NEW MUSIC SERIES, EVERY THURSDAY

MAY 3, 2007

8pm: Ben Bracken
9pm: Larnie Fox's Cranks Ensemble

$6-10 sliding scale donation, no one refused for lack of funds

Ben Bracken plays music that is sometimes electronic and sometimes acoustic, sometimes improvised and sometimes scripted, sometimes loud and sometimes quiet. To do this he uses prepared guitar, laptop, junk, field recordings, contact mics, feedback and silence. He is currently enrolled at Mills College for an MFA of Electronic Music and working on both performance and installation oriented works and is especially interested in the issues of the perception of space as mediated by sound.

Fox says the crank is the mechanical version of a loop. By using hand-cranked instruments, we are able to create rhythmic and repetitive patterns easily. We can alter the sound by altering the crank's speed and direction, and we can also use plucking and scratching. By working in an ensemble, we can create layers of sound.The resulting sounds are surprisingly pleasing. They can range from sparse new-music style "plinking" to melodic loopiness to hardcore noise. I made the first instruments for a performance at the Garden of Memory event, organized by Sarah Cahill. For more information see www.infoflow.com/larnie and Bay Area Improviser