As part of the 4th Annual Open Space Victoria Voice++ Festival
the AVATAR ORCHESTRA METAVERSE will perform two new mixed reality compositions: XAANADRuuL by Canadian composer Jeremy Owen Turner, and The Heart of Tones (mixed reality version) by American composer Pauline Oliveros.

The performance will take place on Second Life, on site at Open
Space in Victoria, BC, Canada, and will be audio streamed live on the web. For
updates and listening urls, go to http://avatarorchestra.blogspot.com/
or see web stream urls at the bottom of this post.

Audio Web Stream urls:

Shoutcast server 1
http://d-oo-b.cc:8034
Listening url server 1
http://d-oo-b.cc:8034/listen.pls

Shoutcast server 2
http://d-oo-b.cc:8036
Listening url server 2
http://d-oo-b.cc:8036/listen.pls

Shoutcast server 3 (reserve)
http://d-oo-b.cc:8038
Listening url server 3
http://d-oo-b.cc:8038/listen.pls

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PROGRAM

AVATAR ORCHESTRA METAVERSE
Virtual Reality Performance and Audio Web Stream

Jeremy Owen Turner (Vancouver, BC)
XAANADRuuL
dedicated to the memory of Karlheinz Stockhausen

Pauline Oliveros (Kingston New York)
The Heart of Tones (mixed reality version)
dedicated to the memory of Toyoji Tomita

May 10 2 PM PDT, 5 PM EDT, 11 PM CEDT

XAANADRuuL by Jeremy Owen Turner (Wirxli Flimflam)
Stockhausen's Pleasuredome 4 Sirius Business" (2007/2008)

XANADRuuL is a Second Life composition in 3 sections created for the Avatar Orchestra Metaverse. One can see this composition as an official elegy/tribute to the Modernist music pioneer, Karlheinz Stockhausen. XANADRuuL was created from samples that were solely derived from the Composer's (Wirxli's) own digitally manipulated voice. This composition was inspired by Stockhausen's claim of being an alien from Sirius and so the 3 sections of this composition correspond to Sirius A, B and C stars. In addition, there are also many references to Xanadu (including the movie with Olivia Newton John). The Opening Ceremonies take place on Sirius A where angels sing along with the selected voice samples from heavenly heights on the ceiling of a pentagonal geodesic dome and also on Sirius B where meandering avatars vainly attempt to communicate with these alien angelic muses using only pre-recorded samples. Sirius C is a "meta-composition" and is performed by the public throughout Second Life.

Set Design and Construction by Dethomas Dibou (Detlef Thomas), Regensburg, Germany
Instruments and Halos by Bingo Onomatopoeia (Andreas Mueller), Regensburg,Germany
___

The Heart of Tones (mixed reality version) by Pauline Oliveros (Free Noyes)

This piece was originally composed for trombone and two oscillators, and commissioned by Abbie Conant and her Wired Goddess Project during her residency at Mills College in the Fall of 1999. This is an ensemble version of the piece adapted for the mixed realities of Second Life and Real Life, combining virtual instruments with live trombones and voices.
The Heart of Tones: A tone, in this instance D4, is minutely explored in the smallest possible increments on, above and below the prescribed pitch, through the smallest timbre variations and spatial locations by performers on virtual and RL instruments. The pitch variations are never more than a half step away from the given pitch. The resultant beats, timbral shifts and audio illusions create rhythms, transformations and textures of depth. The focus is on listening to the beat frequencies and the overtones that result. The musicians decide independently and intuitively on the variations.

Virtual Instruments and Cloaks / Receivers by Bingo Onomatopoeia (Andreas Mueller), Regensburg, Germany
___

Avatar Orchestra Metaverse is a group of composers, performers, and
media artists living in Europe, East Asian and North America who
explore together the interactive possibilities of the Second Life
online virtual reality platform to create works with open, interactive
and possibly "infinite" elements. The Orchestra works with ideas
that challenge conventional practices of creating and performing
music, and finds new ways to conceive of and erase notions of
identity, place, social, cultural and sexual identity, and the roles
of composer, performer and listener.

