personal musical highlights of 2011

[mfischer]

here are a few of my musical highlights of 2011.

monocoastal selling out shortly after it's release (a bit bittersweet).

traveling out to new york in the snow + ice to record and photograph what would become "in a place of such graceful shapes" with taylor deupree.

scoring a new studio space just outside our new house.

performing at substrata 1.1 in seattle and meeting so many great artists and people with a great love of music and sound.

finally, after much correspondence, meeting, recording and traveling with simon scott.

seeing The Sight Below's live set get shut down by the portland police.

dinner with taylor, simon, mim1 + steven vitiello after a very long day in new jersey.

the trip to boston with taylor + simon. and being shown a few choice spots in town by john twells.

playing a song as a trio with Clem Leek + the oo-ray in portland.

recording a new collection of collaborative tracks with ted (oo-ray) laderas.

anyone who knows me could tell you that my 2011 has been filled with ups and very extreme downs... so here's to saying good-bye to a personally rough 2011 and welcoming an optimistic 2012.
i wish everyone the best in this upcoming year.
thank you for being so supportive.
~m.f.

[Le Berger]

seeing The Sight Below's live set get shut down by the portland police.

now there's a story I'd like to hear!

recording a new collection of collaborative tracks with ted (oo-ray) laderas.

and those are sounds I'm eager to hear...

congrats on all those accomplishments & "oo-ray" for optimism.

[billygomberg]

Amplify 2011 hands down.

Paris in the spring for Qwartz.

Kim Myhr and Vertex in Paris.  Kim, Ingar Zach, Jim Denley in NYC.

Kevin Drumm, Mark Fell at Neon Marshmallow.

A little recording session with Richard Kamerman, Anne Guthrie and Dominic Lash.

Recording 4GB of 24-bit *.wav in Costa Rica.

Certainly forgetting many, many moments for this...

[Orphax]

Having my first Living Room Concert at Moving Furniture Records HQ aka my house with Cam Deas and The Puddle Parade. Also did a second which was also really cool.

Releasing the amazing Machinist - Of What Once Was CD on my label Moving Furniture Records

Playing live as opening act for Charalambides and meeting the lovely Tom & Christina Carter

Buying less records than last year (which might sound weird, but I am still above 1 a day average  , hopefully next year I will go below 1 a day again for the first time in  years).



Personal lows:
Waiting for my own full-length CD too arrive, which it still hasn't due to money problems my broker has...aka fucked up.

My label being totally ignored by most webshops, mailorders (and fans), that while most reviews were raving on last 4 releases.

Getting to do a gig where no-one showed up because of bad promotion (none) and me being only one on the line-up (while I am not really known for my own music over here in The Netherlands (nor outside, but that's still better)).  

[mx]

2011, grateful for :

Being invited to support Tim Hecker twice, but also Julianna Barwick, Colin Potter, Paul Bradley and Chelsea Wolfe.
Receiving labels offers to release my music (to be released in 2012).
Being asked to record tracks for very nice compilations.
Being offered to play an a/v performance in a creepy vault under a castle in the middle of nowhere.
Performing for kids lying down and watching them react to the sounds.
Meeting very nice artists and starting to collaborate.
Having wonderful friends lending me wonderful synths (and a place to go when I'm homeless).
Having very nice people supporting my work.
Touring with Trisha Brown Dance Company and assisting Alvin Curran.
Listening to "Everybody wants to rule the world" a thousand times in my car.

But the main thing I'm grateful for is all the great music YOU all delivered this year. This is my main fuel and inspiration.

[Orphax]

But the main thing I'm grateful for is all the great music YOU all delivered this year. This is my main fuel and inspiration.

WORD!!!! 

[StephenVitiello]

-4 hour performance with Strange Attractor in Cork, Ireland in January

-Sharing a moment with David Toop for a public talk, in Cork again in April

-Rehearsing with Taylor for our gig at The Stone and then having Mr. Sakamoto add piano to one of our short recordings

-that same meal that Marcus mentions with such excellent company in NJ

-recording with Anne Bourne (cellist from Toronto)

-3 weeks in a cabin in Wyoming with a piano and nice speakers (Ucross Residency)

-installing a building-size installation at MASS MoCA