open the music box #1: jasmin leung & dan thorpe
On November 19, 'the music box project' will be activating the sandstone chamber of Eastside Arts in Paddington with the creative and curious sounds of Jasmin Leung, Dan Thorpe, Oliver Hollenbach, Cat Hope and Pete Leung.
"open the music box" gives us the chance to share the thoughts of featured composers/sound makers/creative humans in our upcoming projects. enter the inventive sound worlds of our noisy friends Jasmin Leung (Brisbane/Aus) and Dan Thorpe (Adelaide/Aus).
Jasmin Leung
Share something with us about your piece!
The image of the root in the score is a scan of a real root I dug out of the ground….from a secret burrow in the bamboo groves of Brisbane’s south bank parklands, where I do a lot of my composing between classes.
What is one of your favourite sounds?
I recently met the sound of a plastic fork plucking behind the bridge of a violin. It sparkles.
What comes after silence?
Whatever you want - that is a fun thing about making music.
What is your favourite pair of instruments?
Out-of-tune Banjo and sad violin.
What are you listening to (now or around now)?
Kourosh Yaghmaei, Dur-Dur Band, Iva Bittova….
What else are you working on?
I’ve started doing a bit more free improvisation with different people. Also my band ‘Star Slushy’ is recording on tape soon.
Donuts, red wine or avocado on toast?
Avocado on toast.
Dan Thorpe
Share something with us about your piece!
This piece was commissioned as part of the APRA AMCOS Art Music Fund. I applied with the idea that working in a mixed notational medium inherently muddles how we think about repetition and recording in art music, and the piece itself is I guess an ongoing experiment in how people react to differently signposted musical/gestural/notational concepts. It’s been a blast, unassisted fold (the premiering ensemble) used it as a “Hail Satan!” moment in a church in Italy; myself and Melanie Walters made a glitchy, weird, saariaho-esque interpretation; when Melanie played it again with jazz guitarist Sam Cagney it was smokey, even bluesey; so naturally I cannot wait to see what Naomi and Danica do with the piece!
What is one of your favourite sounds?
Shotgun mic against the bridge, huge amounts of gain, col legno tratto (y)
What comes after silence?
The buzzing of your nervous system.
What is your favourite pair of instruments?
Bass Clarinet and Cello. Bloody strewth, what a sound
What are you listening to (now or around now)?
Right now I’m listening to “I could do whatever i wanted if i wanted” by snowing, earlier I was listening to Hella’s “hold your horse is”. I love the energy and ridiculousness of math rock, and always have.
What else are you working on?
A concerto for tactile electronics and cello! Very exciting.
Donuts, red wine or avocado on toast?
RED TINS RED TINS RED TINS*/**
*West End Draught, a cheap South Australian Beer
** don’t drink scab beer, boycott CUB fam xx