Sunday 31 December 2017

My 2017 Year End In Review - December 31, 2017

Photo by Vortex © 2017


First off, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and the very best in 2018! 

2017 was a roller coaster of a year, to say the least. The biggest news was the Gemini Award win by the documentary film "Montréal NewWave" for Best Documentary Program or Series in Arts & Culture.  I'm so very proud and honored to have been a participant in this wonderful documentary movie and wish the team many more future wins.

In addition to refreshing my music and social media sites as well as regularly posting on Vavaland, I found the time to set and meet my yearly goals by releasing 6 full digital albums, 25 YouTube music videos as well as submitting tracks for Midnight Radio Compilation, Himmelholzsteg and Friends of Ambient.  

I was honored to work with urban explorer and photographer Andre Govia, who granted me use rights to his photographs on my music videos "The Marble Lady", "The Midnight's Chill" and "The Midnight's Chill (Winter Mix 2017).  Thanks so much Andre!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/andregovia/

2017 marked the end of the long-standing and very successful Midnight Radio Compilation series which I have been an active and regular contributor since 2014.  Managed by Glasklinge Zeitenlicht and Julia Zimt, this talented and dedicated team released its first compilation in September 2013 and wound down the project in June of this year with free downloads of a whopping 100 compilations, 10 MRC Special Editions and other compilations under their belts.  Needless to say, we were all very sad to see the demise of our beloved MRC but Glasklinge will be back in the New Year with new music projects, so stay tuned!

https://midnightradio-compilation.bandcamp.com/

FILM
Nominated in three categories, "Montréal New Wave" won last night's Gemini Award for Best Documentary Program or Series - Arts and Culture! 

Congratulations to Director Erik Cimon, the crew and participants!  A Special thanks to our funders and supporters: Canal D - La page officielle, SODEC, Le Fonds Harold Greenberg, Canada Media Fund and le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.

En nomination dans trois catégories, "Montréal New Wave"" a remporté hier soir le Gémeaux de la Meilleure émission ou série documentaire:  Arts et culture! Bravo au réalisateur Erik Cimon, à l'équipe du film et aux participants.  Merci à nos partenaires sans qui ce film n'aurait pu exister: Canal D - La page officielle, la SODEC, le Fonds Harold Greenberg, le Fonds des médias du Canada et le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.

http://www.f3msurdemande.ca/montrealnewwave/

SELF-RELEASED ALBUMS & SINGLES
Renewed
Half Truths/Halbe Wahrheiten (on Hortus Conclusus Records, Germany)
Depth of a Soul
After All Is Said and Done
Go With the Flow
Infrasound
Ley Lines - Eisenlager & Vava Vol - Midnight Radio Compilation 82 (single)
My Silence - Vava Vol (single)

https://vavavol.bandcamp.com/

MUSIC COLLABORATIONS/COMPILATIONS (FREE DOWNLOADS)
Midnight Radio Compilation 82 - "Ley Lines" by Vava Vol & Eisenlager 
Your First Track You Recorded Edition for Midnight Radio Compilation - "Get Off My Case" by Vava Vol
(558) Eisenlager – Himmelholzsteg 5 - Himmelholzsteg 25  #featuring (eisenlager) (Vava Vol) on Petroglyph Music (Norway)
Unheimliche Zeiten - "Vava Vol Re-Work Track 001"
Friends of Ambient 20 - Evening Dune (Vava Vol, Lutz Thuns & Bruno Gussoni)
Friends of Ambient 21- Tales of Dreams (Vava Vol & Lutz Thuns) 
Friends of Ambient 22 - A Faint Image (Vava Vol & Lutz Thuns) 

https://midnightradio-compilation.bandcamp.com/
https://petroglyphmusic.bandcamp.com/album/558-eisenlager-himmelholzsteg-5
https://lutzthuns.bandcamp.com/

REVIEWS

Half Truths/Halbe Wahrheiten
"This is one of the most imaginative albums whose stylistic dichotomy does not clash rather than becoming delicately enmeshed.  "Half Truths/Halbe Wahrheitein", however, revisits an eterogeneous climes in full force, although its cosmic jitters and frolicking frequencies feel like liquedous rain showers next to the noisy fluxion of jagged fractions and pernicious ruptures.  A sonic universe of strong impaact awakened by the fusion of the talents, inspirations and experiences of two artists of the caliber of Vava Vol and Norbert Kutz aka Eisenlager." - Hortus Conclusus Records (Germany)

