 25th June), as part of the 'Distributed City' strand.

This indeterminate sound work features 60 sounds contributed by the Fine Art team at Exeter (University of Plymouth) guided by the theme: 'Plymouth New Build - Building the Sounds of the Art School We Want to Live In'. (I chose this theme to provide an opportunity to create a building in sound to represent an aspiration, a critique, a refuge etc.)

The audience experience this piece through an interactive player - they have the opportunity to both hear the work in its entirety (as much as an indeterminate piece allows) and to select particular sounds for inclusion in a 'mix area' (see image below).

'Consemble: Plymouth' premiered 22nd June 2007 and is now live.

Technorati

2007-04-06T09:36:00.000Z

I've just discovered Technorati: Technorati Profile - and stake my claim ;-)

Dawnmobile

2007-03-17T23:04:00.002Z

I have a new PMusic sound art installation: 'Mobile Dawn In An Old World Garden' part of the Anti-Parallel show at Egenis Building, University of Exeter, Byrne House, St German's Road,
Exeter, Devon UK - March 16th - April 5th 2007.

Notes on Mobile Dawn are also provided on the CL website.

Field Notes 2007

2007-02-04T16:26:00.000Z

My, how time flies. This purpose of this post is to describe Chameleon Lectra's plans for 2007 and to announce the launch of 'The Sound of the Field' sound art mail art project. Twenty eight people - ranging from composers to non-musicians - responded to TSOTF, sending sounds by post (as CDs), email or phone. Initially a small-scale endeavour, offered as a contribution to Field Study's 'Field Report', I realised the potential of such a project and in April 2007 I shall be launching 'Consemble' - an ongoing series of invitations to make PMusic tracks as part of an 'Open Compositions' initiative.

Consequently, with PMusic releases coming to the fore, some of my planned RMusic projects will be developed later in the year but are still very much present in my thinking. One idea is to do a Motile page with Robert Jarvis on the topic of 'sound ecology'. Robert recently appeared on a BBC Radio 4 programme 'Endangered Sounds' in which he spoke about this aspect of his work.

Award Magic

2006-11-27T21:38:00.000Z

The Magic Stones title track from the Motile album by Robert Jarvis has just won in the New Media category at the British Composer Awards 2006 (BBC Radio 3: 27/11/06 - listen up to seven days after broadcast).

Robert's track 'Disappear' from this CD won in the same category at the British Composer Awards 2005.

To hear excerpts from these tracks (and more) visit the Magic Stones Track List page at the Chameleon Lectra site.

Magic Stones by Robert Jarvis - Motile RMusic 002

PMusic - SINGLES

2006-04-22T18:00:00.000Z

On April 11th 2006 I launched SINGLES - the first PMusic project to be made available on the web.

The idea of SINGLES is to inaugurate the presentation of free Parallel music pieces both as a creative outlet and an opportunity to guage audience response to this new form of music. This project will enable me to focus on relatively small-scale, self-contained pieces and also allow me to explore visual and conceptual ideas in relation to my thinking on the record cover.

There are currently three SINGLES:
'Plum Blossom'
'Towards T'
'Andante Courtship'
- each one displaying individual compositional characteristics that have evolved from my working method (begun in 1994(!))

This launch also heralds the beginning of placing PMusic much more within the public arena and this year will see the release of larger scale works and accompanying writings (documentation, reflections on the process, prospective ideas etc.) Aspects of these will be sited in this blog.

If you like the sound of music that is different every time it plays please visit: www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/PMusic-Singles.html
...

P.S. A fourth Single entitled 'Liquid Birdsong' has now been added (26th July 2006).

More about RMusic 002: 'Magic Stones'

2006-04-21T17:48:00.000Z

'Magic Stones' - the 2nd album release from Motile - is by British composer Robert Jarvis who was a winner of the 2005 British Composer Award in the New Media Category for Disappear (-the 3rd track of 'Magic Stones').

Robert Jarvis works with music in many different settings and is involved in a wide range of creative activities. As a keen collaborator, he enjoys the challenge of combining his musical interests with the demands of the situation at hand and this has led him to work with 'experts' from many disciplines, including outside of the arts. He is, however, more interested is engaging with those who do not see themselves as specialists… (continued).

Robert's description of 'Magic Stones' begins:
'The title of this CD comes from a listening game played by young visitors to the Portmore Nature Reserve in Northern Ireland who would be invited to take a 'magic stone', grasp it, and with their eyes closed see what they could hear.

In the moment of stillness offered to them by the game, sounds that would usually be ignored would seep into the consciousness of the listeners. As a result the players would become aware of not only the detail of those sounds surrounding them but also the wonder of them, and before long imaginations would run riot....'

Anyone interested in hearing free music excerpts from 'Magic Stones' is welcome to visit www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/MagicStonesTracklist.html where there is an interactive track player and mp3 samples.
...

