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Seeing many places, faces, hearing many voices, noises.
Hitting the ground running and trying to catch up.
Wondering where the politeness, basic respect and common sense has gone.
Trying to be patient with those who are trying and those that try me.
New beginnings, a different outlook and some new letters.
On the look out for those things that touch the innocent side of us that is always there,
but isn't accessed enough.
There is something important to be said...
TRIAD tour
Well that was an experience. Getting to play this kind of experimental, improvised
music throughout the country with two of the nicest and talented blokes around was a pleasure. The first leg in Tasmania was a nice start, the gig and workshop in Devonport (Tom's hometown) went well, the response was positive and the folks at the gallery are great to work with. Thanks Ellie and co.
The show at our co-sponsors Inflight in Hobart was also great, nice to play with
Soundtracks Will Dissolve as well, they were great as per!
Onto the mainland leg. My fear of flying was kept at bay and it all ran fairly
smoothly apart from a couple of hiccups.
First Melbourne show that The Make It Up Club @ Bar Open was fun.
Listening back to the recording there was lots of meandering on our part,
but some nice moments emerged. 
On before us was an incredible set of power electronics by Absoluten Calfeutrail followed by a free jazz odyssey by Jeff Henderson, Kris Wanders, Rory Brown, Mike Majkowski, Sean Baxter and Robbie Avenaim. Highlight was the guy in the loud shirt and the frizzy hair doing the 'Warlock' dance during that set. Awesome!
Just minutes away from show time at the wonderful 'Stutter' at Horse Bazaar in Melbourne, the 1st hiccup, we got word that our first show in Sydney had been cancelled, or rather it perhaps had never been booked, still not sure what happened there. Also the second hiccup, my laptop up and died literally moments before we started. So for me it was guitar through analogue effects and a bit of angst for this show, seemed to go over okay.
The cancelled show in Sydney meant that we had a day off to do a bit of a photo session and some field recording/improvised open air performing around Circular Quay and Hyde Park. These may well become something in the future. 
Our only performed Sydney show was at the Don't Look Gallery in Dulwich Hill, a great little place run by the ever friendly Greg and we got to play on a bill with Seaworthy who did a great set. Tom opened with a solo spot too. Got to catch up with old mate Felix, ex-Conductor guy Cy and met Jo from Sound Travellers (our main sponsor) which was all very cool. 
Next show was in Perth. I was pretty nervous before this one, not sure why. Possibly because it's the first time I'd been to Perth, let alone perform there. Listening back it turned out to be what I think was our best, most consistent performance of the tour. Got to meet the great Cat Hope (sub-dronester!) and her partner and got to hang out with dear old buddies Susie, Dale and their daughter Charlotte. 
Final show in Brisbane was a hoot! Being that it was the last the show and Tom's current base we thought we'd try something a little different. Let's just say that some of the metal in our blood made it's way out. Here is a positive and not so positive response. 
There are some images, videos and sounds from the tour up on the TRIAD myspace page that will give you are sense of what went on. We would like to thank Sound Travellers and Inflight for your support. All the folks we stayed with and who came to the shows, all the people we played with, (it was great to see/hear such a superb and varied bunch) and especially the great supportive venues and bookers!
Thank you all it was great! There's a few 'possibles' for TRIAD in the future, but it's too soon to say anything yet. Stay tuned.
There is one last live thing to mention and that was a mumble(speak) set at Tom's place for his monthly 'Sonic Boom' night. It was initially due to be a Broken Tiny set, but due to my laptop being unwell, I was basically beat-less and re-worked the set to be mumbly! It was a very short doomy/drone set because it was shut down by the police (though I don't think the mumble set prompted this). Go to the mumble(speak) myspace page to hear the set and read about it.
As it happens Scot and I performed a short DÜO doom set afterwards (at lower volume)...such rebels!!!
So is that kind of racket, befitting of someone with a D and an R before his name should he choose to place it there? Perhaps there should be more PhD folks making doomy noises with guitars! Perhaps I should be worrying less about who should be doing what! Yes the degree is done and I'm through without a hitch or corrections to the paper which was a very pleasant and large surprise. I have a reasonable head on my shoulders, but I would find it very difficult to consider myself an academic. I work very hard at what I do.
