By Erwin Oliva
INQUIRER.net
A GROUP of Filipino new media artists is set to explore the digital sonic landscape in another performance in Manila next year, just a day after the New Year.
Blum Borres, member of the New Media Arts Manila, said the group is staging a “digital fireworks” with the second installment of its “Electrostatic Sound Conference,” which put simply is an orchestra of sound art using today’s digital technology.
Sound artists the Children of the Cathode Ray (CCR) will also play during next year’s performance and pay homage to experimental filmmaker, animator and art icon Rox Lee, Borres said.
According to organizers of the performance, the CCR will provide live score to “Lizard and Ink,” which are “two early works that showcase the lyrical and abrasive sides of the man who has inspired and influenced many of today’s contemporary artists.”
The organizers also said that CCR will provide some background sound to “iterations of Tad Ermitaño’s generative video installation cum mutation, dubbed ‘permutation.’”
“The installation features a probabilistic editing algorithm coded by Ermitaño, which creates live variations of the classic narrative. Mutation’s videos are the first Philippine videos to be edited by artificial intelligence,” the organizers said.
Canada’s Maggot Breeder, which is led by Filipino-Canadian Reuel Ordoñez, will also perform using the guitar as the “primary sound source.”
Organizers said Maggot Breeder features a “dark yet oddly serene soundscape,” which aims to evoke images of war, conflict, pain, despair and suffering.
Other performers include Lirio Salvador, who is known as a sculptor and luthier who has created ornate, chrome-plated instruments that have been shown in galleries and on television. Lirio is a member of Elemento. Salvador will perform alongside Jonjie Ayson.
Erick Calilan, who is also known as Ugong, is also set to demonstrate his circuit-bent tweaking of custom lunch-box-plastic-toy electronics during the performance.
Borres said the Electrostatic Sound Conference will happen on Jan. 2, 2008, 8:30 p.m at Club Dredd in Eastwood, Libis, Quezon City.