"I am thoroughly enjoying listening to these seriously compelling, inspiring experimental sounds.  So many influences blend together -- from diverse forms of experimental music through to musique concrete, from industrial through to modern electronic, from classic 1960s electronica through to field recordings -- into a cohesive yet diverse voice.  Immense confidence in the musicians' art radiates from these unclassifiable abstracat pot-industrial post-modern recordings.  I warmly recommend them to your attention." - David Paganin (Reviewer)

Vava Vol (Discogs) “Really like the mystic psychedelic, ambient soundscapes of what heard so far !! Also thanks a lot for providing some free download on Hearthis.at / mostly in terms of mixing/dj'ing and general belongings of records collecting people might come to mind... Best regards & Greetings Carlo” - Spaceschneider, DJ, Producer and Drummer at Rogalist Records (Germany)

MUSIC VIDEOS
Live By Your Wits
Switched Off
Parallel Wound
Dragon Glass
Real Absence
Real Presence
A Beatification
The Silver Lining
Asleep to See Everything
Lava In The Blood
Go With The Flow
Spaces Between The Silence
Floaters
Autumn Equinox 2016
Always Remember There Was
Dagaz
We Are Ashes (YouTube Version)
My Silence
Go With The Flow x 2
The Marble Lady
The Midnight's Chill
SensitivOrganz - "Instrumental 01" from "The Beatnik Show" 1986
The Midnigiht's Chill (Winter Mix 2017)
Forever Be

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc5tdEzaGT26K9zZbZAZF4g

TOP TEN MUSIC VIDEOS
Forever Be
Vava Vol - Running Away From You
The Midnight's Chill (Winter Mix 2017)
Les Mannequins
SensitivOrganz - Instrumental 01 - The Beatnik Show
My silence
Factory 2 with Zilon Lazer
The Marble Lady
The Essentials - You're Too Rude
Irridium

YEAR END POPULAR POSTS

The Midnight's Chill (Winter Mix 2017)
Deserted Manufacturing Building in Montreal (1985)
My New Music Video Forever Be
DAF - Die Sprache Der Liebe
Pierre Dorion - Galerie René Blouin

Tuesday 28 November 2017

My new album "Infrasound" - November 28, 2017

I'm pleased to release my 13th studio album titled "Infrasound", 100% pure experimental electronica, now available on Bandcamp for purchase and unlimited streaming.  





Sunday 19 November 2017

The X-Files - Season 11 Premiere is January 3, 2018



"The truth still lies in the X-Files, Mulder".  Watch the Season 11 premiere January 3, 2018.  I can't think of a better way to ring in the New Year!



Friday 10 November 2017

Divine Photography by Vortex - November 10, 2017



During a recent shoot with my photographer, I decided to use up the film in an old Pentax K-1000 film camera I'd picked up during my travels and was stunned when I saw these prints!  "Divine" photography, perhaps??  Enjoy!

"Divine " photos by Vortex © 2017. All rights reserved.







Monday 6 November 2017

Pierre Dorion "Carte Blanche" à Occurrence du 10 novembre au 16 décembre 2017


"Mes tableaux sont caractérisés, entre autres, par l'expérience d'un espace liminal où peinture et photographie et architecture se rencontrent.  Souvent d'apparance minimaliste et formellement dépouillées, ces oeuvres s'inspirent fréquemment d'espaces d'exposition que j'ai visités ou investis de mon travail.  Suite à l'invitation d'Occurrence à y réaliser une exposition, je me suis laissé guider par l'espace de la galerie dans la réalisation et la présentation des oeuvres.  Une caratéristique de cet espace m'a particulièrement interpellé; celle de la vitrine." - Pierre Dorion

Carte Blanche - du 10 novembre au 16 décembre
Vernissage le 10 novembre dès 18h00

Carte Blanche, une exposition en gestation depuis près de quatre ans, verra enfin le jour au mois de novembre!  Dans le cadre de cette exposition tant attendue, Occurrence a eu le plaisir d'offrir carte blanche à l'artiste peintre de renommée, Pierre Dorion.