The tour ended and I essentially hit the ground running back in Hobart. The very next day I was back teaching at the artschool, (albeit as a fill-in for someone else) and a day after that back to my regular gig in Emedia. An artschool is an interesting and rewarding place to work in many ways. It can be quite moving to see someone's practice evolve and feel that one little suggestion or pointer you gave may have helped in some way. But a question that comes up for me is "Can some things be taught?" "Are there some things that are simply known or felt?" Ticking the 'right' boxes for assessment purposes are a necessary administrative element of being a student at the artschool, but it's not what makes art (good bad or indifferent). I would always consider what I do as facilitating rather than teaching. I've seen a few things, I know a few things, I've made a few things. I can give advice, but I don't think I can teach someone to be creative. I sometimes wonder how people find themselves at an artschool. I found myself there, it wasn't planned from my childhood, but it was meant to be I think. I'll say nothing more other than patience is a virtue, I need to remember that, so do students. Art is not and perhaps should not be easy!
So it seems, Australia is swamped with Swine Flu. I must say I was surprised at the number of cases that seemed to be confirmed. Now of course I suspect that the suggestion of covering your face will not do a whole lot of good in preventing you contracting the illness. However, outside of this or any other flu, what I do find alarming is that apparently people need to be told by the government that they should cover their mouths when coughing or their noses when sneezing! For crying out loud this is not playschool. Surely that's common sense regardless. I'm not a snob who is overtly concerned with good manners, but I don't want someone's snot flying at me anytime.
A couple of blog posts ago I pointed out my aversion to censorship. It is was bought to the surface for a lot of people recently with the Bill Henson affair and also the Internet filtering proposal put forward. I have in the past been fairly vocal about censorship, going back to John Howard's notion that a blanket ban on all 'R' rated movies would have prevented the Port Arthur Massacre. A letter to the paper that was published setting out my point of view may not seem like much of a stand, but perhaps it got people talking. Perhaps something more visible would be a public protest, something that will be happening in Hobart tomorrow afternoon following the ABC (apparently the more progressive TV station) sacking of Amanda Duthie (the Head of Arts, Entertainment and Comedy) supposedly as a result of allowing the sketch by "comedy" troupe 'The Chaser' (yes I deliberately and snottily placed quote marks around the word comedy) that was controversial and caused a bit of a public outcry. I believe The Chaser's show 'The Chaser's War On Everything' has been taken off the air for a couple of weeks too.
This puts me in a bit of a bind I must say. I couldn't care less if we didn't see The Chaser on TV ever again. I personally think they are smarmy little gits, courting controversy for the sake of it (rather than wittily presenting an alternative view) who I basically don't think are funny. However, and its a big however, my own conscience tells me that censoring them via removal is not right, nor is the sacking of someone trying not to stifle someone else's "artistic integrity" (there I am being snotty again) by approving a sketch to air. It's a tough one, because I hate the little brats, but I want them around so others can love them and hate them too.
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,"
- Evelyn Beatrice Hall 1906, referencing the beliefs of Voltaire.
More info on the Chaser stuff.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25619891-26103,00.html
http://wotnews.com.au/news/Amanda_Duthie/
I recently exhibited in the group show "Lust For Life" curated by Lucy Bleach at CAST gallery in North Hobart with my work Exhalation 2009
The group show 'Parallel' I've mentioned in previous post continues to tour and is currently at the Gippsland Art Gallery in Sale until July 12.
Upcoming projects: I will be part of this years 'Amplified' festival in conjunction with 6a ARI, presenting a very interesting incarnation of three of my recent sound works. They will be presented in an underground battery in Princes Park, Battery Point on Saturday July 17.
mumble(speak) is also due to perform and launch a new CD the night before.
We have lived in the same house for 8 years, ever since arriving back in Australia after living in Canada from 1999 - 2001. That's a bit of a record for me I think. I moved around a lot when I was a kid and since living in Hobart, residencies didn't last much longer that 2 or 3 years. Due to various circumstances we are moving again and although it's a big process, it will be worth it. It is very much time for a change.
