"Crowning a Purl" chosen for "Get Knitted" exhibition at Museums Sheffield, Sheffield, England16.06.08

My sound collage "Crowning a Purl", created entirely from sounds I recorded at a knitting group, has been chosen to be the sole audio entry in the upcoming "Get Knitted" exhibition at the Museums Sheffield Millennium Gallery in Sheffield, England. The exhibition opens on July 2 and runs until October 26, 2008 so if you're in the area please stop by and check it out.

The exhibition includes works from artists Shane Waltener and Rachael Matthews, designers Jemma Sykes and Tait and Style, plus many more. The exhibition focuses on the wide variety of modern knitting - from contemporary art and design to the hobbyist phenomenon.

In 2007 "Crowning a Purl" appeared in the exhibition "Common Threads" which appeared at the Confederation Centre for the Arts, Prince Edward Island, Canada and at the Illingsworth Kerr Gallery/Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Detailed information including links concerning "Common Threads" can be found in an earlier post below titled "What Knitting Sounds Like".

Karate op Canvas, Burnout Paradise inspired by Unsolved?, Dead Souls debut20.05.08

"It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe." Muhammed Ali

I want to report on a few pieces of news before they slip through the cracks. My friend Stefaan brought my attention to the use of a Karate song in a documentary that aired on Belgian television. Sure enough the outro to "This Day Next Year" is heard on Belga Sport's documentary "Jean-Pierre Coopman - geen dag zonder Ali" airing on Canvas. Belga Sport is a weekly documentary that focuses on well-known Belgian sports figures. February 20,1976 is an important date in the history of boxing in Belgium. On this date Jean-Pierre Coopman, Belgium's finest boxer, fought Muhammed Ali for the world heavyweight champion title, having lasted 5 rounds before losing to Ali. Now 32 years later Coopman reflects on this pivotal date back in '76. I can't help thinking that this was in part chosen because of the fight sport link, boxing and karate... but i won't dwell on that tidbit. Either way, it was flattering to hear our music while watching footage of Ali at his best. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee."

The second bit of news also involves Karate's Unsolved. It seems the cover art for Unsolved was lifted and ripped for the new cover design of EA's blockbuster hit Xbox game "Burnout Paradise". Decide for yourself whether or not this was inspiration or a simple rip-off.

I added bass parts to a few songs on the debut CD by the Belgian band Dead Souls. The disc, titled "Cognac and Coffee" is out now on Zeal here in Europe and seems to be doing quite well which is cool, seeing that former Karate roadie and cameraman Bernard Van Hecke is the drummer, or tub thumper as Gavin would say.

I have also updated my discography so check it out. The additions include a record with Drew O'Doherty and a 7" with Ilona V, two talented fellow Bostonian friends I was more than happy to add a part to their recordings. There are still a few releases missing from the list and I am waiting to track down either copy or the correct info before posting them. Oh yeah, and while yr digging around Drew's myspace page, take a listen to his fantastic rendition of "Changes" by Black Sabbath which features my trumpet arrangement. Cool! I thought that recording was shelved. Now, time for a bike ride.

Karate "595" 2xLP/CD15.10.07

On October 8, Karate's 595 was released here in Europe. The U.S. release is slated for next Monday, October 23. Our longtime label Southern are releasing it on 2xLP and digipak CD formats. This is a live recording from a set performed in May of 2003 at STUK in Leuven, Belgium. The show in Leuven was not unlike many others we had played and no pre-planning involved for the recording. For me this makes it somehow more interesting. So we are pleased to have a live recording whose sonic quality rivals that of some of our studio efforts and at the same time captures a quality performance.

In the past week there has been a fair amount of press for this release here in Belgium. Reviews and/or interviews can be found at Veto, Goddeau, and Studio Brussels to name a few. I'll do my best to translate these to English if anyone is interested. Maybe i should think about a version for my site in Dutch at some point.

Last bit of news is the steady growth of You Tube postings of Karate performaces. Two new ones were brought to my attention this week. Both come from Italy which seem to dominate the vids posted, along with Spain. First off is this odd splitscreen cover of Number Six by Albert Figurt. The second is another live version of Airport, this time filmed at a show in Ancona. This clip is so dark that Gavin is invisible although the sound quality is a bit better than Catania.