Joignez-vous à nous pour découvrir ces plus récentes créations dès le 10 novembre 2017.

http://occurrence.ca/
http://occurrence.ca/pierre-dorioncarte-blanche/

with permission from the artist Pierre Dorion

Sunday 5 November 2017

Pierre Dorion "Big Chill" - Soon - 9 novembre au 15 décembre 2017


Vernissage le 9 novembre 2017 
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Né à Ottawa, Pierre Dorion vit et travaille à Montréal.  Il détient un baccalauréat en arts visuels de l'université d'Ottawa.  Au cours des trente dernières années, l'artiste a fait l'objet de nombreuses expositions individuelles et à participé à plusieurs manifestations artistiques dont Aurora Borealis en 1985 et les Cent jours d'art contemporain de Montréal (1992).  En 1997, il a reçu le Prix Louis-Comtois de la Ville de Montréal en collaboration avec l'AGAC (Association des galeries d'art contemporain).  Le Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal lui consacrait une exposition en 2010, de même que le Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal qui a présenté en 2012 une rétrospective de son travail sous le commissariat de Mark Lanctôt. Ses oeuvres font partie des collections des grands musées canadiens et québécois.  Il est représenté par la Galerie René Blouin, à Montréal, et la Jack Shainman Gallery, à New York.



305 Bellechasse
Suite 101
Montréal, QC, Canada
H2S 1W9
info@soon.twa
Heures d'ouverture: 
Samedis 12 p.m. à 5 p.m. et/ou sur rendez-vous.

http://soon.tw/index.php/about/contact/

with the permission of Pierre Dorion

Monday 25 September 2017

Anarchestra - September 25, 2017






"I consider myself to be a member of long-lived tribe, the tribe of music makers. We have existed as long as the human race (and probably longer). Respectful as I am of my predecessors, I don’t consider the traditions of our tribe to be formal and limiting. The truest traditions of music are innovation and discovery. It is the quest of every musician to develop their own relationship to the universe of sound. We all do this in our own peculiar ways. No one who directs the efforts of their life to making sound is to be dismissed or devalued.

Whether we choose the contexts in which we work or they choose us, we go forward, impelled by our various levels of interest to discover, to understand, to achieve techniques, to make our noise and put our stains upon the silences."

-Alex Ferris





Thank you Ork Wurzel for introducing me to Anarchestra!
Copyrights to any photos remain vested with the original creator.

Friday 22 September 2017

Phew - "Light Sleep" - September 22, 2017



"Japanese avant-garde vocalist who started out as a member of the legendary punk band Aunt Sally. In 1980 she collaborated with Ryuichi Sakamoto on the single Shukyoku. In '81 she and the members of Can made the album Phew. After taking some time off, Phew made a recording with former members of DAF and Neubauten. She subsequently released two albums with Anton Fier, Bill Laswell and others. She is currently active in a wide range of projects, including Novo Tono, Phew Unit, a duo with Seiichi Yamamoto, and Big Picture." - Phew Discogs








Thanks to Ork Wurzel for introducing me to the music of Phew

Copyrights to any photos remain vested with the original creator.

Saturday 16 September 2017

"Montréal New Wave" wins a Gemini Award - September 15, 2017

Nominated in three categories, "Montréal New Wave" won last night's Gemini Award for Best Documentary Program or Series - Arts and Culture! Congratulations to Director Erik Cimon, the crew and participants!  A Special thanks to our funders and supporters: Canal D - La page officielle, SODEC, Le Fonds Harold Greenberg, Canada Media Fund and le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.

En nomination dans trois catégories, "Montréal New Wave"" a remporté hier soir le Gémeaux de la Meilleure émission ou série documentaire:  Arts et culture! Bravo au réalisateur Erik Cimon, à l'équipe du film et aux participants.  Merci à nos partenaires sans qui ce film n'aurait pu exister: Canal D - La page officielle, la SODEC, le Fonds Harold Greenberg, le Fonds des médias du Canada et le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.

I'm so very proud and honored to have been a Participant in this wonderful documentary movie! Warm congratulations to everyone!



The 2-DVD box set of "Montréal New Wave" is available for purchase here:

http://www.f3msurdemande.ca/montrealnewwave/
http://www.archambault.ca/erik-cimon-montreal-new-wave-ACH003923933-en-pr