Take care of one and other.
RIP - Hugh Hopper
Listening: Harmonia - "Musik Von Harmonia" (1974), AFX - "Analogue Bubblebath" (1994), Jandek - "Telegraph Melts" (1986), LULL - "Like A Slow River" (2008)
Watching: "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" (Dir: Sydney Pollack 1969)
Reading: Franz Kafka - " The Zürau Aphorisms" (1918/2006)
Eyes and ears open. Looking and listening. Deadlines getting closer. No complaints other than wishing for more hours in the day. Re-learning all about collaboration. This is mainly down to listening and then deliberating, this can take a split second or glorious minutes of silence. Then a sound can be made. There is something important to be said.
Still no word on my results for my degree. But I have been told that it can take some time. Will get back to you on that.
So some music project news; mumble(speak) - A new full length studio based album/CD has pretty much been finished. It will likely be called " 2 - having learnt a few things about people". I'm looking at doing some kind of launch/live gig later in the year.
Broken Tiny performed live for the first time since August 2006 at the Glitchfest in Esperence on April 5th.
Although I was on fairly early in the day, the response was quite good. I'm looking at
evolving the sound of this project to be more about power electronics and distortions and less
about beats, but we'll see. At the end of our TRIAD run (see below), I will be performing as
Broken Tiny at Tom Hall's Sonic Boom in New Farm, Queensland on May 10.
The metal/drone thing I do with Scot Cotterell (TRIAD/User/Evil Goat)
called DÜO also performed at Glitchfest. It was great to fill the forest
and the hills with slabs of distorted guitar.
M.0.1.0 (the duo with Aaron Metcalf) have launched our Myspace page
with some tunes and more info of upcoming activities coming soon.
http://www.myspace.com/machinesoio
As I write, the first Australian TRIAD tour has started, with two gigs
having taken place, one at Devonport Regional Gallery (in the North
of the state and including a workshop) and at Hobart's Inflight ARI
(who are also helping with sponsoring the tour). Thanks to all who
have come so far, they've been great. The rest of the tour is as follows:
04/28/2009 07:00 PM - Make it Up Club - Bar Open 317 Brunswick Street,
Fitzroy, Melbourne, VIC
Cost:$10/$5 www.makeitupclub.com.au
04/29/2009 08:30 PM - Stutter - Horse Bazaar 397 Little Lonsdale Street,
Melbourne, VIC
Cost:$7/$5 conc www.myspace.com/stuttermelb
05/01/2009 08:00 PM - Sedition 275 Victoria St, Darlinghurst,
Sydney, NSW
05/02/2009 07:00 PM - Don’t Look Gallery 419 New Canterbury Rd,
Dulwich Hill, Sydney, NSW
Cost:$15/$10 www.myspace.com/dontlookgallery
05/05/2009 08:00 PM - Club Zho, presented by TURA New Music.
The Ellington Jazz Club, 191 Beaufort Street,
Perth, WA. Cost:$15/$10 www.tura.com.au
05/09/2009 08:00 PM - The Step Inn, 186 Brunswick St,
Brisbane, QLD.
www.stepinn.com.au
Whilst I'm away on tour I will be exhibiting a new installed video version
of the (planned) yearly performance called 'Exhalation 2009'. It is part of
a group exhibition called 'Lust For Life' at CAST in North Hobart and
curated by Lucy Bleach. I won't be in Hobart for the opening (which is on
May 1st at 6:00pm) and after a preliminary install, the final setup will be
undertaken by the ever-lovely Ms Rees (who has a new blog dontcha know).
I will be back in time for the artist's talk (24th?) and get to see it installed at that point.
Check it out.
For those interested, I'm using the networking site Twitter for an ongoing
online poetic work. Essentially I aim to present a personal objective every
day in place of the 'Today I feel a little sad' or 'had a great cup of coffee today'
kind of messages. I know some folks find Twitter a little silly and pointless
and of course it can be, I kinda thought this myself. But you are able to make
use of the Internet in ways other than chatting up people, web stalking, posting
images of drunken hi-jinks and so forth. Anyway if you want to check it out it's
called 'Web Objectives' and can be found at :
http://www.twitter.com/Matt_D_Warren
Okay well, that's about it for now, hope to see you on tour somewhere.
