Tag Archives: In Out Festival

In/Out Festival 2011 Open Call for Submissions

Posted on by
Reply

The In/Out Festival of Digital Performance is happening soon and the organizers have recently opened their call for submissions. Last year when Ostracon performed at the festival we had a great time and really enjoyed the speakers and performers curated for the event. Here are the details from the In/Out site.

Performers
In/Out is searching for musicians, visual artists, dancers, and performers who have integrated digital technologies into their work. From building custom controllers or software to the users of new technology, we want to hear from you! Submit a brief description of your performance along with a sample of your work.

All written materials must be in PDF format. Also, if available, please include hyperlinks to all multi-media materials (ie: videos of performances, demos, audio samples, etc…)

Workshops + Lectures
Help motivate the vanguard by leading a workshop in new media for audio/video performance. Past workshops have included: works in Jitter and Reaktor, building soft circuits, code driven music composition with Processing, a lecture on glitch and it’s use in art, how to run an open source business, and more. In/Out is especially interested in hands on, kit based, and introductory workshops. Please submit a brief description of what you would like to teach or share, along with any work you have done, are doing, or will do in the field.

All written materials must be in PDF format. Also, if available, please include hyperlinks to all multi-media materials (ie: videos of performances, demos, instructionals, etc…)

Deadline for proposals: July 25, 2011
All submissions can be sent to: submissions@inoutfest.org

Here’s a segment of sound from the Ostracon set at last years in/Out festival.

Segment of GMS from In Out

Ostracon Debut Limited Run on Cassette

Posted on by
12

Ostracon and Unearthed Music have decided to release the Ostracon debut on cassette tape for promos and a short run for sale at shows and online. The as-yet-untitled release includes around 47 minutes of instrumental duets between myself on electronics (mostly layers of melodies produced by the GMS) and Graham O’Brien on drums. We recorded in the historically preserved Studio A of the former Flyte Tyme studios of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis fame. I’ll have more details soon, but expect the cassette to be available by the middle of September just before our performance at the In / Out Festival of Digital Performance in New York City.

The immediate response I get from most of the people I have told is, why cassette? I have to admit to being heavily laden with nostalgia for this format. As a kid (and into adulthood), I taped jam sessions, records and CDs constantly, especially my own LP collection. I was acutely aware of how quickly the quality of vinyl records could degrade. Cassettes are small enough to fit in your pocket, or bring a dozen of them on a road trip. You can throw one out a window, pop it in the deck and provided it didn’t get run over by a truck it will sound the same. I melted records in hot car interiors, had them scratched and broken by myself, friends, or siblings, and wore them out from over playing. Now I realize that tape in the long term is even more ephemeral than vinyl. So, again, why release a modern recording on cassette tape?

Since making the decision I have noticed that it’s not as rare of an idea as I thought. There is definitely a movement back toward this barely antiquated format. I don’t have any meaningful reasons for choosing tape, but I know that I’m not the only one to have nostalgia for it. This might be a good excuse for others to get out their cassette player of choice and listen to some old favorites they haven’t digitized yet. Remember packing your tape before recording, or tightening the reel with a pencil? I’ll probably throw in a card with a download code for those without a cassette deck, but what are your thoughts? Would you love to get you hands on a cassette of new music, or would you seek out a downloadable alternative?

Ostracon at In Out Festival, September 2010

Posted on by
7

Ostracon Video from Unearthed Music on Vimeo.

My project Ostracon (John Keston and Graham O’Brien) has been selected to perform at the In/Out Digital Performance Festival in New York this September, 2010. The schedule hasn’t been finalized yet, but we’ll be playing either on the 17th or 18th of the month at the Tank Theater, 354 West 45th Street, New York, NY 10036. Last year’s lineup included Monome creator, tehn (Brian Crabtree), and Peter Kirn of Creative Digital Music. From the In/Out Festival website.

In/Out is an annual festival that features leading performers, developers, artists, and tinkerers of the digital design community in hopes bridging the gap between the forum based world and the stage. The festival seeks to bring digitally driven performances into the limelight with two full days of workshops and performances.

This video is a live studio piece shot by Ai student Josh Clos, and recorded at Ai Minnesota by John Keston and Graham O’Brien. It’s representative of the music that we are generating during our live performances. For more checkout the Ostracon tag here on ACB, or visit our bio on Unearthed Music.