antradio dot com

oima

live

on dfm

bass beats drone & trance with live electronics		listen to dfm stream mp3 live 24/7
60 min live show every wednesday on dfm.nu		dfm chat
live radio stream 23hr CET + live cam		dfm chat (java)
check your timezone dfm program schedule		dfm cam
DFM's Resonance Park in Second Life		dfm SLurl
Oima Gallery		Oima Gallery
e-mail : oima att antradio dott com
Listen to Oima show "No Frag Limit" 2008_06_25 with Kong		Play mp3

Cirrus performance at 404 Festival, Trieste, Italia, June 2008

CIRRUS: the highest form of cloud, existing at altitudes of 6000 meters and above. Composed of ice crystals and smaller snow particles. Cirrus clouds can be so thin they are barely perceptible. Often appearing as filaments or feathers. Can be created by aircraft producing vapour trails.

A live improvised exploration of the higher reaches of the sky; examining the nature of flight, presenting a case for loss and interrogating perceptions of heaven and earth.

Sonic Image Festival, Palace Theatre, Paignton, Torbay 29th September 2002 curated by Oima

Entering the blackout of the Palace theatre, Paignton, on a bright, busy summer afternoon, was a contrasting sensory experience in itself. As if laid on by the A.N.T ( Artists Networks Technology ) artists to prepare the audience for the afternoons Audio/visual events. Sited in the hushed auditorium of the antiquated theatre, with all its nostalgic Victorian leanings, made for a thrilling contrast to the groundless exploration of the work that was on show. This Post modern juxtaposition was reminiscent to last years electronic music event at the V and A museum, London. Memorable for the Sonic terrorism of the Aphex twin playing amongst the Imperialist statues in the central square of the buildings. This event, included under the umbrella of the Torbay areas 'Nine days of Art' festival, is very much cast in this maverick tendency, and certainly has ambitions outside of the festival's 'Art for the masses' philosophy. This was a cerebral stimulating International presentation showing the vibrancy and explorative nature of a focused group of collaborators and individuals.

     With impressive Audio/visual technical specifications, the Afternoon's 8 hours were presented in a very organic nature allowing the visitor to come in at any point and to hopefully pick up the thread. This made for an interesting contrast against the seemingly clinical nature of the medium. Proceedings commenced with a series of 'shorts / Postcards' from the OiMA collective. These range from ambiguous visual narratives to more direct linear statements. One piece in particular by Magda Crace and David Mutch titled 'Footage ' played witty games with groupings of people through us viewing just their feet. Enigmatic as much as frustrating, it was combined with ominous fragmented field recordings. It was left to the viewer to piece together a personalised narrative, from the multi layered presentation. This set the tone of a further collection of psychological fragment 'postcards,' in equal parts vague as they were poignant.

     A memorable and somewhat more structured piece was 'Not of this Earth' a short that dealt with the Promotion and use of Wind Power generators in South Yorkshire. Presented with a voice narrative support it is as much educational documentary as audio/ visual experiment. It seems to have the directness and power of advertising, inheriting the brave position of revealing itself and its social / political standpoint.

     The Afternoon was given form and human interaction through the 'discussion workshop' by the Plugincinema team. A collective championing the medium of online films. They opened up interesting debates on the Internet as a democratic carrier for short low resolution experimental films. We were treated to a number of examples and discussed film making on a low budget as a liberating 'Anti-hollywood' cottage industry. This was an excellent interactive presentation . One film in particular 'Elderberry wine' showed the charming nature of low budget films. Where financial confinements could be harnessed and used as a creative force and aesthetic. Along with this a number of Animation pieces 'Run' and 'The week before' by David Keenan revealed the role simple animation could play as a Universal communicator for the human condition. The remainder of the afternoon was made up of a rich diversity of films by the International makers Lux Eterna, Boris Austin, JU 90, Alexander Berry, Dave X, John Hopkins, Cem Akkan, DFM rtv, Corridor Arts, from America, Germany and Netherlands. We were treated to a series of pieces by Monika Dutta, one in particular 'Descent' was sexually tense and strong building to a witty conclusion. Her work showed a great understanding of this time based medium.We had the cut and Paste montages of 'Sciss' ripping through the afternoons calm. Followed by an ironic dissection of club culture by Interzone. One issue for me that is important with the digital medium, is one of authorship and personality caught within the medium. This was dealt with ease by the artists involved showing strong individual character and identity. However the disappointment to the curatorial equation was the cancellation of laptop manipulations by 'The Mighty Jungalator' due to a misbehaving computer, which brought a wry smile to the audience.

Live spontaneity was brought to the, by now evening, by Mark Lawton's live audio/ visual editing. This was an impressive display of the two mediums possible greater integration. Electro acoustic sound sources collided and synched effortlessly with fascinating juxtapositions of abstract and realistic imagery. He made a fitting conclusion to an exhibition revealing the creative potential in technological advancements. With this event the A.N.T. organisation inherited the not envious position of trying to communicate, somewhat cerebral ideas through a relatively underexposed medium, to and within the regional location of Torbay, Devon. They fought, and maybe even suffered, but on the whole they navigated this position very well, never compromising their International aims and alignment with the larger discourse of digital arts.

James Brooks Oct 2002
Arts Advisor, South West Arts
published in SAN (Sonic Arts Network)