TRACKS: 01 BELLS, BOOK, TIN FOIL, BUTTONS (MF)
02 CRACKLE BOX, THUMB PIANO (SV)
03 FIELD RECORDINGS, ROCKS, SPEAKERS (MF)
04 BROKEN RECORD, CASSETTES (SV)
05 CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES, TAPE, EGG CUTTER, RICE, PLASTIC BAG (SV
+ MF)
Rutger
and Stephen sort of accidentally met through e-mail. A simple
note regarding an ordering question for a CD led to an enthusiastic
e-mail conversation and climaxed in a musical collaboration. This
all happened in a very short period, both musicians being very
inspired by the concept of “exchange,” as a means
to cross space and time -- Rutger living in the Netherlands and
Stephen in Virginia. Most of the time, when (electronic) musicians
work together it’s a matter of swapping digital files. In
this case they decided to do something different and sent each
other a box full of (mostly non-musical, or musically non-functional)
objects and recordings, with the “assignment” to make
music with those objects and all as source materials. As the titles
tell, we’re talking about an egg cutter, thumb piano, a
broken kraakle box, rice, chocolate sprinkles, old cassette tapes,
a broken 7” record, etcetera, etcetera. Both musicians made
two of their own solo tracks with the box they received, and the
last track was done together by Rutger adding sounds and processing
to a piece started by Stephen. For Rutger/Machinefabriek this
is part of his most delicate work. For Stephen, it was a new and
extremely enjoyable form of long-distance collaboration.
Machinefabriek
Rutger Zuydervelt, better known as Machinefabriek, lives in Rotterdam,
The Netherlands. Started as Machinefabriek in 2004, he released
40+ small run home-made cdr’s as well as work for Type Records,
Lampse, Digitalis, Staalplaat (Mort Aux Vaches) and now 12K. A
double remix cd was released in 2007, with interpetations by Alva
Noto, Pita, Mitchell Akiyama, Xela, Gert-Jan Prins and many more.
Collaborations (live or recording) include Steinbrüchel,
Jasper TX, Wouter van Veldhoven, Simon Nabatov, Frans de Waard,
Aaron Martin and Peter Broderick.
Stephen Vitiello
Stephen Vitiello is a sound and media artist based in Richmond,
VA. CD releases include Bright and Dusty Things (New Albion),
Listening to Donald Judd (Sub Rosa) and Untitled/Exchange, a collaborative
CD with Michael J. Schumacher (A Question of Re-Entry). Solo exhibitions
of Vitiello’s sound installations, photographs and drawings
have been presented at The Project, NY, Museum 52, London, the
Texas Gallery, Houston, TX and Diapason, NYC. Group exhibitions
include the 2002 Whitney Biennial and the 2006 Biennial of Sydney.
Over the last 18 years, Stephen has collaborated with numerous
musicians and artists including Scanner, Pauline Oliveros, Andrew
Deutsch, Julie Mehretu and Tony Oursler.
www.stephenvitiello.com