Take care of each other.
After a long project, the end brings a change in focus. Trying to fill the newly formed space. In the back of my mind I know it's still there, but I won't fall in. This happens to others too and it's happened to me before. It's okay. Empty space should be seen as a positive, not a negative. Listen to silences between Miles' notes, the spaces between Jaki's beats and lack of concreteness of Lynch's narratives. Where there are gaps, there are places to enter.
There is something important to be said.
So the bulk of the 3 year degree is done. I say, the bulk is over, because I haven't got my results as yet and chances are I will have some corrections to do. However until then it's over. I handed in a 21,000 word paper and most importantly got to see my body of work in totality. The nature of my work often mean that a piece is not really complete until it's set up in the exhibition space, let alone a group of time-based media works. Once it was all set up I was able to see it as a pretty solid collection of works. Of course you will always see something that you think could've been improved on, but at some point you have to let it go.
The work was open to the public for 2 and a half days and I must say I was overwhelmed by the positive responses to the show. So much so that banalities such as "Thank you" were all I could muster for the most part. I'm touched that so many people were touched by the work and ultimately this is what I hope my work does. And it seems like it did. I'm very glad.
Here are some images of the installed works.
Top to bottom:
Gallery signage
Stimmung Ton (sound collection listening stations)
Run Out Groove (communique) (text on perspex with soundtrack)
Until We Sleep (sound and video installation)
Portal Lux Aeterna (after Ligeti) (surround sound and video installation)
Whitepinkblack Noise (video and sound installation)
Cantus 35 (surround sound installation - gallery installed version)
In Haunted Attics (surround sound, video and fog installation)
'Limbic' in Sydney's "Mop Project" space has happened, yet to hear of responses, positive or negative, but looks like a nice space and the works looked good in there.
The lovely Sally Rees' "In Stereo (where available)" is also over and was great, I'm very proud. Here's a link to her blog mentioning the show.
Damo Suzuki's Network show happened on February 26. Was enjoyable to play and I hope those who attended enjoyed it as well. As I expected and hoped, it was pretty different to the last Hobart show. A word that keeps coming to mind is 'sinewy'. Thank you very much to my fellow Sound Carriers; Scot Cotterell, Leigh Hobba, Tim Panaretos, Lisa Rime and Julian Teakle. Thanks must also go to Paint Your Golden Face, Brian Ritchie and the Brisbane for hosting the gig. I've yet to master the recording I have, but I've located the following documentation online.
Still images: Simon Stanton
Youtube link 1Youtube link 2
Youtube link 3
Now the degree is over I plan on producing more music, both live and recordings.
mumble(speak) is still a going concern and am getting closer to completing a new body of songs that will form a new indie CD release.
Over the last year or so only minimal work has taken place within the Broken Tiny project. However I've begun working on it again recently, specifically because the first live performance of BT since August 2006 will be taking place during 'Glitchfest' on the 4th and 5th of April. Not sure what time or day yet, but I'm looking forward to presenting some sub bass, distorted dubby beats and power electronics to an audience.
Also playing at the same festival will be the improvised drone/doom guitar project I have with Scot Cotterell called DÜO. Again I don't know full detail of when, but I'm sure it will be announced via their site.
The duo with Aaron Metcalf known as M.0.1.0 (Machines Of Indeterminate Origin) is getting closer to announcing something...stay tuned.
No change in the TRIAD itinerary at this stage, but confirmations are due very soon.
I am to be part of a group exhibition called 'Lust For Life' at CAST gallery in May. The show is co-ordinated by Lucy Bleach and I will likely to be presenting an installed documentation of a new version of 'Exhalation', the ongoing sound performance work. More details soon.
That's it for now, thanks for checking in and be good to each other.
P.S. My buddy Neil and I (a couple of geeks) tried a test of duration and attempted to watch the 10 "Friday The 13th" films chronologically without falling asleep. We did it for the most part too. Here's time lapse proof with sound culled from an hourly report of onscreen action.
There seems to be different speeds of time, moving concurrently. Things seem to happen at different periods and yet simultaneously.
