Sergio Messina <sergiomessina@xxxxxxxxx>

Improvised radio
as percieved by Sergio Messina during Rivers and Bridges, Ars Electronica -
Linz (1996), and RtF 1 DocumentaX - Kassel, RtF2 Ars Electronica - Linz and
RtF4, Vienna (1997).

   The RtF project, among other feats, has achieved a very special and, at
least for me, partly unexpected result. I am talking about the developement
of a peculiar collective way to make radio pieces which I will call
Improvised Radio, and that I will here try to describe and comment.

   It really all started with the Kunstradio All Stars in Linz in 1996
within the Rivers and Bridges project, although it was quite different
there. We had been called in Linz to take part in a four hours
improvisation which would have featured our solos, the improvisations being
like the recitativo in the opera, passages in between arias (or as "the
river", with our solo pieces as bridges). I cannot say it worked 100% for
me, but it definetly told me what to do next time.

   When we all met in Kassel for the 10 days of RtF1/Documenta X, we
started thinking on how to meaningfully fill the air/line/site time; what's
more, we wanted to fill it together. Many of us had taken part in the
Rivers and Bridges project, almost all of us knew and appreciated the
other's work, so there was an unusual drive to collaborate (unusual for
artists, that is). I think that also the RaB project had given us a lesson,
to the effect that no one brought finished pieces but just concepts or
materials to be developed on site. It was then that we came up with the
idea of "jamming"; most of us had some kind of musical background (more on
musicians below), the technology we use is "realtime action technology" -
including CD players, dats, cassettes and other "consumer" devices - so it
came quite natural, and everyone adjusted immediately to this concept.
   It's rather a new idea, if you think about it; to me it's much like live
talk radio made with sounds (not notes; in fact very few notes where played
in those sessions if any, but more on notes and musicians below). It's a
live radio that reacts to itself and to what has just been played (like
talk radio); it's a live radio where notes, concrete sounds, bits of CDs
and other prerecorded audio have equal status. And also to me it sounds
good, sincere and made with pleasure and direction. I haven't heard all the
Kassel material, but what I have heard is quite consistent, expecially the
improvised parts.

   RtF2/Linz was an interesting experience, albeit very difficult (the
environment was working against any idea of performance - it was like
playing in an office). Yet what I have heard later was quite interesting
and new.
   Again the long radionight was, for the players, an intense part of the
program (enhanced by the fact that the ORFs' were the first speakers we got
to use during the whole ars electronica); also Tom Sherman stepped in the
improvisation (we already had an amazing collective improvisation in
Kassel, with Tom on the phone); more about non musicians improvising
(below).

   RtF4 Wien was again another story. Differently from Kassel and Linz the
program was very structured; yet we had two occasions (and a half, if you
count the "Bunker gig") to jam again: the long radionight and the
Kunstradio all stars evening. I would like to concentrate on the All Stars
gig to make some remarks. The performers where placed in four different
spaces. One group was in the Cafe, the other was in studio 3 of the ORF, a
third small outfit performed from the web studio and Andres Bosshard was
mixing it all in a fourth studio. Unfortunately I did not hear anything
from the webstudio group or the Andres mix yet. But I have heard a "stunt
recording" of the Cafe performance, and I have spoken to most players (I
was playing in studio 3) and some members of the audience of all
situations. It really did work differently in the two larger rooms (studio
3 and the Cafe), and this difference - I think - tells a story.

   In the Cafe the performance has been, for some players and public, very
unconfortable at times; the audience was noisy, the playing was scattered,
there was very little interplay and, apparently, it just didn't work as a
collective; I wouldn't go any further, but perhaps some of the Cafe session
players will like to make some further remarks on this.
   On the contrary in studio 3 there was an atmosphere which I have rarely
witnessed: players smiling at each other, a lot of acoustic space for
subtleties to come into play, no one ever soloed, instead the interplay was
complete. It is the first electric gig I have ever heard of, in over 20
years of music and radio, in which none of the players had to raise the
volume ever. It felt good, and the tape sure shows it. Some prerecorded
spoken word appeared (always welcome) and we came up with a progression
that would have been impossible to achieve with any type of score or
reharsal.

   My guess, however controversial, is this: we are onto something new and
interesting (to say the least); we have found a key to improvise which is
very different from the way music is traditionally improvised; it isn't
even music. I call it improvised radio (but we can call it Thelma if you
like) because of the structure (which reminds me somehow of late night talk
radio), because elements other than notes can be fundamental, because is
produced strictly "live" and because it has no "center". And I think this
is why artists that usually play improvised music, and generally speaking
"pure musicians", have a bit of a hard time fitting in, finding a way to
tune in the context. It isn't that they're bad, or we are. We're just
different: they're very often accomplished players, always improvising and
probably, after all this time, they have developed a mode, a code which we
just ignore (and seem to do well without). Also they all come from a jazz
background. I have a lot of respect for jazz players, and jazz is one of
the BIG influences in my music (when I make music). But I think that we are
playing altogether different stuff in a completely different way; maybe
we're even in different fields; we don't play notes, we don't think musical
phrases, no one in six months has ever asked for the key of a piece.
Artists like Bernhard Loibner, Norberth Math or myself, are definetly
powerful and effective "real time acoustic reactors", but not musical
improvisers in the "traditional new music" (pun intended) sense of the word
(sorry Bernhard and Norberth: if you disagree I'll take you out
immediately): we're just not playing/thinking "music" (I don't want to
enter the debate about what is music and what is not right here. I hope
that what I want to say is clear enough).
   What I mean (and I don't mean to sound mean) is that we already have
"improvised music";  it exists, it is codified and there are some virtuoso
players of it.  It's great music of great inspiration. But what we've got
here doesn't fit in that slot. This much is clear. It isn't even really
music. It's a new style, with new structures, new directions, new
inspirations. It comes from jazz as much as it comes from (Kunst)radio
classics, Terry Riley, street beats, hoerspiel and whatnot.
   You need hard evidence? I can't play "improvised music" very well, I am
not a virtuoso player at all (you can ask around) but I'm pretty good at
this new stuff.

   One direction which I feel is worth exploring is to have more "word based
radio persons" improvise with us. I am talking about
theoreticians/performers like Tom Sherman or the Kroekers, but also about
entities such as radio Tnc, for example. This could give our enterprise a
more "radio-oriented" direction which, in my opinion, would work well. But
obviously also sound effects technicians, sound engineers, newsreaders,
moderators, bird imitators and announcers should be in. This is Radio, no?

   I really hope that there will be other occasions in which to play
together, also in smaller groups. I propose that someone organizes RtF5 -
the return of the son of Recycling the Future (or whatever you like to call
it), a live gig of the Kunstradio all stars (or whatever name seems fit)
anywhere in Europe; it could be a 3/4 nights mini festival with different
duos, trios and and a final gig together. Make it an on line/on site (in a
venue with a regular paying audience) and on air event, record it all and
THEN let's see if I was right, or it was just a rave (pun intended).

Sergio Messina/RadioGladio
Milano, dec. 14th 1997

check:

http://thing.at/orfkunstradio



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