For this special performance, dedicated to the memory of two
exceptional human beings and musicians, the Orchestra is joined by
guest vocalists, trombonists and instrumentalists from Canada and the
United States, whose avatars will appear on Second Life with their
streamed instrumental sound joining the virtual AOM instruments.

Guest vocalists:
Aurel Miles (Stephanie Farrington), Ottawa, Canada
Chris Reiche (Bowlerhat Trenchcoat), Victoria, Canada

Guest Trombonists (Heart of Tones)
Sum Noyes (Monique Buzzarte),
Trombonejen Wigglesworth (Jen Baker)
Weave Noyes (Sarah Weaver)
And in spirit,
Toyoji MacDonnell (Toyoji Tomita)

with a special appearance by The Seattle Toyoji Band appearing as avatar StuArtnoise Sass (Heart of Tones):
Thomasa Eckert, voice
Janice Giteck, cello
Roger Nelson, piano
Paul Taub, flute
Renko Ishida Dempster, koto
Stuart Dempster, trombone

Avatar Orchestra Performers:

AOM virtual instruments:
Bingo Onomatopoeia (Andreas Mueller), Regensburg, Germany
Blaise delaFrance (Biagio Fracia), Italy
Free Noyse (Pauline Oliveros), Kingston, New York, USA
Goodwind Seiling (Sachiko Hayashi), Stockholm, Sweden
Gumnosophistai Nurmi (Leif Inge), Oslo, Norway
Ida Aabye (Nathalie Fougeras), Brussels, France
Miulew Takahe (Bjorn Eriksson), Solleftea, Sweden
Paco Mariani (Chris Wittkowsky), Regensburg, Germany
Wirxli Flimflam (Jeremy Owen Turner, Vancouver, Canada)

Voices and AOM virtual instruments:
Fernsing Llewelyn (Cathy Lewis), Victoria, Canada
Humming Pera (Tina Pearson), Victoria, Canada
Liz Solo (Liz Solo), St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
Zonzo Spyker (Viv Corringham), Minneapolis, USA, London, UK

Streaming by Loop Luo (Loopland), Regensburg, Germany)
Streaming host: Eifach Films, Basel, Switzerland

May 10 2 PM PDT, 5 PM EDT, 11 PM CEDT

--~--~---------~--~----~------------~--
Avatar Orchestra Metaverse -
************************************
http://avatarorchestra.com
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The Necks FREE workshop and solo performances.

This Thursday the 28th of February Chris Abraham, Tony Buck, and Lloyd Swanton from Australian group, The Necks will host a workshop presented by vitamin s in association with alt music and the audio foundation.

The workshop will begin at 7 p.m. at the silo theatre, - (lower Greys Ave - Auckland city(and yes, the Bar will be open)) - and following the workshop Chris, Tony, and Lloyd will perform a number of solos.

This is a great opportunity to get an insight into the process of improvisation and performance both as a collective and as individuals.

The format for the vitamin s workshops offers all those who attend the chance not only benefit from the host's presentation, but also have the chance to play, interact, discuss and get feedback drawing from their knowledge and experience. These workshops are very much a dialogue between all those who attend.

It is also for those who wish to observe without playing, a great opportunity to gain an insight into various ideas and approaches to performance and improvisation. All are welcome to attend, observe, and interact.

This workshop/performance evening will be a precursor to the necks performance at the Winter Garden, Civic Theatre on Friday the 29th of February.

