a r t i s t : David Watson
t i t l e : Throats
d a t e : 2007
l a b e l : Ecstatic Peace
g e n r e : Avantgarde
r l s. d a t e : May/2007
t r a c k s : 14
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 62,7 MB
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From 1981 to 1986, David Watson was active in the New Zealand
music and art scene, as a member of Primitive Arts Group,
appearing in the first NZ International Arts Fest, and he co-
founded Braille Records to record the local improv music scene
(which released twelve albums in the 80s). David Watson
released three LPs on Braille, and did much to create an
improv / noise-music scene where previously there was none. In
1987 he moved to New York and has performed in clubs, new
music and concert venues throughout New York, Europe,
Australia, NZ and Japan.
From 1988 to 1995, David Watson played primarily guitar
performances in New York with Ushio Torikai, Ikue Mori, Mark
Ribot, Zeena Parkins, Kato Hideki, Cecil Taylor, William
Hooker, Shelley Hirsch, Andrea Parkins plus many others, at
venues like CBGBÆs, Knitting Factory, and The Cooler. He was
also curator for music series like Roulette, Experimental
Intermedia, St. Marks Church, Greenwich House, Bang-on-a-Can,
PS 1, and PS 122. He did a Japan tour with John Zorn and
members of The Boredoms, Merzbow, Ground Zero, Makigami Koichi
and others.
æThroatsÆ features David Watson on bagpipe, Shelley Hirsch on
vocals, and Makigami Koichi on vocals and jaw harp.
CD cover design by Barbara Bloom.
(http://www.ecstaticpeace.com)
Making bagpipes cool, New Zealander and Braille Records
founder David Watson approaches his instrument with the kind
of freethinking sense of experimentation you might associate
with Zeena Parkins and her treatment of the harp. After
spending his early years helping to forge a lively noise scene
in his homeland, 1987 saw Watson relocating to New York,
hooking up with a host of luminaries of the Downtown scene,
such as Marc Ribot and Ikue Mori. This was all while Watson
focussed on the guitar as his primary instrument, but the
works documented on Throats were recorded more recently (2001
-2002) and concentrate on dissecting the conventional
properties of the instrument whilst preserving its essence.
For example, the piece æQueen JealousyÆ concentrates on the
wheezing drone at the very essence of the instrumentÆs sound û
itÆs an entirely naturalistic recording of the pipes, yet
manages to sound positively unreal. Similarly, æPneumothoraxÆ
is a sonic study of the passage of air. Quite at odds to all
this is the positively euphoric opening piece æStomionÆ, which
takes the conventional sound idiom of the pipes and scrambles
it across layers of rich, flurried melody. Watson is assisted
at various points by the wordless, abstract vocal
contributions of Shelley Hirsch, Makigami Koichi and Makagami
Ayako (the latter two also contribute jaw harp). æPythiaÆ is
one of the strongest examples of these elements coming
together in powerful synergy: WatsonÆs piping remaining
comparatively disciplined and traditional while flailing,
untethered vocals take the lead. Highly recommended.
(http://www.boomkat.com/item.cfm?id=33959)
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01-stomion [10:54]
02-pneumothorax [02:11]
03-glossal [03:43]
04-queen jealousy [03:58]
05-seventh stomach [02:22]
06-trachea [01:42]
07-cutting [03:05]
08-pool [01:56]
09-billow [06:05]
10-acute [02:11]
11-pleural [01:42]
12-echo [02:01]
13-pythia [06:12]
14-vacuole [08:17]
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56:19 min