Concrete Mixer IV

Musique concrète pioneered the notion of composing directly with sound, often ignoring the common rules of melody, rhythm and the like. “It’s the idea that there’s these sounds you hear around that are familiar and have their own emotive content, and that you can kind of reduce it to those...

By Cory Casciato

January 29, 2015

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Musique concrète pioneered the notion of composing directly with sound, often ignoring the common rules of melody, rhythm and the like. “It’s the idea that there’s these sounds you hear around that are familiar and have their own emotive content, and that you can kind of reduce it to those atoms of emotion without trying to force it into certain [musical] conventions,” explains musician/producer Thomas Lundy.

Today those ideas have been integrated into everything from hip-hop to mainstream popforming the basis for niche genres such as noise and ambient. Now you can get back to the core of the art form at Lundy’s Concrète Mixer IV, an evening of modern-day musique concrète. The tools have changed, but the sentiment and approach are largely the same as they were in the early days of the style. The six participating artists will use everything from a copper heart rubbed with dry ice to elaborate sampler rigs to explore the inherent musicality of sounds both everyday and alien, in solo performances as well as a series of “rolling collaborations” throughout the night. Generative visuals and related video loops will accompany the music, making for an intriguing synesthetic experience.

The show starts tonight at 9 p.m. at the Walnut Room, 3131 Walnut Street; tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door. For more info, visit tiny.cc/concreteiv.
Fri., Jan. 30, 9 p.m., 2015

Cory Casciato is a Denver-based writer with a passion for the geeky, from old science fiction movies to brand-new video games.

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