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)
The
real triumph of Box Music is the album's incredible closing piece,
a direct collaboration between both artists using chocolate sprinkles,
rice, plastic bags, tape and an egg cutter. That doesn't sound
like an especially convincing way of starting the compositional
process, but in fact, the end result is quite marvellous, culminating
in a crescendo of activity and grain texture. Exemplary work from
both parties
- Boomkat
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
