Posted by: Robin Amer on October 24, 2006 10:43 AM | Comments (1)

So I've been poking around a little online this morning, trying to get my head back into radio for this weekend. I know that may sound a little strange, given I'm working in radio full time, but I feel like I have much less time to look, listen and ponder than I used to. I used to spend so much time just digging around online for interesting pieces and producers, taking special interest in people coming at the medium from a more experimental angle. I love my job, but I definitely envy people like Julie and Kenny from UbuWeb for being able to do that kind of digging and curating and obsessive listening full time! There's so much good stuff on the Third Coast site especially that I have to go back and listen to.

Here are some little moments from my digging I'll submit for your enjoyment.

1) Did you know the Bauhaus has a degree program in experimental radio?! Sign me up!

2) I can't find the actual article online (more digging needed) but The Wire had a great piece last month on experimental music and sound art in Melbourne, Australia in the late '70s. More relevant and interesting, less obscure than it may sound off the bat. It's all about trying new forms and new technology, and building community amongst like-minded artists and producers. Sound familiar? Anyone here ever been to Melbourne? Now that's a city I could get my head into. Amazing art and music scene, great radio (ABC and the community version alike) great public libraries and a kick-ass tram system.

3) Ok, this one's courtesy of Julie too, but apparently the MCA is hosting a series of New Music performances on Saturday. Included are performances by the pianist Frank Abbinanti who Julie says is "amazing," and Osvaldo Goliijov, who, if I'm not completely mistaken, wrote the theme song for Open Source?! [Update: Osvaldo Goliijov did not write our theme music. According to my co-Open-Sourcer Katherine Bidwell, "He lives in Brookline and consulted with us about music waaay back before we had a radio show. He's an amazing composer. Yes, we've been thinking of doing a show with him for about 18 months now."] I'll do some more digging on the other featured artists and get back to you, but I think I may try and check this out after the conference. (Now that the end-of-the-weekend party isn't at the MCA, I have to get some Chicago art museum time in somehow, right?)

I should say on the subject of digging that I'm especially excited to try and interview Kenny G from UbuWeb this weekend. That site is the closest thing we have to a definitive archive of sound works, certainly online and maybe anywhere. Is there anything else that comes close to a radio and sound version of the Anthology Film Archives? I want to ask him about the pleasures of reveling in the obscure and the miscreant, and about his home at WFMU, a place that clearly appreciates the outsider and the oddball. Submit your questions for Kenny G or your reminders of other such sound archives in the comments below! And thanks.

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Posted by: kiera feldman on October 25, 2006 01:44 AM