For a look at Robert Jarvis in performance view 'Sirens'. His website is at: www.robertjarvis.co.uk

New Motile album: 'Magic Stones' by Robert Jarvis

2006-01-17T21:53:00.000Z

I am pleased to announce the release of RMusic 002: 'Magic Stones' by Robert Jarvis. The latest Motile webpages include a tracklist where you can hear samples of tracks and read notes about their composition, and a musicians credits page. The album was launched on the 14th January 2006 - more information soon...

www.chameleonlectra.co.uk/MagicStones.html

Backtrack 1: about Chameleon Lectra, Motile, RMusic & PMusic

2005-08-07T15:40:00.000Z

In the course of writing the previous entry, I realised that I haven’t said much in this blog about the origins of Chameleon Lectra (CL) and Motile and the terms RMusic and PMusic. Although I always try to provide links back to the CL website where relevant, I thought it might be useful to offer some background information here.

Chameleon Lectra

The initial idea of Chameleon Lectra was to provide an outlet for Parallel Music or PMusic (see section below). The name grew out of the idea of a music that ‘changed its colour’ and a term for electronic artworks - Lectra - that described a range of activity under a collective term. The Chameleon aspect can also be applied to visual Lectra that have a fluid identity. (Incidentally, In my use, most Lectra are constructed with Macromedia’s Director software).

However, in the course of CLs development I discovered the creative potential of MIDI, an album quickly emerged, and so I found I also wanted to release some conventionally recorded music or RMusic as well (again see section below).

And so essentially the Chameleon Lectra website is ‘three in one’ or a portal with three areas: one for Parallel Music, one for the Motile record label which releases recorded music and a final area ‘sketchBook’ that documents ideas in relation to the whole project.

This has led me to question whether the site is too ‘busy’ but feedback suggests otherwise. The use of the travelCard idea also sets up the metaphor of ‘zones’ and I want to build on this and make it clearer when I overhaul the site for the release of ‘Inlets’ Daughter’ (the next album).

Motile
In Motile, I finally have the record label I’ve wanted since my youth (see First Tracks) - in some ways better because I could never have anticipated the Internet when I was younger.

The name comes from my interest in Biology and the thinking of music through some of its terms: Motile refers to the mobility of single-celled creatures and I like the idea of a mobile record label: one that swims with ideas. I also like the echoes of Motown - when I was playing improvised music in my twenties I had the ambition to present it in the same sophisticated, glossy (and funky) way as mainstream music rather than the low-tech, spit and sawdust aesthetic it mainly adopted. And so the idea of mixing the cultural codes of, say, Soul with European Improv. still seems pretty exciting to me.

At the time of writing, Motile is the main engine driving the CL enterprise - this will change and be more balanced when I start to release PMusic pieces in 2006, but for the time being it is my main area of concentration. Having a record label gives focus to creating work and finishing projects rather than let them drift. There is also the possibility that at least one other composer may be involved (more of this if the deal goes through).

RMusic
I thought it would be useful to have a term for conventionally recorded (and reproduced) music in order to distinguish it from Parallel Music (see below). Rmusic, therefore, is the music you get when you buy a CD, mp3, record or cassette. It is linear, fixed and reproduces much the same listening experience every time it is played (variables would include your mood, quality of reproduction, listening circumstance etc.).

PMusic
This really requires a whole dissertation or book to do it justice but here is a short description. Parallel music (shortened to PMusic) is an invention, or more accurately, a conceptualised music system of my own devising. It is a form of generative music that requires to be played on a computer. Every time a PMusic piece is played it is different. It can therefore be described as producing a non-linear listening experience and as a form of indeterminate composition. The indeterminacy can arise from the computers ability to generate (pseudo) random numbers or from access to some variable, external information, such as temperature.

The Parallel Music system is an articulation of the possibilities of such a music - some pieces, for example, might vary only in small details when played (or performed); some might offer completely different ‘identities’ or listening experiences.
Parallel Music is so named as it builds music from a series of parallel sound events or ‘sons’.

I shall be writing more about PMusic in future blogs and on the CL website.

Fine Art of websites

2005-05-01T18:06:00.000Z

I maintain a website at plymouthfineart.co.uk and have been working on pages for the Fine Art students' Second Year Show, entitled 'nascent', and the forthcoming degree show.

re: Collectibilty of Music in a Digital Domain

2005-03-22T21:24:00.001Z

There is currently a really interesting debate surrounding the status of digital work, especially music. One of the suggestions is for musicians to release tracks via the web for a limited time only or as a series of remixes. A lot of the discussion centres on notions of originality and collectability (desirability?) and there is also a political thrust away from the major record companies. I submitted a slightly tangental post to beatbyte in response to this discussion. More on the topic can be found at this forum and a related discussion by Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno outlining MUDDA
- the Magnificent Union of Digitally Downloading Artists. There is also a MUDDA website.

In my post I mentioned, briefly, my intention to release Inlets' Daughter as a CD and a series of mp3s and that its 'album cover' would be a physical object. More on this (and this discussion) in future posts.

