Munich Eunuch

Daniel Brophy, and Colin Labadie

Music Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

• Year: 2012
• Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.

Abstract:

Program notes: Many of the discourses around technological development in music are deeply concerned with aspects of control; i.e. how does one exert their control, or ``mastery'' over the technology they use. However, we propose that technological systems with a certain amount of unpredictability and randomness may also be useful, especially for improvisation. As an improvisation duo, our method often involves designing electronic instruments whose behaviors are somewhat unpredictable. As a result, our entire aesthetic is largely based on ``riding'' the boundary of control. Working in this way creates a situation where we are often forced to react to, and work with, the unexpected. Our improvisation features a number of handmade and hacked electronic instruments, all of which have been designed to behave somewhat unpredictably. Composer(s) Credits: Instrumentalist(s) Credits: Daniel Brophy (electronics), Colin Labadie (electronics) Artist(s) Biography: Daniel Brophy is a composer, performer and improviser of various musical styles and instrumentations ranging from orchestral and chamber music to extreme metal, sound installations, experimental improvisation and noise. He is a recipient of a SSHRC research grant, the 2012 KW Chamber Orchestra composition prize, the University of Alberta's President's Award of Distinction, and a Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship. Daniel currently resides in Edmonton, Alberta where he is pursuing a Doctor of Music degree in composition under the supervision of Dr. Scott Smallwood. He is member of the noise duo MUGBAIT and is proud to have worked with a number of other wonderful musicians, dancers and visual artists such as The Enterprise Quartet, junctQin, Digital Prowess, TorQ, Gerry Morita, Werner Friesen and many others. Daniel is currently developing interactive clothing for dancers, utilizing a combination of high and low technology. Colin Labadie is a composer and performer currently based in Edmonton, Alberta. His musical output ranges from solo, chamber, choral, orchestral, and electroacoustic compositions, to sound installations, multimedia collaboration, experimental improvisation, and noise music. His work is shaped by a broad range of musical influences, at times dealing exclusively with repetition, patterns, and subtle variation, while at others exploring chaos and unpredictability. Colin holds a BMus from Wilfrid Laurier University, where he studied with Linda Catlin Smith and Peter Hatch, and an MMus from the University of Alberta where he studied with Howard Bashaw, Mark Hannesson, Scott Smallwood, and Andriy Talpash. Currently, he is pursuing a Doctoral degree in Composition from the University of Alberta under the supervision of Scott Smallwood. He is the recipient of SSHRC's Joseph-Armand Bombardier Master's and Doctoral Scholarships, the University of Alberta Master's and Doctoral Recruitment Scholarships, and the President's Doctoral Prize of Distinction. Concert Venue and Time: Necto, Tuesday May 22, 9:00pm

Citation:

BibTeX Entry:

  @incollection{nime2012-music-BrophyLabadie2012,
 abstract = {Program notes:

Many of the discourses around technological development in music are deeply concerned with aspects of control; i.e. how does one exert their control, or ``mastery'' over the technology they use. However, we propose that technological systems with a certain amount of unpredictability and randomness may also be useful, especially for improvisation. As an improvisation duo, our method often involves designing electronic instruments whose behaviors are somewhat unpredictable. As a result, our entire aesthetic is largely based on ``riding'' the boundary of control. Working in this way creates a situation where we are often forced to react to, and work with, the unexpected.

Our improvisation features a number of handmade and hacked electronic instruments, all of which have been designed to behave somewhat unpredictably.

Composer(s) Credits:

Instrumentalist(s) Credits:

Daniel Brophy (electronics), Colin Labadie (electronics)

Artist(s) Biography:

Daniel Brophy is a composer, performer and improviser of various musical styles and instrumentations ranging from orchestral and chamber music to extreme metal, sound installations, experimental improvisation and noise. He is a recipient of a SSHRC research grant, the 2012 KW Chamber Orchestra composition prize, the University of Alberta's President's Award of Distinction, and a Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship. Daniel currently resides in Edmonton, Alberta where he is pursuing a Doctor of Music degree in composition under the supervision of Dr. Scott Smallwood. He is member of the noise duo MUGBAIT and is proud to have worked with a number of other wonderful musicians, dancers and visual artists such as The Enterprise Quartet, junctQin, Digital Prowess, TorQ, Gerry Morita, Werner Friesen and many others. Daniel is currently developing interactive clothing for dancers, utilizing a combination of high and low technology.

Colin Labadie is a composer and performer currently based in Edmonton, Alberta. His musical output ranges from solo, chamber, choral, orchestral, and electroacoustic compositions, to sound installations, multimedia collaboration, experimental improvisation, and noise music. His work is shaped by a broad range of musical influences, at times dealing exclusively with repetition, patterns, and subtle variation, while at others exploring chaos and unpredictability.
Colin holds a BMus from Wilfrid Laurier University, where he studied with Linda Catlin Smith and Peter Hatch, and an MMus from the University of Alberta where he studied with Howard Bashaw, Mark Hannesson, Scott Smallwood, and Andriy Talpash. Currently, he is pursuing a Doctoral degree in Composition from the University of Alberta under the supervision of Scott Smallwood. He is the recipient of SSHRC's Joseph-Armand Bombardier Master's and Doctoral Scholarships, the University of Alberta Master's and Doctoral Recruitment Scholarships, and the President's Doctoral Prize of Distinction.

Concert Venue and Time: Necto, Tuesday May 22, 9:00pm},
 address = {Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S.A.},
 author = {Daniel Brophy and Colin Labadie},
 booktitle = {Music Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 day = {21-23},
 editor = {Georg Essl and Brent Gillespie and Michael Gurevich and Sile O'Modhrain},
 month = {May},
 publisher = {Electrical Engineering \& Computer Science and Performing Arts Technology, University of Michigan},
 title = {Munich Eunuch},
 year = {2012}
}