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This is more of a question for guys like Matt Davignon, the circuit benders, and others (even Rick with some of his bizarre vocal material) who perform really experimental sounding music. I am gradually starting to teeter more toward this style of music with my guitar looping ventures. And I don’t mean the "normal" improvisational or avant-garde looping music that a lot of us do here on this group, but the really off the deep in end, send-in-the-men-in-the-white-coats-to-get-me flavor of experimental music. :) I just enjoy playing like this and pushing the limits, plus as I get older I find that I'm playing more for own artistic gratification, regardless of the consequences. But on to the real questions.
Basically, I am trying to integrate more of this type of experimental music into my live shows here in Boise, like these:
http://box.net/public/khartung/files/518181.html
http://box.net/public/khartung/files/518279.html
http://www.box.net/public/khartung/files/241353.html
http://box.net/public/khartung/files/273282.html
…and I can take it even further than this, and desire to do so, but not here. The problem is that I'm experimenting myself right out of a place to play. Most coffee shops or similar café venues here in Boise feature the typical folk, acoustic guitar singer, new agers, folk rock trios, instrumentalists who play very melodic tunes that are pleasing the common ear, or low key jazz combos. I can play outside and avant-garde once in a while, but if I do this all of the time, I get some weird looks, and quite honestly I question whether the venue owners are that motivated bring me back if I keep playing one bizarre, abstract song after another. Hell, at my last gig, I had more people listening to me on my internet broadcast than in the physical venue itself…that is a clue to this puzzle here in Boise. Most listeners just don't "get it", and what I mean by "it" is the significance and artistic value of experimental music.
I'm trying to do some things to remedy the situation. First, I created an experimental music program for a local radio station, which airs weekly. Second, I am in the initial planning phases of creating the First Annual Boise Experimental Music Festival for Spring of '06. And finally, I plan to host a quarterly internet broadcast performance series of local musicians playing avant-garde music. I was even featured I our local news paper as a rarity in the area, as an improvisational, avant-garde, ambient looping guitarist….did it generate any interest? Not really. Not when competing with country music, jingle-jangle contemporary folk rock bands, and classic rock groups, which currently dominate the scene.
But this isn't enough. I need to get out and play more, not just host events. I played at Y2K4 and will be at Y2K5. I love these type of events and I am eternally grateful to Rick for inviting me to this event, as it really lifts my musical spirit and gives me a sense of community, that I have peers in the world who are interesting in playing a similar type of music as me. I am researching the Annual Olympia (Washington) Experimental Music Festival to see what the potential is of me playing next year. I am researching other festivals too. The way I am going now, I figure it is worth more of my time to play at 2-3 experimental or avant-garde music festivals a year out of state and do my internet broadcast performance frequently, than to keep pushing the coffeeshop and café venue scene here. I am pretty much giving up on Boise (population 200K) in terms of supporting a viable experimental music scene. But I will continue to raise awareness of this style of music locally and do what I can to create a few special or showcase venues. And don't get me wrong, I don't expect hords of people to flock to a venue to hear me or some other experimental musicians play atonal, borderline noise music. But a small and supportive community would be nice. It's just you need a population base and culture to foster this type of scene without killing yourself to keep it alive.
Any thoughts from those of you playing experimental music on venues or festivals? Where do you play? Do places like San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Boston, New York, and Chicago have venues that foster this type of music? I mean, are there places that regularly feature really far out experimental music at these cities?
Cheers,
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Krispen Hartung
Improvisational / Avant-Garde Looping Guitarist
http://www.krispenhartung.com
info@krispenhartung.com / 208-724-5603
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Music & Video
Descent to Self: http://www.krispenhartung.com/descent
Live at the Kulture Klatsch: http://www.krispenhartung.com/hartung&miresse
Places: http://www.krispenhartung.com/cd.htm
Assaults & Reprieves: http://www.krispenhartung.com/humesfork
Microscopic Horrors: http://www.krispenhartung.com/dvd.htm