FEW BREED OF SOUNDS

FEW BREED OF SOUNDS:
A Sound Art and Visual Night Fever

When: December 29, 2009 (Tuesday)
Time: Gallery opens at 7:00 PM and show starts at 8:00 PM
Where: Espasyo Siningdikato creatiVEnue,
located at Block 11 Lot 9 Congressional Road, Bgy. Sta.Fe Dasmariñas, Cavite
(near DLSU-Dasmariñas, in front of Dan Phil Hardware)
Free admission but donations for the benefit of the art gallery are highly appreciated.


E.X.I.S.T. is pleased to welcome Filipino-born and Canadian-based guitarist and sound artist, Reuel Ordoñez a.k.a. Maggot Breeder, an experimental outfit and a long term ongoing experimental musical project. He will be performing on the 29th of December at Espasyo Siningdikato creatiVEnue, an independent art space located at Dasmariñas Cavite (near DLSU-D). Maggot Breeder will be joined by homegrown electronic artists Eric Diolola + Jeanilyn Kwan, Washing Machine, Firefly Logic, Elemento and performance artist Marlon Magbanua.

This event is Presented by EXperimentation In Sound art Tradition (E.X.I.S.T.)
and Sonic Mind Fields Bookstore in cooperation with Espasyo Siningdikato creatiVEnue.


Washing Machine is the duo of Stan Castelo and Gilbert Sanchez (Elemento drummer). The group explores the possibilities of experimental electronic performance and improvisation.

Firefly Logic is an all-Filipino electro-ambient improvisation group composed of Eric and Abby. Formed in October 2008, the duo's intention is to create music which is entirely in contract with their progressive band, fuseboxx. Their music is about expression through the use of electronic instruments (mainly keyboards), focusing more on soundscapes and emotions through improvisation. (http://fireflylogic.multiply.com/

Elemento is a multi-disciplinary art collective that is spear-headed by Lirio Salvador, a visual assemblage / sound artist. Salvador creates sound sculptures cum musical instruments out of metal pipes, stainless steel, bicycle parts and other industrial materials. These sound sculptures are being used by the group in their sound art/musical performances and are sometimes seen hanging on display on different museums and art galleries.

The concept behind Salvador’s sound sculptures called “sandata” or weapon is in line with the idea of creating something out of what is given and readily available or adaptability. Very much in the same native tradition of adapting to one’s surroundings although it just so happened that Salvador is adapting to surroundings that is in the eternal now. The materials and even the concepts that Salvador works at are actually indigenous but stemming from a modern industrialized setting. It’s almost like the concept of tribal existence come full circle: existing, adapting, creating and functioning just as the natives were before but from the point of view of someone existing in the now. In this sense, Salvador is almost like a modern native, a techno tribal shaman and the Elemento collective – a career tribal commune: existing, adapting, creating and functioning as it is in a modern and industrialized tribal setting guided by instinct and primal tendencies. But more than anything else for Salvador and the other kindred spirits, who share his vision, Elemento is more than just a collective; it is a state of mind and a way of life. Everything else is just incidental. (http://elementomusic.multiply.com/)

Chiptune or chip music is more than a form of retro sound synthesis. To Jeanilyn Kwan and Eric Diolola, it is their way of defining contemporary sounds through classic roots— graceful noise generation from simple tones and electronic scores. There is a childish nostalgia one gloats in when hearing the music of a successful Famicom battle. This is the sound they want people to be reminded of— the sounds of anticipated level-ups, augmented life spans and abrupt game overs; sounds that make you feel like its 1993 again.

Maggot Breeder is the long term ongoing musical project of Reuel Ordonez, filipino by birth and now residing in Montreal, Quebec. Utilizing the guitar as the primary sound source, Maggot Breeder creates a dark yet oddly serene soundscape which invokes images of war, conflict, pain, despair and suffering. Reuel Ordonez's guitar playing is not confined to one style. With his versatility, Ordonez's playing can be best described as a collaboration of heavy metal, psychedelia, experimental and the rock worlds.

Maggot Breeder is inspired by the history and imagery of the Great War of 1914-1918, the great imperialist war which accelerated modernization and shaped the 20th century. The results of this tumultuous period resonate to this day in terms of technology, culture, politics and global conflict. Founded in 1984 Maggot Breeder is considered to be one of Montréal’s more ingenious noise ensembles. While still composing music with Maggot Breeder Ordonez joined local hardcore band Rhododendron in 1991. After Rhododendron dismantled and still keeping with his Maggot Breeder, Ordonez joined local heavy hitters, Legumo in 1997. This band stayed strong until he formed local instrumental doom/sludge trio Squalor; this being one of Ordonez's more successful endeavours along with Maggot Breeder. One needs not to be convinced after hearing Maggot Breeder to know the Ordonez is not an amateur. He is one of the key musicians of our time. With Squalor and Maggot Breeder, Ordonez is at his element. (http://www.myspace.com/maggotbreeder)

Marlon Magbanua graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Technological University of the Philippines, Manila. An avid musician, he uses various musical instruments and accessories for his performances. Magbanua is an active participant in local and international performance art events.

His projects delve into documenting or embedding together sound and time, examining the possible correlations between sounds and images, dissecting the notion that “hearing is another form of seeing” (William Hellerman) through the appropriation of a translation system which correlates auditory and visual elements and values.

Theoretically, in this translation system, all objective elements of one experience can be broken down, defined and re-expressed as a different experience: in this case, sound literally translates to visuals or vice versa. This was inspired, notably, by the numerical systems used in computer programs to process aesthetic components (i.e. functional quantifications of both sound and visual elements, such as CMYK values, tonal values, numerical/digital pitch adjustment, etc.).