Motile 2005

2005-03-21T12:07:00.000Z

2005 is going to be a busy year for Motile - I plan to release two CD albums: 'Inlets' Daughter' and 'eTudes'; continue with promotion and also start to publicize and develop PMusic, a form of computer-based generative music. Here's an overview of each of these activities:

• 'Inlets' Daughter' (RM002), as the title may suggest, is a continuation of, and development from, the territory explored in the album 'Inlets' (RM001). 'ID' will be Motile's second RMusic project and I'm aiming to release it sometime between the end of May and the beginning of August. The main influences upon it are the continued practice of working improvised material through MIDI and the use water sounds and birdsong as sonic textures (I will be writing more on 'Inlet's Daughter' as it nears completion).

• 'éTudes' (RM003) will feature a number of 'studies' generated while working on the previous two albums - a sort of a musical sketchbook. My intention is to release this collection of pieces towards the end of the year.

• For the promotion of Motile I have been trawling the web to find directories and other useful sites to contact. Anyone owning a small record label may find the following useful:
allmusic.com
allrecordlabels.com
AudioWorld.com
cafepress.com
Get Me Music
Go2Audio.com
musiccrunch.com

• Pmusic: to begin with, I am going to place a few short PMusic tracks on the Chameleon Lectra website under the collective title of 'Singles'. These will be available for free, via Shockwave. I have several larger compositions I could release but due to the novel and radical nature of the form I want to consider the development of Pmusic most carefully. 2006 will be the year of Pmusic...

Post-It Notes

2004-07-29T20:24:00.000Z

The whole process of delivering 'Inlets' to the world has been extremely educational. Now that the album has been available for several weeks there are many ongoing threads I must attend to.

Firstly: I find myself constantly re-evaluating the Chameleon Lectra website and making adjustments. Two things still need to be addressed here - a clearer mapping of RMusic and PMusic and the development of the sketchBook area.

Secondly: 'Inlets' needs to be promoted. I have a series of ads in the Wire magazine arranged and I also plan to contact Resonance FM to see if I can do something with them. I must send out some review copies.

Thirdly: (and this tends to interfere with the previous two points) I am currently creating new music. This, in itself, involves an ongoing process of evaluation and selection.

What is clear from this post to myself is that I need to have an effective strategy to attend to all necessary areas. My advice to anyone getting involved in music creation and distribution, from what I have learned so far, is: be prepared to keep things flexible and be curious about new developments, both cultural and technological.

Canvassing

2004-06-29T09:07:00.000Z

I read this in my email today (29th June 2004): 'Feast your eyes on the stunning 30-inch (diagonal) Apple Cinema HD Display—the largest high-resolution LCD ever designed for the personal computer.'

A 30 inch monitor is impressive by anyone's standards but what impressed upon me the most was the fact that in the future there will surely be no standard computer monitor - that the choice of monitor type will be governed by its utility.

I'm thinking about this mainly from an artist's point of view, which is, admittedly, a fairly rarefied view. But I often see the monitor as providing a 'frame' for a piece of work. Apple states that 'big ideas need big canvasses' but this is not universally true. It's an obvious comment but many of the most profound ideas, in art and elsewhere, have necessarily been represented through small or humble means. In art, for every 'Guernica' there is a 'Scream'.

Leaving aside the metaphoric implications of 'big is best', although we may make computer-based work which is fluid, indeterminate, ever-changing, for such work there is an even greater need perhaps to have a fixed and stable 'framing' device - and this is may be contingent upon monitor size. This is not to say that one cannot make works which are also non-determined in relation to their scale i.e. that are made to respond to a range of televisual dimensions but this would be a branch of the art in itself.

In essence what I am saying is that monitor size has become another variable - some artists will choose to keep this variable constant, some will choose to place it within the realm of chance.

But you cannot assume a fixed attitude to this new variable - not everyone will choose to make use of it because 'big is best'.

Launch

2004-06-15T19:55:00.000Z

The Chameleon Lectra website was officially launched last Tuesday 8th June 2004. And so Motile's first CD 'Inlets' is now available to the world. I've had around 40 hits on the site in the first week but this hasn't been matched by sales, as yet. To paraphrase a character in a recent cartoon series: 'now my work can be ignored by 90 million people' ;-)

First Tracks

2004-05-21T10:18:00.000Z

I have recently created a record label called Motile which is due to issue its first release, 'Inlets', very soon. One of the things this Blog will do is document the process of creating this record label.

Ever since I was a young child I've been in love with the gramophone record and it has long been my ambition to own a record label that released 'new' music in fresh formats. Finally, nearing the resonant age of 45, I've been able to bring together all the strands of my experiences, coupled with the development of new technologies, to take me to where I've wanted to be for a long time.

Since adolecscence I've been conceiving the world in terms of albums. 'The album' is my favourite creative unit (even better than 'the book'): a musical, and sometimes visual, statement of a way of describing the world.

To have a record label is therefore to have a means of publication for all those creative units. There are many problems and dilemmas naturally enough: problems of solipsism, copyright, distribution, saleability and so on. There are even problems of 'shape' - with the advent of digital downloads from iTunes and Napster et al, ideas of the album and ideas of the record label are changing through the use of new technologies.

But my overriding view is that it's worth it just to live an idea first formed so many years ago. If there's the opportunity to give something a shape, and a new one at that, let's take it before the music ends forever.