Ryk: "Goodness! Is that the time?"
Mike: "Time is an abstract concept, that's a wristwatch"
There is something Important to be said...
So when things are happening to you, for you, by you and with you, that are positive in some way, the speed in which you perceive them to be happening can be quite fast. A blink of an eye. If life has bought with it unfortunate or negative circumstances, 2 months in a funk may feel like 2 years. Yet these coexist in a real duration. We feel them differently. Sometimes the sense of an impending deadline will feel like an increasing portent minute to minute.
I began my current degree in February 2006. Just prior to that I spent a slow sometimes difficult month on a residency. Whilst on that residency I began work on a daily ritual of 'blind drawing' a self portrait. At the end of 2006 I ended up with 365 drawings. Yet when I animated them frame by frame the duration was about 14 seconds. During the past three years many good and bad things have happened, sometimes at the same time. So that in itself confuses your own sense, your own perception of when things have happened, or rather, how long they took to happen.
Through the whole three years I was undertaking research for my degree. Of course it's hard to ascertain when research ends and life begins, it's too intertwined with what I do. But certainly out of the portents of the last month, the main one that's been like an ever brightening beacon has been the conclusion of the PhD. I start setting up the works and hand in the paper on February 10 for about a week and then there is the examination period. Then it's open to the public for 2 and half days.
Suspension of Disbelief – the representation of poetic faith through time-based media
A PhD submission by Matt Warren
"In this idea originated the plan of the 'Lyrical Ballads'; in which it was agreed, that my endeavours should be directed to persons and characters supernatural, or at least romantic, yet so as to transfer from our inward nature a human interest and a semblance of truth sufficient to procure for these shadows of imagination that willing suspension of disbelief for the moment, which constitutes poetic faith."
Samuel Taylor Coleridge - Biographia Literaria. Vol 2. Chapter XIV. 1847.
The outcome of this research project is a submission made up of a body of work and supporting exegesis in which I have investigated how one may best represent the concept of “poetic faith” using time-based media. Open to the public from: 5:30pm - Friday Feb 20, 2009 Open - 12:00-5:00pm Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 February, 2009 Plimsoll Gallery, Centre for the Arts. Hunter Street, Hobart. Tasmania.
Works:
'Cantus 35' - surround sound installation (re-interpretation of work from 'Port Arthur Project' 2007)
'In Haunted Attics' - surround and video installation (2007/2008)
'Portal Lux Aeterna (after Ligeti)' - surround and video installation (2007/2008)
'Run Out Groove (communiqué)' - sound and text on perspex (2006) (Images by Colin Langridge)
'Until We Sleep' - video and sound installation (2007/2008)
'Whitepinkblack Noise' - video and surround sound installation (2007/2008)
'Stimmung Ton' - collection of 9 sound works (2006-2008) - listening stations. Even though this has been my main area of concentration, a couple of other things are due to happen just prior to this:
Limbic (see previous blog) in Sydney opens on February 5th at MOP Projects, Sydney.
In Stereo (where available) a solo exhibition by Sally Rees, opens on February 6 at the Burnie Regional Gallery, Burnie Tasmania. Why am I mentioning it here? Well in case you don't know, I'm lucky enough to be Ms Rees' partner and think y'all should see it.
So it's now official and has been for a while; Damo Suzuki is returning to Tasmania for a show at Hobart's Brisbane Hotel on Thursday February 26, with the kick off around 8:00pm.
His sound carriers will be Scot Cotterell (electronics), Leigh Hobba (sax), Tim Panaretos (bouzouki), Lisa Rime (bass), Julian Teakle (guitar) and myself; Matt Warren (drums).
Special guests will be
Brian Ritchie-Shakuhachi
Paint Your Golden Face.
$15.00.
Come one, come all, should be great evening of instant composition.
The TRIAD tour is coming along. As more spots get confirmed I will post them here or on the myspace space (see links). Thus far we are doing the follow (with some TBCs included):
TRIAD- Australian Tour 2009.
