These Things

These Things from Benjamin Popp on Vimeo.

Film: Ben Popp, Sound Collage: Jeffrey Von Ragan

SoundTable @ Grand Detour Jan 2nd.2011 (Captain Beefheart/Frank Zappa)

SoundTable is a collective group of sound artists/musicians who meet monthly to discuss/demonstrate many topics pertaining to music/sound/noise- with an emphasis on the experimental. A place to explore interactively, stimulate creativity, make connections, foster collaborations in a laid back atmosphere.

New discussion leaders and topics every month. (If you would like to lead please email me: jvonragan@gmail.com

SoundTable meets the 1st Sunday of every month at 7pm.
Next discussion Jan. 2nd (Captain Beefheart/Frank Zappa!)

This discussion will pay homage to two giants of free thinking pioneers of creative music. Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart) passed away Dec. 17 of multiple sclerosis and Zappa would have been 70 this year. From early Doo-Wop to the pivotal "Trout Mask Replica" produced by Zappa, to Bongo Furry, we will follow the convoluted paths of these two original thinkers.

Grand Detour
Located at: 215 SE Morrison ; Suite 2020; Portland, OR

R.I.P. Captain, Heaven has their hands full! Don Van Vliet passed away December 17, 2010

Great SoundTable Presentation by Dustin Zemel, Robby Kraft

We're happy to say the presentation on minimalism by Dustin Zemel & Robby Kraft on Dec. 5th at Grand Detour was a success.

The evening began with Dustin performing a piece by Terry Riley titled "Pendulum music". 3 speakers were placed on their back with the speakers pointing upward towards the ceiling. Above the speakers hung 3 microphones, six inches above the speakers. On the count of three the mics were released to swing over the amps, creating bird-like and low tone feedback.

Discussions included the impedance behind the creation of minimalism, spearheaded by Terry Riley, Steve Riech and Lamount Young. Those composers felt that the existing formulas utilized by previous composers left listeners without a PhD in theory out in the cold. They wanted to strip it down, thus... minimalism.

Also discussed was the visual equivalent of minimalism in the form of video art using repetition and shifting of time through editing.

The evening rapped up with Robby Kraft first showing his "glass marimba". Coils were placed under a section of the glass plates that tapped the plates creating mechanical glass marimba music. Robby lead a hand clap-minimalist performance by those attending, showed his use of Philip Glass's compositions interpreted through his own computer programming. Finally he presented another computer program which had rotating geometric shapes that created a repetitive 'randomness' through out a time-line.

Robby Kraft's "Glass Marimba"