P53 (album)
Encyclopedia
P53, sometimes written p53, is a 1996 live album
by experimental music
group P53
. It was recorded at the 25th Frankfurt Jazz Festival in Germany on 16 September 1994, and was released in 1996 in the United Kingdom by Recommended Records
.
P53 was an musical improvisation
al project that involved two classical
grand pianists, a percussionist
, a homemade guitarist and turntablist
, and a real-time sampler
/processor.
and turntablism
began when it became possible to "play" them as instruments, and not just "run them in". This led to the idea of "real-time montaging
", which formed the basis of P53.
Cutler established P53 as a free improvisation
project within a predetermined structure to investigate the notion of making "improvisation a compositional endeavour". Cutler wanted it to question the nature of music and how listening to music has changed. He wanted to "pit acoustic sounds and the classical music tradition", two grand pianos, against "electronic timbres and the contemporary sound world", amplified turntables, electric guitar, computer generated sounds and real-time processing. He also wanted to contrast the difference between "early 20th century concert listening and the channel-hopping aesthetic of the fin de siecle '90's".
The pianists were instructed to play "a few small sections from the classical repertoire", in any way and at any tempo, while the other musicians were free to, according to Rick Anderson of Allmusic, "romp around them wreaking gleeful havoc". Glandien periodically played back amplified and distorted live samples of the pianists, making them, in effect, human samplers, providing raw material for him to manipulate.
magazine described P53 as a "surrealist adventure that must have been stunning to witness". He added that "the disc's transitions from sonic tranquillity to chaos and back are unpredictable and delightfully abrupt. It's comforting that someone somewhere is still ignoring musical orthodoxy." Rick Anderson of Allmusic said while P53 is not the "stuff for everyone", "for those with ears to hear, [it] is one of the most enjoyable albums to come from the avant-garde scene in years."
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
by experimental music
Experimental music
Experimental music refers, in the English-language literature, to a compositional tradition which arose in the mid-20th century, applied particularly in North America to music composed in such a way that its outcome is unforeseeable. Its most famous and influential exponent was John Cage...
group P53
P53 (band)
P53, sometimes written p53, was an experimental music group commissioned by English percussionist Chris Cutler to play at the 25th Frankfurt Jazz Festival in Germany in September 1994. Their performance was recorded and released by Recommended Records in 1996 on a live album entitled P53...
. It was recorded at the 25th Frankfurt Jazz Festival in Germany on 16 September 1994, and was released in 1996 in the United Kingdom by Recommended Records
Recommended Records
Recommended Records is a British independent record label and distribution network founded by Chris Cutler in March 1978. RēR features largely "Rock in Opposition" and related music, but it also distributes selected music released on other independent labels.In 1982 Cutler established November...
.
P53 was an musical improvisation
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
al project that involved two classical
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
grand pianists, a percussionist
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, a homemade guitarist and turntablist
Turntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...
, and a real-time sampler
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
/processor.
Music
The instrumentation of the P53 project consisted of two grand pianos, amplified turntables, a homemade electric guitar, percussion, electronics and real time processing. Cutler's interest in samplingSampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
and turntablism
Turntablism
Turntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...
began when it became possible to "play" them as instruments, and not just "run them in". This led to the idea of "real-time montaging
Sound collage
In music, montage or sound collage is a technique where sound objects or compositions, including songs, are created from collage, also known as montage, the use of portions of previous recordings or scores...
", which formed the basis of P53.
Cutler established P53 as a free improvisation
Free improvisation
Free improvisation or free music is improvised music without any rules beyond the logic or inclination of the musician involved. The term can refer to both a technique and as a recognizable genre in its own right....
project within a predetermined structure to investigate the notion of making "improvisation a compositional endeavour". Cutler wanted it to question the nature of music and how listening to music has changed. He wanted to "pit acoustic sounds and the classical music tradition", two grand pianos, against "electronic timbres and the contemporary sound world", amplified turntables, electric guitar, computer generated sounds and real-time processing. He also wanted to contrast the difference between "early 20th century concert listening and the channel-hopping aesthetic of the fin de siecle '90's".
The pianists were instructed to play "a few small sections from the classical repertoire", in any way and at any tempo, while the other musicians were free to, according to Rick Anderson of Allmusic, "romp around them wreaking gleeful havoc". Glandien periodically played back amplified and distorted live samples of the pianists, making them, in effect, human samplers, providing raw material for him to manipulate.