If you require any more information regarding the workshop will the performances of the silo, please feel free to contact me on this e-mail address -

For more information on The Necks and the events, see the following -

THE AUDIO FOUNDATION IN COLLABORATION WITH VIT S PRESENT
THE FIRST 2008 ALT.MUSIC EVENT

THE NECKS

FEB 29TH, 8 PM, $25.00
THE CIVIC WINTERGARDEN
Corner Queen and Wellesley Streets, Auckland

Tickets through Ticketek
Free workshop at The Silo, Feb 28th, 7pm

*********************************************************

"For those unfamiliar with The Necks
their approach is to take a musical idea, sometimes a seemingly inconsequential musical idea, with a short life expectancy, and develop it, slowly transform it, roll it around for approaching the hour mark, riveting your attention throughout"
The Wire - David Stubbs

Chris Abraham (piano), Tony Buck (drums), and Lloyd Swanton (bass) conjure a chemistry together that defies description in orthodox terms.

These three musicians are among the most respected and in-demand in Australia, working in every field from pop to avant-garde. Over 200 albums feature their presence individually or together, but the music of The Necks stands apart from everything else they have done.

Featuring lengthy pieces which slowly unravel in the most intoxicating fashion, frequently underpinned by an insistent deep groove, The Necks stand up to listening time and time again.

The deceptive simplicity of their music throws forth new charms on each hearing. Not entirely avant-garde, nor minimalist, nor ambient, nor jazz, the music of The Necks is possibly unique in the world today.

"Australia's the Necks defy conventions about making and listening to music. Each performance
is an hour of unbroken improvisation, each one different to the last. So if you are a Necks fan, you cannot be sure you will hear your favourite Necks moment again. After 20 years, there are no "greatest hits", only what is next."
The Guardian – John L Walters

Organised by the Audio Foundation, Alt.music is an ongoing series of audio events, regularly bringing a vital injection of contemporary and avant-garde sound art from around the world to New Zealand. Previous Alt.Music artists include Keith Fullerton Whitman, Peter Rehberg, Pauline Oliveros, Voice Crack, Sachiko M, Francisco Lopez, Pierre Bastien, Oren Ambarchi, Metamkine, Richard Nunns and the Dead C.
Vitamin-S was devised as a place where those interested in 'improvised music' could meet, perform, listen to and discuss, and generally interact with, all aspects of this complex and largely misunderstood art form

The Audio Foundation and Alt.music is supported by Creative New Zealand, ASB Trust, THE EDGE® and STAMP, and VIT S

For more details contact Zoe Drayton
zoe@audiofoundation.org.nz
027 2068103

http://www.thenecks.com

http://www.audiofoundation.org.nz

http://www.myspace.com/altmusicfestival

http://www.vitamin-s.co.nz/

To hear a sample track, go to http://www.myspace.com/undecisivegod

Since 1990, Undecisive God has been pushing the limits of the guitar as
an instrument. "Everything's Broken" is the latest step in this strange
journey.

Available from http://ShameFileMusic.com
for AU$10ppd (US$8ppd), or for a trade of your own music.

Clinton
Shame File Music - specialising in Australian experimental
http://ShameFileMusic.com

KADIMA includes a recording label and recording facilities in Jerusalem. It promotes and co-produces studio releases and concerts, and helps develop and connect musicians in the field of free improvisation and creative music.
KADIMA was founded and is led by Jean Claude Jones, bassist and educator, and one of the pioneers of Israeli jazz.

The goal of the Handbook is to be a signpost, a source of practical information and content that bridges the gap between new users and the platforms and resources that are available, but not always very accessible. The Handbook will be slowly filled with articles written by invited artists and specialists, talking about their tools and ways of working. Some articles are introductions to tools, others are descriptions of methodologies, concepts and technologies.

When discussing software, the focus of this Handbook is on Free/Libre Open Source Software. The Handbook aims to give artists information about the available tools but also about the practicalities related to Free Software and Open Content, such as collaborative development and licenses. All this to facilitate exchange between artists, to take away some of the fears when it comes to open content licenses, sharing code, and to give a perspective on various ways of working and collaborating.

-- info via the DAH index page