Tuesday 26 January 2016, 8pm
A welcome return to OTO from the Buenos Aires-born experimental composer, musician and founder member of cult Argentinian group, Reynols. Alan Courtis has several hundred releases to his name as well as a dizzying array of collaborations with the likes of Pauline Oliveros, Lee Ranaldo, Jim O’Rourke, Merzbow, and Otomo Yoshihide. Tonight he performs again with the group, Mumbly Wolfs – a group comprised of musicians with learning difficulties – with whom he played an amazing set as part of his residency here last year.
More information and an essay from Cortis himself can be found on The WIRE's website:
Alan Courtis was born in 1972 in Buenos Aires , Argentina. He was a founder member of Reynols who spawned over 100 releases. He also has more than 100 solo releases and collaborations on labels like: P.S.F., Blossoming Noise, No-Fi, Porter, RRR, Riot Season, Kning Disk, Beta-Lactam, Sedimental,Alt.Vinyl, Feeding Tube, etc. He has toured extensively in Japan, Europe, USA, Australia, NZ & Latin America and has collaborated with musicians like: Pauline Oliveros, Lee Ranaldo, Jim O’Rourke, Phill Niblock, Otomo Yoshihide, Francisco López, Daniel Menche, Yoshimi, Eddie Prevost, Makoto Kawabata, KK Null, Mats Gustafsson, Rick Bishop, Toshimaru Nakamura, L.A.F.M.S., Thomas Dimuzio, Tetuzi Akiyama, Lasse Marhaug, Ashtray Navigations, Nihilist Spasm Band, Rapoon, Birchville Cat Motel, The New Blockaders, Kaffe Mathews, Jaap Blonk, Jazkamer, C.Spencer Yeh, Okyung Lee, Avarus, & Kemialliset Ystavat.
His music always has strong experimental sense and usually based on high-skilled techniques of prepared sound, tape manipulations, processing of field recordings, live electronics, objects, cymbals, synthesizers, computer tools, playing traditional (both acoustic and electric) instruments as well as self-built, strange and unusual instruments (eg. unstringed guitar). Courtis has composed music for films by directors like Claudio Caldini, Sergio Subero, Guillermo Ueno & Pablo Mazzolo. He currently coordinates a Field Recordings Workshop at Centro de Investigaciones Artisticas and Cobra Libros in Buenos Aires, and he has also ran workshops in Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, England, Mexico, Peru, Chile, United States, Australia, New Zealand & Japan.
