Artist : Molly Berg & Stephen Vitiello
Title : The Gorilla Variations
Genre : Electronic
Year : 2009
Date : 05/25/2009
Bitrate : VBR kbps
Tracks : 10
Label : 12k
Source : CDDA
Encoder : Lame 3.97
Length : 50:55 min
Size : 62,0 MB
Tracklist:
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01.Gorilla/Variation 1 (For ╔der Santos) 07:54
02.Kora 07:13
03.Variation 2 05:09
04.E- VA 06:17
05.Variation 3 04:28
06.Geese 05:37
07.Variation 4 01:24
08.Horns/End 04:41
09.Variation 5 04:44
10.Dogs/Last Clarinet 03:28
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50:55 min
This is the first full-length collaborative release by
Richmond, VA-based musician and sound artists Molly Berg and
Stephen Vitiello. The CD title, The Gorilla Variations came
about from a request for a short-soundtrack from ╔der Santos, a
Brazilian video artist who Vitiello has worked with for 20-
years on an uncounted number of projects. For SantosÆ recent
video installation, Boxing The Game, ╔der asked for a 3-minute
soundtrack to accompany a video portrait of Idi Amin, a lonely
gorilla housed in the Belo Horizonte Zoo.
Molly and Stephen recorded a 40-minute improvisation, straight
to a stereo hard disc recorder (no overdubs) with the intention
of choosing 3-minutes to send to Santos, the bulk of the
material from that session becoming the basis for this CD
(Variations 1, 2, 3, 4, 5). The Variations include layers of
looped electric guitar, clarinet, voice, whistling and samples
played from laptop and from MollyÆs Fischer Price cassette
player. For Stephen this is a return to playing guitar, the
first time in 6-years.
A desire for melody to accompany voice was certainly an impulse
to play again, as were recent collaborations with
Machinefabriek and with Steve Roden, both of whose use of
guitar offered useful reminders of what a nice thing it could
be to play again. Additional tracks on the CD were performed,
edited and performed again over a period of 6-months, drawing
primarily on improvisations but also allowing for healthy doses
of editing and processing in post-production. Field recordings
from sites in and around Richmond are heard throughout.
Recurring characters include the 14-hunting beagles in
StephenÆs neighborÆs yard. Throughout, a shared desire to
bridge songwriting with soundscape, melody with texture shape
the intention of the project.
Stephen Vitiello is an electronic musician and media artist,
originally from New York, now based in Richmond, VA. CD
releases include Bright and Dusty Things (New Albion Records),
Listening to Donald Judd (Sub Rosa), Box Music, a collaboration
with Machinefabriek (12k). Forthcoming releases include a CD
with Lawrence English for the label Cronica. VitielloÆs sound
installations have been presented internationally in
exhibitions including the 2002 Whitney Biennial, the 2006
Biennial of Sydney (with artist Julie Mehretu) and Ce qui
arrive, curated by Paul Virillio at the Cartier Foundation,
Paris.
Molly Berg is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has
appeared on recordings by Cracker and Jason Molina.
http://www.12k.com