April 23 - Devonport Regional Gallery, Devonport TAS www.devonportgallery.com
April 24 - Inflight ARI, Hobart TAS www.inflightart.com.au
April 28 - Make It Up Club, Bar Open, Fitzroy, Melbourne, VIC www.makeitupclub.com.au
April 29 - Stutter, Horse Bazaar, Melbourne, VIC www.myspace.com/stuttermelb
May 1 - Sedition, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW Phone: (02) 93318832 Address: 275 Victoria St, Darlinghurst NSW 2010
May 2 - Don't Look Gallery, Sydney, NSW www.myspace.com/dontlookgallery
May 4 - TURA New Music Festival, Perth, WA - TBC www.tura.com.au
May 7 - Ric's Bar, Brisbane, QLD - TBC www.ricsbar.com.au
May 9 - Overambition #4, Brisbane, QLD - TBC
May 10 - Sonic Boom #3, New Farm, Brisbane, QLD www.tomhall.com.au
This project is supported by Sound Travellers, an initiative from the Australia Council, the Australian Government's arts funding and advisory body.
. Okay that's it for now. Look after each other.
Here's hoping this new year is an improvement over the last.As good as some parts were, other parts were supremely bad, not just for me, but for some near and dear and some folks I don't even know.Unfortunate things, some things a crying shame. However, this a new time.Miring in what has gone brings no joy or relief. Nor does these greeting card-like sentiments.
Getting on with it and trying to make things that are good, that is what keeps one going. There is something important to be said.My new years resolutions are my own, you don't need to hear them. And besides I seemingly make and break them daily! The list would be too long. Upcoming this year;Jan 9 - Feb 1Not my work, but my mate and musical collaborator Scot Cotterell is creating an installation piece called 'The Fall' at Kelly's Garden at Salamanca Arts Centre for the MONA FOMA festival. I mention this because the video component is a live performance, shot for the work of my duo (with fellow former Bodies Drawn Backwards guitarist Aaron Metcalf) called M.O.I.O performing a song called 'The Hunt'. This will mark the public debut of this project that has been bubbling along behind closed doors for about a year now. Live debuts planned for later in the year. Should be an interesting work!February 5-22 I'm in a group exhibition called "Limbic" (artists responses to the painting 'The Origin of the World' by Gustave Courbet -1866) at MOP Projects in Sydney. The show is curated by Victor Medrano and is part of an exchange program by Inflight ARI.February 6.My other half has a solo show at Burnie Regional Gallery in the state's North West that opens on February 6. The show is called "In Stereo"Feb 20 - 22.I'm soon to wrap up (if I can stop procrastinating with blogging) my PhD degree project titled: Suspension of Disbelief – the representation of poetic faith through time-based media. I'm currently in the process of rewriting the accompanying paper into the second draft, then the third etc. The artworks (5 installation works and an audio collection listening station) I plan to show will be open to the public from the evening (not sure of time yet) on Friday February 20 until 5:00pm Sunday 22nd of February. Yep just 3 days to show 3 years work and research...Opening night I hope to show a collection of support works as well, which is to include the participatory performance/ritual work "Ritual 5: Watch The Skies". Stay tuned for more details.Late February; I'm working on a live gig, but nothing is set in stone yet so I won't say anything other than it's potentially the return of a performer who quite a few folks enjoyed in February 2008. Again stay tuned. April 23 - May 10:My electronic/improvisational trio TRIAD will be touring throughout the country.
...when you're busy making other plans.
Faces and places from another time.
I am not pretending to be someone else, I am a different person.
But every so often I see a faint thread from where I came.
I am not afraid, but I seem to view it from a distance
and the voices cluster and reverberate
like they are spoken in a large room.
There is something important to be said.
Tidal '08 opened on Friday night (Dec 5) at Devonport Regional Gallery. I am one of 21 finalists in this art prize competition. I am in pretty good company (which includes the ever-lovely Ms Rees) and is a nice collection of works. Strangely there are 3 video works in the show and had I been aware that video was allowed I may well have contributed a video work, being that its what I do. Still, this gave me the opportunity to produce something that is a little unusual for me. So despite my initial surprise at seeing video works, I'm pretty happy that I was afforded the opportunity to go 2D. As it happens I contributed a digital print on canvas, based on video stills, a kind of 'capturing a point in time' piece called "Whitepinkblack Noise (moment)". Oh by the way for those curious, the work relates to the theme of tides, by the fact that my imagery includes that of the moon...okay K.H?
