The Squid's Ear Magazine


Houben / Rodrigues / Rodrigues / Santos: Falling into wide spaces (Creative Sources)

Four improvisations recorded iteratively during the pandemic and assembled into this exquisitely subtle two-part composition with Eva Maria Houben's piano & organ recorded in Berlin in 2020, Guilherme Rodrigues's cello recorded in Berlin and Ernesto Rodrigues's zither recorded in Lisbon in 2021, merged with nocturnal recordings from Carlos Santos captured in Spain & Portugal.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Eva-Maria Houben-organ, piano

Ernesto Rodrigues-zither

Guilherme Rodrigues-cello

Carlos Santos-field recordings


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UPC: 5609063407280

Label: Creative Sources
Catalog ID: cs728
Squidco Product Code: 31608

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2022
Country: Portugal
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Eva Maria Houben's piano and organ recorded in Berlin, December 2020. Guilherme Rodrigues's cello recorded in Berlin, March 2021. Ernesto Rodrigues's zither recorded in Lisbon, April 2021. Carlos Santos's field recordings recorded in Gerez (Portugal) in September 2018, Geophone and piezo recordings in Ayamonte (Spain), August 2019 and Lisbon (Portugal) 2020.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"[...] Four musicians prepared separate soundtracks at different times and spaces, and the fourth of them from the galaxy of electroacoustic varieties weaved together two extensive narratives. He called, as he called, but before us the quartet: Eva Maria Houben (piano and organ, Berlin, December 2020), Guilherme Rodrigues (cello, Berlin, March 2021), Ernesto Rodrigues (zither, Lisbon, April 2021), Carlos Santos (field recordings, Gerez, September 2018, geophone and piezo recordings, Ayamonte, August 2019 and Lisbon, 2020, finally mix and mastering). The entire recording is 79 minutes and a few seconds.Before us is an electro-acoustic symphony of minimalism, creative omission and the tedious building of a multi-threaded narrative, which is generally closer to dense silence than to any layers of noise. At the start, we have the impression that we can hear the whistling of the air. A single piano key, an echo, incidental tugging on the strings and a deaf, undefined, dark space in which scraps of sound are born. The story forms drones over time, but their lifespans aren't that long. Here's a stand by narrative that drags sounds through tightly pressed lips. Only the sounds of the surroundings, the sounds of birds and domestic animals testify to the existence of a living world around. It seems that the lazily passing time is also an element of building the drama. During this almost 40-minute part, slightly longer string phrases appear, which sound extremely painful. In the background, in the far backgroun, something thunders, but it has a definitively unreal dimension.

The second story takes place in an even darker aura. We forget about the sounds of living matter, rather we find ourselves in the bottomless space of a dead cosmos. There is post-industrial ambient all around, someone squeezes live strings, an organ drone and more delicate string sounds smolder at the bottom. The latter is probably the sound of a zither, or maybe it is the effect of activities in the inside piano mode. The narrative itself is saturated with more fluid, slightly longer phrases, less silence and omission. Synthetic phonies roar from time to time, and the acoustic ones seem to be deeply on the defensive. The multi-threaded, electro-acoustic drone is decorated with single, prepared string sounds. The next 40 minutes pass very slowly, and the very ending gives us some additional acoustic sounds, reminding us that we are slowly returning to the real world."-Andrzej Nowak, Tribune of Spontaneous Music (translated by Google)


Artist Biographies

"Eva-Maria Houben (born 1955) studied Music Education at Folkwang-Musikhochschule Essen and the organ with Gisbert Schneider. Following her exams she taught both German and Music Education at Secondary School. She received her doctorate and postdoctoral lecturing qualification in musicology and was called for lectures at Gerhard-Mercator-Universität Duisburg and Robert-Schumann-Hochschule Düsseldorf. Since 1993 Professor Houben has been lecturing at Dortmund University`s "Institut für Musik und Musikwissenschaft", with both music theory and contemporary music as her focus. Up to now many books were published, concerning contemporary music, contemporary composers and traditional music, listened to with 'new ears'.

Eva-Maria Houben has been performing works for the organ for more than 30 years. As she is related to the "wandelweiser-group" of composers, her compositions are published by "edition wandelweiser", Haan. Her list of compositions up to now includes works for the organ, piano, clarinet, trombone, violoncello and other solo instruments, works for voice and piano, for wind and chamber ensembles, for orchestra and for voice and orchestra, works for choir (www.wandelweiser.de). She publishes on subjects of contemporary music (Steiner, PFAU, Edition Howeg, bis-label Oldenburg)."

-Eva-Maria Houben Website (http://www.evamariahouben.de/)
11/20/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"He has been playing the violin for 30 years and in that time has played all genres of music ranging from contemporary music to free jazz and improvised music, live and in the studio.

His main interest shifted towards contemporary improvised and composed music.

The relationship with his instruments is focused in sonic and textural elements.

Electronic music was an early influence on his approach to violin playing, which challenges traditional romantic concepts of the violin/viola through use of preparations and micro tuning.

Active in different settings on the Portuguese scene for free improvised music, both as a collaborator and in leading his own groups.

Music for Dance, Cinema, Video and Performance.

Has created the record label Creative Sources Recordings in 1999, which mainly concentrates on releasing experimental and electro-acoustic music."