Reception
Peter L. Herb of WiredWired (magazine)
Wired is a full-color monthly American magazine and on-line periodical, published since January 1993, that reports on how new and developing technology affects culture, the economy, and politics...
magazine described P53 as a "surrealist adventure that must have been stunning to witness". He added that "the disc's transitions from sonic tranquillity to chaos and back are unpredictable and delightfully abrupt. It's comforting that someone somewhere is still ignoring musical orthodoxy." Rick Anderson of Allmusic said while P53 is not the "stuff for everyone", "for those with ears to hear, [it] is one of the most enjoyable albums to come from the avant-garde scene in years."
Track listing
- "P53" (CutlerChris CutlerChris Cutler is an English percussionist, composer, lyricist and music theorist. Best known for his work with English avant-rock group Henry Cow, Cutler was also a member and drummer of a number of other bands, including Art Bears, News from Babel, Pere Ubu and Gong/Mothergong...
, Goyette, KrauzeZygmunt Krauze- Biography :Polish composer and pianist , who studied composition and piano at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. He is known as a composer of unistic music, based on the theory of unistic art adopted from the painting of Wladyslaw Strzeminski...
, GlandienLutz GlandienLutz Glandien is a Berlin-based German avant garde composer and musician. He has composed a number of classical and electroacoustic pieces, released four solo albums, and collaborated with English percussionist Chris Cutler to record two acclaimed avant-rock albums, Domestic Stories and P53...
, YoshihideYoshihide Otomois a Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist.He first came to international prominence in the 1990s as the leader of the noise rock group Ground Zero, and has since worked in a variety of contexts, ranging from free improvisation to noise, jazz, avant-garde and contemporary classical...
) – 44:08
Personnel
- Chris CutlerChris CutlerChris Cutler is an English percussionist, composer, lyricist and music theorist. Best known for his work with English avant-rock group Henry Cow, Cutler was also a member and drummer of a number of other bands, including Art Bears, News from Babel, Pere Ubu and Gong/Mothergong...
– drums, objects, low grade electronics - Marie Goyette – grand piano
- Zygmunt KrauzeZygmunt Krauze- Biography :Polish composer and pianist , who studied composition and piano at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. He is known as a composer of unistic music, based on the theory of unistic art adopted from the painting of Wladyslaw Strzeminski...
– grand piano - Otomo YoshihideYoshihide Otomois a Japanese composer and multi-instrumentalist.He first came to international prominence in the 1990s as the leader of the noise rock group Ground Zero, and has since worked in a variety of contexts, ranging from free improvisation to noise, jazz, avant-garde and contemporary classical...
– turntables, homebuilt guitar - Lutz GlandienLutz GlandienLutz Glandien is a Berlin-based German avant garde composer and musician. He has composed a number of classical and electroacoustic pieces, released four solo albums, and collaborated with English percussionist Chris Cutler to record two acclaimed avant-rock albums, Domestic Stories and P53...
– computer, samples, real-time processing
Production and artwork
- Recorded at the 25th Frankfurt Jazz Festival, Germany on 16 September 1994
- Edited by Chris CutlerChris CutlerChris Cutler is an English percussionist, composer, lyricist and music theorist. Best known for his work with English avant-rock group Henry Cow, Cutler was also a member and drummer of a number of other bands, including Art Bears, News from Babel, Pere Ubu and Gong/Mothergong...
and Dominique Brethes at Wolf Studios, London - Mastered by Chris CutlerChris CutlerChris Cutler is an English percussionist, composer, lyricist and music theorist. Best known for his work with English avant-rock group Henry Cow, Cutler was also a member and drummer of a number of other bands, including Art Bears, News from Babel, Pere Ubu and Gong/Mothergong...
and Lutz GlandienLutz GlandienLutz Glandien is a Berlin-based German avant garde composer and musician. He has composed a number of classical and electroacoustic pieces, released four solo albums, and collaborated with English percussionist Chris Cutler to record two acclaimed avant-rock albums, Domestic Stories and P53...
at Elsenstudio, Berlin - Cover artwork by Peter BlegvadPeter BlegvadPeter Blegvad is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and cartoonist. He was a founding member of the avant-pop band Slapp Happy, which later merged briefly with Henry Cow, and has released many solo and collaborative albums...
- Graphic design by Jonathan Crossland
- Liner notes by Chris CutlerChris CutlerChris Cutler is an English percussionist, composer, lyricist and music theorist. Best known for his work with English avant-rock group Henry Cow, Cutler was also a member and drummer of a number of other bands, including Art Bears, News from Babel, Pere Ubu and Gong/Mothergong...