A site specific piece by Fernando Manassero for two percussionists, amplified objects, electronics and video, commissioned by reConvert project and premiered at KlangBasel 2018, Amoeba presents itself as a throbbing texture, densely populated by communities of audiovisual microorganisms, that spread through the space of the venue. By walking through this structure the audience submerges in the “micro-dramaturgie” of ephemeral gestures that overlap, leak, repel, or merge into each other, forming altogether a thick, complex polyphony ever changing in small details. Thus the attendants become “dynamic receptors”, who modulate their individual experiences by collecting the details of the given totality. The piece is a multimodal environment in which the audience, the space, images, electronic sounds and concrete materials merge into a single unity. It is about the meticulous observation of simple movements, zooming into the complexities of a living organism.
Doors 7:30 | performance 8pm | entry £5
The interaction between the aforementioned elements was achieved by the design of the instrumental setup, disposed in several stations across the room as well as the screens which are settled in the walls of the venue. Each performer has a main setup based in ableton live including a sampler, a process section, and synthesizers, played with midi pads and keyboards; and a peripheric section conformed amplified objects that were specially built for the piece. The sampler function as the core of the setup: it triggers segments of audio and video, which are combined with the synthesizers. The peripheric objects, placed across the room are amplified with contact or lavalier microphones, and processed in real time. In order to play them, the performers also have to walk through the room, somehow guiding the attention of the audience throughout the unfolding of the piece.
Another important characteristic of the piece is that it brings the visual elements into the performance. Besides triggering video segments -played in the same way as audio samples- the performers also play with handy microscopes across a set of objects like different types of fabrics, torn metal or iridescent plastics, chosen by their textures. Here the meticulous observation of the materials focus in the visual aspect of this deep texture.
reConvert was born as a natural extension of the percussion repertoire of the last seventy years, to become a seal of identity that rejects generic definitions and bets on a continuous work between different artists (composers and performers) in which the questioning of the dogmas of the academy is in the foreground. With difficulties in defining the facet of the percussionist of our time, due to the evolution that the “instrument” has undergone in itself, reConvert raises an aesthetic question without complexes, and that does not feed on the natural limits and definitions of terms. Halfway between percussion and electronics, the new projects that reConvert faces could well be named with different adjectives, without any of them being able to define them completely and fully. For this, reConvert bases its bet on a continuous and deep work with diverse creators of the panorama of our time such as Kaj Duncan David, Alexander Schubert, Simon Steen-Andersen, Michael Maierhof, Jorge Sánchez-Chiong, Fernando Manassero or Luciano Azzigotti. reConvert carries out activities in Europe, America and Asia, constantly evolving and questioning the uses and bets of resources, techniques and means that it carries out continuously. The instruments, objects, elements, interfaces… are in themselves means to reach the artistic aims that reConvert proposes, and they must be at the service of creation. His continued work includes, in addition to many concerts, workshops in various institutions such as the Royal College of London, Universidad Tres de Febrero of Buenos Aires, Columbia University (New York), among others. In addition, during the 17/18 season, the first season of reC_NEXO concerts and debates was held in Madrid.
“I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas.
I’m frightened of the old ones.” – John Cage
Roberto Maqueda
Heterodox percussionist interested in avant-garde art, new forms of communication as well as their implementation in the sound-musical creation of our time. Formed by Christian Dierstein and Fred Frith. He currently follows the advices of Håkon Stene.
His main projects are the duo reConvert, the recent y-band, where he proposes an aesthetic and conceptual review of the current panorama of musical creation. He is also the artistic codirector of the nomadic music platform CONTAINER. In addition he carries out an ongoing work with composers such as Simon Steen-Andersen, Michael Maierhof (among others); for the development of new repertoire that questions the established l i m i t s o f p e r c u s s i o n , i n c l u d e d i n h i s p r o j e c t [expandING_percussion], awarded with the Young Creation Award 2017 of INJUVE.
Lorenzo Colombo
Lorenzo Colombo is a percussionist and performer dedicated to researching and promoting new music he is collaborating with the contemporary music ensembles Divertimento Ensemble , MDI ensemble, Athelas Sinfonietta Copenhagen, Sentieri selvaggi. He has been identified as a promising young performer by the
Ulysses. As well he has performed in several festivals, (including the “Manifeste 2016” IRCAM Paris, Warsaw Autumn Festival 2014, Darmstadt Summer Courses 2014, “Biennale Musica 2016” Venice , Gaudeamus Muziekweek 2017, ” Klang Festival 2016” in Copenhagen, “Rondó Divertimento Ensemble”, MI.TO, Milano Musica,) playing both soloist and chamber music.
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Fernando Manassero
Nacido en Santa Fe, Argentina. Es Lic. en Composición Musical por la Universidad de Nacional de Córdoba. Estudió en la Universidad de Harvard con Chaya Czernowin y con Steven Takasugi a través de la Beca Fulbright – FNA. Estudió composición con Juan Carlos Tolosa y Gerardo Gandini. Participó de academias internacionales como el Internationales Darmstadt Ferienkurse, Impuls, Donaueschinger Musik Tage y Forum Nueva Música. Recibió la beca Melos/Gandini y de la beca del Centro de Investigaciones Artísticas. Recientemente fue seleccionado para realizar el Cursus de IRCAM – Centre Pompidou en combinación con el Máster en composición de la Haute École de Musique de Géneve. Su música ha sido programada en numerosos festivales internacionales y salas de conciertos en Sudamérica, Europa y Estados Unidos por renombrados ensambles y solistas. Vive y trabaja en Buenos Aires, como compositor, docente de la Lic. en Música de la Universidad Nacional de Tres de Febrero, y productor de su Ciclo de Música para Ensambles.
Ramiro Iturrioz
Ramiro Iturrioz is a multidisciplinary artist based in Buenos Aires. His work main subject is the crossing of visual arts with natural sciences. He produces and researches at CheLA (Centro Hipermediático Experimental Latinoamericano) where he was also related to several projects as Pedalúdico, conDit and TaMaCo. In 2016 he participated at the Artistic Residence Matrioska, in Spain, in which he produced “Os Blancos”, short film awarded and premiered in several festivals.
He is an image and sound designer graduated from Buenos Aires University (UBA) in 2015.