-Creative Sources (http://creativesourcesrec.com/creative_artists.html)
11/20/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Was born 1988 in Lisboa, Portugal and started playing cello and trumpet at Orquestra Metropolitana de Lisboa at the age of 7. In 1999 joined Conservatório Nacional de Música de Lisboa to study classical and music theory and in the current year recorded his first album - Multiples - with Ernesto Rodrigues and José Oliveira out on Creative Sources Recordings.

Apart from work in music ensembles ranging for contemporary classical to free improvisation, also works with live music poetry, theatre and film-music. After lengthy residency in Lisboa, (1988-2016) moved to Berlin and has been active as composer and improviser in the scene.

Worked with some international and renewed artists like Ernesto Rodrigues, Jean-luc Guionnet, Margarida Garcia, Manuel Mota, Alfredo Costa Monteiro, Sei Miguel, Tim Goldie, Jeffrey Morgan, Oren Marshall, Gerhard Uebele, Klaus Kurvers, Gabriel Paiuk, Nicolas Field, Jaime Fennelly, Blaise Siwula, Will Guthrie, Pawel Grabowski, Michael Thieke, Wade Matthews, Leonel Kaplan, Diego Chamy, Gabriel Paiuk, Barry Weisblat, Joe Giardullo, Jassem Hindi, Tisha Mukarji, Masahiko Okura, Taku Unami, Toshihiro Koike, Sharif Sehnaoui, Christine Abdelnour, Alexandre Bellenger, Carlos Zingaro, Romaric Sobac, Nuno Rebelo, Nuno Torres, Naoto Yamagashi, Heddy Boubaker, Gerhard Uebele, Guillermo Torres, Tomas Gris, Carlos Santos, Bruno Parrinha, Miguel Leiria Pereira, Miguel Ivo Cruz, Alberto Cirera, Nuno Morão, Mark Sanders, Dennis Gonzaléz, Alípio Carvalho Neto, Raymond Macdonald, Neil Davidson, David Stachenas, Lisa Ullén, D'incise, Cyril Bondy, Miguel Mira, Rodrigo Amado, Abdul Moimême, Monsieur Trinité, João Madeira, Álvaro Rosso, Gil Gonçalves, Marian Yanchyk, Filipe Passos, Rodrigo Pinheiro, Christian Wolfarth, Thanos Chrysakis, Bechir Saade, Kurt Liedwart, Miguel A. Garcia, Ilia Belorukov, Andrew Lafkas, Gao Jiafeng, Eric Wong, Johan Moir, Casey Moir, Magda Mayas, Matthias Muller, Alexander Frangenheim ...

Has performed and toured in all Europe. Released more than 30 albums of his own projects."

-Creative Sources (http://creativesourcesrec.com/creative_artists.html)
11/20/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Studied painting with António Sena (Ar.Co, 1988 -1992), worked in advertising for a period of time, but nowadays works as graphic designer in corporate identity, packaging, web and audio-video production.

Started sound/music activities in 1989 when formed the VITRIOL project with Paulo Raposo, a laboratory for experimental sound actions, in a first stage with studio work followed in 1994 by live output, mainly live electronics, concrete music with a improvised or graphic score oriented approach. Uses the laptop with software written in MaxMsp, small resonant objects, microphones and piezo elements to produce a music that deals with space and its sound characteristics. Interests in "soundscape" and field recordings are a huge part of his work, for piece preparation or just for archival purposes, Always recording, events, spaces or music. Multi-channel acusmatic music and radio pieces.

Presents himself solo in site-specific audio-video works, or in duos with João Silva (video, sound, photography), "Inhabitaded Spaces" with Ricardo Guerreiro (computer, mics), "Venús Pistolletto" with Emídio Buchinho (elec. guitar, mics, objects) and trios with Ernesto Rodrigues (violin) and Guilherme Rodrigues (cello) or ZNGR electroacustic trio with Carlos "Zíngaro and Emídio Buchinho. Member of several formations, "(Des)Integração" laptop ensemble (2001-2003) or in more electroacoustic sets, uses live-electronics and sampling which is the case of "Suspensão" septep, VGO, variable geometry orchestra and specially a trio close related to the "near silence" aesthetics, with Ernesto Rodrigues (violin, harp) and Guilherme Rodrigues (cello) with already several CD releases, always with at least one international improviser guest. Presented his work in Portugal, Spain, France, UK and Germany. Worked with artists from several media: dance, performance and video. Music and sound design for video and animation. Video and sound editing for comercial projects. Played live or in recording projects throughout the years with a lot of musician and sound artists. His sound work is documented in several CD releases. Belongs to the Granular board of directors, a portuguese association for experimental art and does the image of Creative Sources label. Broadcasts "Boca Doce" show at Rádio Zero (web) and other special shows. Workshops and seminars in digital audio manipulation, Maxmsp programming and sound art practise."

-Creative Sources (http://creativesourcesrec.com/creative_artists.html)
11/20/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. I 38:48

2. II 40:30

Related Categories of Interest:


Creative Sources
Improvised Music
Free Improvisation
Electro-Acoustic
Electro-Acoustic Improv
Electroacoustic Composition
lowercase, reductionist, micro-improv, sound improv, onkyo sound
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Quartet Recordings
Staff Picks & Recommended Items

Search for other titles on the label:
Creative Sources.


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