PJ Norman
Encyclopedia
PJ Norman is a British
/Swiss artist, musician, and poet. He trained at City University, London
, under Musique concrète
composer Denis Smalley
, where he developed his distinctive 'feedback guitar' style. He has published two collections of poetry, Death Of Romance And The Future Of Now and Latitudinal Acoustic, both of which are available from his website (www.pjnorman.com). In 2004, he co-founded the record label 100m Records. He has performed and released recordings under solo and group projects, and is perhaps best known for his work in the electronic group tKatKa
:
In 2010 he collaborated on the electronic improvisation project Fates with American composer Django Voris and Swiss electronic artist Moritz Wettstein at Bob Moog's Harvest Works foundation. The project was described by Milk Factory magazine as "one of the most original electronic records of the year". Other critics agreed:
Norman currently lives and works in New York City
with his partner, photographer Diana Scheunemann
, with whom he worked as Assistant Director
on the film Love American Skin. The soundtrack to the film was compiled by Norman, and released through 100m Records in September 2011. The soundtrack features contributions from several of Norman's projects, including tKatKa, Fates and the Brooklyn based post-punk group Glass Rifle for whom he plays guitar and sings. Glass Rifle released a well-received debut single in November 2010 which was labelled "impossible to ignore" by US magazine Consequence of Sound
. Other critical opinions included:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
/Swiss artist, musician, and poet. He trained at City University, London
City University, London
City University London , is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and became a university in 1966, when it adopted its present name....
, under Musique concrète
Musique concrète
Musique concrète is a form of electroacoustic music that utilises acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. The compositional material is not restricted to the inclusion of sounds derived from musical instruments or voices, nor to elements traditionally thought of as "musical"...
composer Denis Smalley
Denis Smalley
Denis Arthur Smalley is a composer of electroacoustic music, with a special interest in acousmatic music.-Biography:...
, where he developed his distinctive 'feedback guitar' style. He has published two collections of poetry, Death Of Romance And The Future Of Now and Latitudinal Acoustic, both of which are available from his website (www.pjnorman.com). In 2004, he co-founded the record label 100m Records. He has performed and released recordings under solo and group projects, and is perhaps best known for his work in the electronic group tKatKa
TKatKa
tKatKa is a Swedish / English electronic music duo based in London, England. The project is a collaboration between artists PJ Norman and Carlsson. The group formed officially in 2004. Their first release was on a compilation for the gLASSsHRIMP show on Resonance FM...
:
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- "Savage e-perc explodes in this music, defining snappy rhythms that blend into incredible intricacy." Sonic Curiosity
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- "A nice blend of melodic electronic noise and ambient sounds." Collective Zine
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- "A fine release." Igloo Magazine
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- "Hulking statuesque beats pierce the undulating solace of the cocooning ethereal climates, the spectral glazes and mantra like lunatic swirls creating a deliciously affecting glacial tendernes." Losing Today Magazine
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- "Expect it to soundtrack a spooky art flick, but it won't because it's better than the film would be." Bearded Magazine
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- "The collection of songs tKatKa have produced are stunning and if ambience and not too hyper techno is your thing, it is a must have addition to the CD collection." God is in The TV Magazine
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- "There is a weird kind of 'out-of-experience' that transcends their sonic soundscapes, complete with meaty grooves and sublime melodic patterns." The Black And White Magazine
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- "It may be just the ideology of Norman and friends to make music so edgy and disquieting as to be maddening and mind scattering." The Silent Ballet
In 2010 he collaborated on the electronic improvisation project Fates with American composer Django Voris and Swiss electronic artist Moritz Wettstein at Bob Moog's Harvest Works foundation. The project was described by Milk Factory magazine as "one of the most original electronic records of the year". Other critics agreed:
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- “A post-glitch triumph that goes by quickly but not without making one’s head spin.” Cyclic Defrost
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- "Unified by that consistent feel of sound being created and immediately dissected digitally, crafting a style that really requires full attention to be truly appreciated.” Brainwashed
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- "Tweaking and meshing uncommon sounds to create one of the most original electronic pieces I have heard all year. Abstract art for the ears most certainly." AW Music
Norman currently lives and works in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
with his partner, photographer Diana Scheunemann
Diana Scheunemann
Diana Scheunemann is a German fashion and arts photographer living in New York City.She trained at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, Switzerland. She has published three books and shot a range of editorial and advertising campaigns...
, with whom he worked as Assistant Director
Assistant director
The role of an Assistant director include tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of health and safety of the crew...
on the film Love American Skin. The soundtrack to the film was compiled by Norman, and released through 100m Records in September 2011. The soundtrack features contributions from several of Norman's projects, including tKatKa, Fates and the Brooklyn based post-punk group Glass Rifle for whom he plays guitar and sings. Glass Rifle released a well-received debut single in November 2010 which was labelled "impossible to ignore" by US magazine Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound
Consequence of Sound, also known often as CoS, is a Chicago-based music website featuring news, album and concert reviews, and editorials. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook micro-site, which serves as an on-line database for music festival news and rumors...
. Other critical opinions included:
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- "A degree of genuine punch and something feels fiercely independent about it." Glasswerk
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- "A singular sound that gets you tight to your chair... Awesome." Vents Magazine
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- "Early Mission of Burma filtered through the earliest releases on Invisible Records. Somehow it feels very familiar, yet completely new at the same time… For anyone who longs for the heyday when Amphetamine Reptile and Touch and Go weren't just labels, but institutions, this is as inviting as it gets." Brainwashed
Releases
- 2005 tKatKa – "Lazerslab" (single)
- 2005 tKatKa – "Bedroom Dust" (single)
- 2006 tKatKa – tKatKa
- 2007 Death By Sadie – "Limited Edition" (single)
- 2007 Iamprimate – FX4
- 2008 Iamprimate – Acoustic Body Concept
- 2008 tKatKa – "Grief Hijackers" (single)
- 2008 tKatKa - TerrorKnowledgeAction
- 2010 Iamprimate - We
- 2010 Iamprimate - Reflection
- 2010 Fates - Murky Circuits
- 2010 Iamprimate - Believe Never Question
- 2010 Glass Rifle - Foebic/Cutters