Photo by Sally Rees
It was an interesting opening as I chatted to a number of people from my past, being that I was back up in that general neck of the woods. One does tend to change over time, but you don't always realise it because you live and breath in your own mind and body. Seeing folks and talking to them, allows you to see faint threads of your past, somehow feeling connected to a previous time and place and yet viewing it from a distance like an onlooker. People change for the good, bad and indifferent, I'm not sure where I sit with those three options. As I've been dealing with conclusions of late (finishing the first draft of a thesis outlining three years of research) I have been thinking of personal change and evolution. There is a realisation that people I once knew and were close to, I no longer know, or perhaps never really knew. It's a little sad I suppose, but not entirely unexpected when one is objective about it.
2008 has been an odd kind of year, full of highs and lows and now it's coming to a close I'm trying to draw conclusions and some of them just won't come. "Life's what happens when you're busy making other plans" is a quote from John Lennon, (but embarrassingly I first heard it via Gene Simmons!) and it rings true when compressing three years of life (research and everyday life are not often mutually exclusive) into a paper. This is not an end, it's a moment, so it's difficult to conclude, especially considering that I hope that everything I do, someone will draw there own meaning from. It's not up to me, I put a little piece out there. There is something important to be said, but I'm not going to say it.
Witnessing the local Mike Parr performance/exhibition "The Tilted Stage", reinforced my already held opinion, that we should sometimes look at things that are difficult and sometimes things of great beauty can be seen or profound thoughts or ideas can be felt. I was profoundly moved by seeing Parr's live performance and very glad I did. But I'm fully aware that his work is not for everyone, but I have always been an advocate of free speech. "I may not like or agree with what you say, but I'll defend your right to say it". (Not John Lennon or Gene Simmons!)
The reason I bring this up is because of this ongoing 'clean feed' idea that the Australian Federal Government via Stephen Conroy keeps pushing. I have been an anti-censorship advocate for a long time. And without being preachy have tried to do my own small part in fighting it, going back to getting hold of PMRC literature back in the late 1980s to keep track of what that nasty Tipper Gore was up to in the US or getting an anonymous argumentative phonecall from someone after I wrote an anti-film censorship letter that was published in the local paper prompted by John Howard deciding he wanted to put a blanket ban on ALL 'R' rated films following the Port Arthur Massacre. Admittedly, there are things shown or spoken in the arts, in film, music and the media in general that are difficult to defend, however hiding heads in the sand eliminates informed debate. So let's hope Mr Rudd doesn't follow in Howard's footsteps and like a good little dictator, ignores public condemnation of a deeply flawed plan (don't mention the war[s]!) There are two bodies looking at fighting this by online petitions and other information is available. If you disagree with a mandatory clean feed for the net into Australia, let the Government know by signing up and/or attending a protest.
My experimental, improvised electronic trio TRIAD have just received some funding from Sound Travellers
TRIAD Tour announcement! (Nov 28, 2008) We are now able to happily announce that TRIAD will be undertaking a short tour in April/May 2009, thanks to the support of SOUND TRAVELLERS. The plan thus far is to play in Devonport, Launceston, Hobart, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane. When dates and venues are firmly set, we will post all details.
TRIAD
Sound Travellers
In closing; people are saying we are currently in troubled times. That may well be the case. It would be difficult to point to a time and place when we weren't in troubled times. So what I'm suggesting now is not just escapism, but may be a form of divinity! I'm sure he wasn't the first to suggest it, but Brian Wilson said that when you are laughing all your guards are dropped and at that moment you may have a chance to be closer to God. Well he was going through a rough time, a period of oddness shall we say, but it sounds kinda sane to me. There are not many periods of time in my life when the lord of sublime silliness Kenny Everett is not in my consciousness and in moments of great stress or despair, the messiah brings relief. There are free downloadable podcasts of his ridiculous radio space drama Captain Kremmen available 
Go have a chuckle at something and feel better.
Take care of each other.
