The Art of Technology Performances
1 June 2010 by Tim in Music
Not long ago, we let you know about the visual art component of “The Art of Technology”, a feature combining art and technology produced in collaboration with Pittsburgh Technology Council’s Art + Technology Initiative. Now I’m here to highlight the performance side of this feature, which includes some local musicians who give new meaning to the word “innovative.”
One act is Bureau of Nonstandards, a duo of Pittsburgh-based musicians who create an entirely improvised electronic performance. Circuit-bent toys and keyboards manipulated by Kevin C. Smith are processed live through the laptops of Maurice Rickard. Their use of technology delivers a sonic exploration rarely heard in either recorded or live performance. And the inclusion of Furbies as a musical instrument adds a touch of comic relief to the sound, to say the least.
There is certainly nothing standard about the second act either. In an age when more musical genres are available for classification purposes than ever before, it’s still difficult to label some musicians. Mike Tamburo is a prime example. Some might want to say it is a combination of post-rock and minimalism, but let’s just say that if you’re a fan of gongs, you’ll probably like Mike Tamburo. Mike is a Pittsburgh native and also a core member of the American underground music scene. He is a musician, multimedia artist, filmmaker, curator and writer whose music incorporates the ephemeral and the enduring; the classical and the technological. His ethereal hammered dulcimer melodies coupled with sound experimentation and then filtered through the computer during live performances evoke a transcendental quality, providing an extraordinary listening experience.
Both performances will be held at the Trust Arts Education Center in the Rohr Building at 805-807 Liberty Avenue on June 4th. Bureau of Non Standards starts at 7pm followed by Mike Tamburo at 8pm.