What Knitting Sounds Like31.8.07

A few years back i was asked to submit a piece for a compilation disc that would accompany an issue of KnitKnit magazine. The project was called "Music To Knit To". My idea was to find a knitting group, record it and create my piece strictly from what i recorded there. The soft scrape of metal needles, the more earthy dull sound of large wooden needles, and the explanation of a specific stitch between knitters were just a few of the gathered sounds. The end result was a bizarre and somewhat humorous sound collage entitled "Crowning a Purl". Thanks to good friend and neighbor Klaus Hubben for a bit of technology and my Cambridge, Ma. peeps Johanna, Kate, and Terri for letting me sit in and record.

I was happy to hear that my contribution has been chosen to be part of an installation that documents the KnitKnit Sundown Salon created by artist Sabrina Gschwandtner, Sara Grady, and Fritz Haeg. The installation was created for the Lee Plested curated exhibition "Common Threads". "Common Threads" is on view at the Confederation Centre for the Arts on Prince Edward Island, Canada from June 3- September 25, 2007, then traveling to a museum in Calgary where it will be on view from November 2007 - January 2008. The exhibition will include artworks by Francesco Vezzoli, Judith Scott, Instant Coffee, Kathy Slade, and Rosemarie Trockel, among others.

Concerning music on the Belgian side of things, I have posted a blitz of September shows with 't Schoon Vertier and a few with I Do I Do so if yr around please check 'em out. Southern is preparing the October release of "595" by Karate. It is a live recording from May, 2003 at STUK in Leuven, Belgium. Stay tuned for more info on this.

Performing with…13.6.07

I'm happily surprised at how much of a music city Gent is. I discover new resources almost daily and have found some great musical pockets and communities existing just outside my door. It is a real pleasure to be in a small city with so much varity and support for music, so much that it becomes difficult to keep up.

I've been busy with a few different groups from Gent that i'd like to mention. I've been playing bass with I Do I Do whose first record "None", produced by Chris Brokaw, has been released through Alien Do God, a sub-label of Konkurrent. The band performs twice during Gentse Feesten so check back soon for when and where. Recently i began playing with the excellent Gentse cabaret/fanfare met danseressen ensemble, 't Schoon Vertier, who grace the cover of the latest edition of Zone 09 for the magazine's feature on fanfares. 'tSV have a busy summer creating wonderful environments and atmospheres in some curious and original venues in Vlaanderen, so check it out. And for the third twist in style and genre, back in February i was invited to participate on a recording session of improvised music led by saxophonist/flautist Joris Buysse and pianist Thomas Noel. Of the 6 musicians involved, i only knew Thomas, making it an entirely interesting afternoon creating with drums, prepared piano, Fender Rhodes, saxophones/flutes, various tubas, whistles and windows. The project has been named Tabarnack and a cd release of the recording should be available later this year.

Show listings still need a home on the site so i'm working on it and that should be fixed soon enough. For now please check the band websites or mice pace for upcoming shows.

Welcome.18.4.07

Spring is here, Lente, at least in Belgium that is. I wish i could say the same for my friends and family back in Boston and further Downeast who seem to be experiencing a wrath of 'Noreasters in April (?). We all know what is wrong. But here Spring has sprung. Reborn, awake, anew, timely for the launching of the site. It's still a work in progress with a couple of pages needing a tweek here and there, but for the most part satisfied. There a few more necessary additions to the discography page to make before it is more or less complete, and my pix page needs pix.

Now for some music. Possible Path is a project duo i have with Karate drummer Gavin McCarthy. Just days before my move to Belgium, Gavin and i spent a weekend recording, for the most part, possibly improvised music. The results of the recording have been whittled down to album length and we hope to find someone to release it soon enough. Samples of Possible Path work can be checked out on the listen page.

I have also posted some solo work. After years of writing and recording i have started to bring more of this forward. The music will often vary in sound quality due to my minimal, on-the-go-living-abroad set-up. Hopefully this will serve as a sort of portal in to what i'm up to when working on my own music.