Carnality in improvisation

[Wombatz]

Ok, then let me try this. The happiest marriage of male and female elements in an instrument is of course the trombone. Now we all know of a trombonist who's downright tantric. This just isn't fruitful . . .

[DarkAttraktor]

Come on, the guy writes stuff about EAI not being gender-identifiable and suddenly he's some thick-skulled, skirt-chasin', monster of rock dude ? That's really lazy. Besides, it's not fair. I'm not saying that there isn't anything to talk about, but he did start the review in a humorous tone:

Improvised music, as a genre, is rarely sexy.

And btw:

1) AMM's music is quite Saturnalian, hence having a strong phallic identification.
2) Lydia Lunch is an innovator solely on the field of shameless selfpromotion.

[jkudler]

Come on, the guy writes stuff about EAI not being gender-identifiable

that's not really what he wrote.

[simon reynell]

thanks for the birthday greetings.

for those interested in a very different style of criticism than David Keenan's, I recommend Jesse Goin's excellent new piece about Ferran Fages on crow with no mouth http://crowwithnomouth-jesse.blogspot.com/
It deals with several discs that feature Ferran, including 'corgroc' - the duo with Dimitra Lazaridou Chatzigoga that is one of the guitar series discs that Keenan slaughtered.

There are also decent reviews of two other of the guitar series discs on Richard Pinnell's blog:
Crepuscular Rays (Volden / Nakamura) http://www.thewatchfulear.com/?p=3233
Duet (Altenburger / Russell) http://www.thewatchfulear.com/?p=3204

[mudd]

there's going to be a feature in the next bixobal too, isn't there? i'm looking forward to that one.

m

[DarkAttraktor]

Come on, the guy writes stuff about EAI not being gender-identifiable

that's not really what he wrote.

Yes, he wrote a whole bunch of other things in regard of improvised music's non-contextualized approach to sound, subverting individualism, etc, but that's not why he was crowned Ozzy Osbourne on the previous page - it was precisely because of the 'contemporary improvisation vs gender' bit.

[jkudler]

Come on, the guy writes stuff about EAI not being gender-identifiable

that's not really what he wrote.

Yes, he wrote a whole bunch of other things in regard of improvised music's non-contextualized approach to sound, subverting individualism, etc, but that's not why he was crowned Ozzy Osbourne on the previous page - it was precisely because of the 'contemporary improvisation vs gender' bit.

it was more than just gender - it was a weird approach to what constitutes "sex" or "sexiness" and how or why that should be incorporated into art and music. the fact that he had to use the term "phallic" twice is a bit pathetic. i mean, a think a lot of guitar improvisers would very specifically say they *are* trying to subvert the phallic nature of the guitar, and that that is a good, or at least interesting, thing.

-j.

[washline]

I think all Keenan needs a good shag and a bacon roll.

[Jesse]

...what is it all for? A mental sandwich?
~ John Ashbery, 37 Haiku

[faster]

I think there's definitely a puritanical streak running through at least some of the different London-based improv strains/crews over the years. this page of Martin Davidson talking about his own habits, for instance:

http://www.emanemdisc.com/addenda/habits.html

Wow.

[billygomberg]

<facepalm>
</facepalm>

[jcg]

I think there's definitely a puritanical streak running through at least some of the different London-based improv strains/crews over the years. this page of Martin Davidson talking about his own habits, for instance:

http://www.emanemdisc.com/addenda/habits.html

Wow.

Double wow!!!
A quite disturbing read (and not in a good way). I have a hard time detecting any irony here but I really hope there's some hiding...

After a mutual friend (the late and much missed Paul Haines) showed him this page, Noam Chomsky suggested that I give up writing. Hm, I'll have to think about...

After reading this (which easily tops Keenan's ramblings or the Frere-Jones's take on "noise" from the other thread), I believe there might be enough material to start a "best bad writing" thread.

[faster]

I believe there might be enough material to start a "best bad writing" thread.

All our threads are that

[Jesse]

I believe there might be enough material to start a "best bad writing" thread.

All our threads are that

[diederich]

I believe there might be enough material to start a "best bad writing" thread.

All our threads are that

This plus the post of "reviews" have made Joe my favorite. Not that it matters to anyone but me.

[Damon_Smith]

Keenan has written some nice enough reviews about my music, but I just don't read that he gets these releases enough to have anything critical to say about them.
As with the piano series, I felt each on of these releases had something to offer anyone with an interest in improvised music as a whole.
The duo with Russell is even atypical for British improv with the closer attention to deliberate tonality and harmonic movement than most post SME music.
In any case, 'cello and arch top guitar is a beautiful comination and just like Richter and Twombly can turn in beautiful abstract paintings, it is still entirely possible to make a beautiful and relavent EFI album or concert.
The Rowe and Toshi albums are great contrasts to the work Jon does with both of them, so they were great listens as well.
I had one listen to the Rowe album that really did it for me, a right timing sort of thing.
I just got the fourth one, so I have not been all the way through it yet but intial listens were great.

I wonder what axe Keenan has to grind here. It seems to me like he had a bad experience with one of the personalities involved in improvised music, or worse that cutting it down makes him feel better about his New/wierd folk or whatever he is really into.
Maybe John Russell's beard isn't ironic enough for him!

[washline]

I think there's definitely a puritanical streak running through at least some of the different London-based improv strains/crews over the years. this page of Martin Davidson talking about his own habits, for instance:

http://www.emanemdisc.com/addenda/habits.html

Wow.

Sort of like a cross between Minima Moralia and Judge Schreber--without the poetry or the funny bits.

[kp*]

http://www.emanemdisc.com/addenda/habits.html

Things I gave up:

• joy

.

[J.F.]

I don't understand why the list of things Martin Davidson gave up in his private life gets so much attention in this context.

[jkudler]

seriously. anyone else got any other barrels full of fish they want to spend a whole page shooting?