Title

Totally F#^cking Huge

Author / Interviewer

Keira Boyce

Abstract / Article

“… The Fifth Totally Huge Music Festival is now well underway with a smorgasbord of new music delights sure to interest the most ardent lovers of the cutting edge. With 23 events and over 100 artists participating in this year's event, it is difficult to pick a single event to attend. An easy (and free) way to experience is to take a stroll around East Perth, in the vicinity of the Holmes a Court Gallery. Alan Lamb's wire music installation, Lines In The Sky comprises six steel wires stretched high above the Claisebrook Inlet from the roof of the gallery to the opposite bank. Microphones and wind chimes are attached to the wires, which project the sounds through surround sound amplifiers and speakers set up inside the gallery. To sit among this circle of sound is to listen in on a conversation of the winds. An occasional resonating chime and the hum of the breeze passing through the inlet harness the meditative sound as a backdrop to a performance in which visitors are invited to take part. In this interactive project, a single microphone allows people to create their own sounds to add to the elemental soundscape. Facilities also provide the opportunity to record the composition using a mixer and multi-trackrecorder, so bring a Walkman or a mini-disc recorder. Staying in the vicinity, on the picturesque Southern Headland of the Claisebrook lies another sound installation awaiting auditory patrons. Project 44 consists of a dozen 44 gallon drums installed by sound artist Rob Muir and visual artist Alexander Hayes, resonating in varying tones. Eerily, the sound connotes a conflict, at once ambient and peaceful in a place of open beauty and indigenous spirit and at the same time borders on disturbing that same peace with whispers and drones of industry, the machine age and the destruction of the land. In the live performance arena, last weekend's Sundays AtFive concert featuring Clocked Out Duo, in the Music Auditorium at the WA Academy Of Performing Arts, not only gave insight into the new music genre, but supplied an engaging performance, displaying an affinity with emotion, the senses and the power of sound. With a diverse set of poignant compositions, brimming with atmosphere, visual delight and tales of sonic travel, Clocked Out Duo held the listener captive with unpredictable turns on journey into sound. In a salute to Fela Kuti and the days back at kindy, COD lightened things up considerably with Felaminikuti, mesmerising the audience with an unbelievably good recital using children's instruments and toys from the $2 shop. There is hope for junk magnets yet. Strings Attached provided the most visually powerful performance of the set, using six drummers attached by ropes to a central pole. Carefully choreographed, the piece gave way to dramatic drums and a flow of rhythm from one artist to the next. The movement and change in shape of the rope mirrors the sound created by the drumming, producing a unique an energetic performance. As headliners for the festival Clocked Out Duo will perform in various events trough out the week and should not be missed.”

Keywords

art, festival, installation, drums, audio, Perth, Australia

Publisher

Perth News

Publication Date

21st April 2002

Week

3

Page

N/A

Section

N/A

Suggested Citation

Boyce, K. (2002) Totally F*#^ing Huge. Perth News. Perth, Western Australia.

Links

TURA - https://www.tura.com.au/archive/events/totallyhuge/2002/events/pipe.html