Was at DNK yesterday night – where I heard some wonderful music again. The talks during the break touched on the topic of subsidy and money, maybe it was because it was on my mind, but it was on Robert van Heumen’s mind too, I guess (as he’s from STEIM), and I can imagine Thomas Peutz’ (of Smart) thoughts were going in that direction too (although I did not talk to him). (Btw: the subsidizing of V2_ – where I works 3 days a week – by the city of Rotterdam is part of a dirty political game between the town council and the advising committee).

The evening started with a composition by the young Spanish composer Angel Arranz, for cello and electronics – wonderfully played by Jan Willem Troost (cello) and the composer himself: Punto Intenso contra Remisso. The program text quotes Derrida on the pharmakon – probably because of the relationship between the electronic sounds and the acoustic cello. What I heard was a piece with a very good, clear, almost traditional compositional quality and with many well-stated musical ideas, and a smart interaction between the cello and the electronics. 23 minutes long, and not one dull moment. They received a well-deserved long applause.

After the break the duo of Keir Neuringer and Carlos Iturralde played 3 improvised pieces. The first was for alto saxophone and electric guitar, both ‘amplified’ with electronics as is usual nowadays. Hitting pretty much common and well-known ground, that is, if you know this type of music, they did play an enticing piece. After that both took place behind the knobs of assorted pedals, controllers and a small mixing deck for a well-structured, concentrated dialogue in noise. I don’ think it is necessary to state that they did not fall into the trap of just increasing the volume and go-go-go, as it’s normal to compose on the spot with different layers of noise, and they did it well. Only the last piece was a bit of a let-down. Keir Neuringer again was turning the knobs, Carlos Iturralde was triggering and playing with images (photographs of dictators: Hitler, Stalin, Sadam Hoessein), and not only where the images and the image-processing very clicheed, he seemed to struggle with it too. Musically the last piece did not come off the ground. In fact, that third piece was just bad. But well, that can happen (and I’ve seen worse elsewhere, in bigger venues).