From: A Suparak (email suppressed)
Date: Wed Mar 10 2004 - 15:28:31 PST
Here's the updated press release. We just added a film by Peter Hutton, and
tonight Jem Cohen is finalizing his film for the event.
- Astria Suparak
FOTOFEST 2004 in association with TRUCKSTOP MEDIA / NYC presents
Boxhead Ensemble: Stories, Maps and Notes from the Half-Light
Improvised Music Performance and Film Screening
March 13, 2004 - 8:00 and 11:00 P.M.
The Aurora Picture Show, 800 Aurora Street, Houston, TX - (713) 868-2101
Tickets: $12
Improvising to a stellar program of poetic short films assembled by filmmaker
Braden King and curator Astria Suparak, the Boxhead Ensemble will perform the
North American premiere of "Stories, Maps and Notes from the Half-Light" as
part of Fotofest 2004: The Tenth International Biennial of Photography and
Photo-Related Art.
Initially joining forces to create the critically acclaimed soundtrack to
Braden King and Laura Moya's film, "Dutch Harbor: Where the Sea Breaks its
Back", members of the Ensemble's rotating lineup have participated in such
notable musical groups as Wilco, Cat Power, Souled American, Freakwater, Gastr
del Sol and Dirty Three, among many others.
In this incarnation of the Ensemble, musicians Michael Krassner, Jim White,
Fred Lonberg-Holm and Scott Tuma will accompany works by some of the most
interesting filmmakers in modern experimental cinema, including Jem Cohen,
Paula Froehle, David Gatten, Peter Hutton, Barbara Meter, Julie Murray, Guy
Sherwin and Phil Solomon.
Critical praise for the Stories, Maps and Notes... European tour:
"Compelling, magnetic, perfectly imperfect. This is performance art at the
cutting edge but eminently accessible and personal. It is relevant, it is
wonderful." - Shakenstir UK
"We like to think of the Boxhead Ensemble as a ghost ship, adrift in an
endless sea of inspiration & freedom - thankfully washing ashore every couple
years... conjuring their otherworldly sounds for us, making music that refuses
to be tied to any genre, place, or time." - Kurt Kellison, Atavistic Records
Images, poster, and more information on the Ensemble and filmmakers:
- Atavistic Records: http://www.atavistic.com/artist.cfm?ThisArtist=124
- Astria Suparak http://www.astriasuparak.com/boxens.htm
- Truckstop Media: http://www.truckstopmedia.com/boxheadensemble.html
FotoFest is a non-profit, international arts and education organization based
in Houston, Texas. Its purpose is to create an international forum for the
exchange of photography and ideas and to promote public appreciation of
photographic art:
Fotofest 2004: http://www.fotofest.org
Aurora Picture Show: http://www.aurorapictureshow.org
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
MUSICIAN BIOGRAPHIES:
MICHAEL KRASSNER - piano, organ, guitar
[Ensemble Director, Lofty Pillars, Simon Joyner, +...]
Founder of the Boxhead Ensemble as well as sometime sideman for artists
including Edith Frost, Simon Joyner, Tren Brothers and Songs:Ohia. His
producing and recording credits are extensive, including Boxhead Ensemble,
Simon Joyner, Manishevitz, Parker Paul, Songs:Ohia and his own band, the Lofty
Pillars.
FRED LONBERG-HOLM - cello, Nykelharpa
[Pillow, Terminal 4, Lightbox, Peter Brotzmann 10tet, Freakwater, +...]
Lonberg-Holm is a top creative music cellist, active in a variety of projects
in avant-garde jazz, sound experimentation and modern composition. He studied
cello with Ardyth Alton and Orlando Cole and composition with Morton Feldman,
Anthony Braxton and Bunita Marcus. His early career was based in New York
City, working with such artists as Peep, Anthony Braxton's Creative Orchestra,
John Zorn, God is My Co-Pilot and Anthony Coleman's Selfhaters. Since moving
to Chicago in the early 90's, Lonberg-Holm has been involved in such projects
as the Light Box Orchestra and Pillow. His recent work with Simon Joyner,
Freakwater and the Lofty Pillars introduced Lonberg-Holm as one of the
premiere arrangers in music today.
SCOTT TUMA - guitar, harmonica
[Solo, Souled American, +...]
As the long time guitarist for Souled American, Tuma developed his achingly
beautiful sense of suspended time and melodic deconstruction. With his solo
instrumental record, Hard Again, released in 2001 on Truckstop records, Tuma
expands on his palate to create a truly unique and mesmerizing aesthetic. Tuma
also graces us with his recent work with the Boxhead Ensemble and Simon
Joyner's Hotel Lives.
JIM WHITE - drums and percussion
[Dirty Three, Cat Power, Smog, Nick Cave, +...]
Drummer for the Australian trio the Dirty Three and Boxhead Ensemble regular,
Jim has also done drum duty for Nick Cave, Cat Power, Smog, Tren Brothers and
Scott Tuma, among many others.
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
FILM PROGRAM INFORMATION:
JEM COHEN / [title tba]* / 2004
PAULA M. FROEHLE / Breathless Ghost* / 2001
DAVID GATTEN / Hardwood Process / 1996
PETER HUTTON / Study of a River / 1997
BARBARA METER / Greece, to me / 2001
/ De Kade / 2003
JULIE MURRAY / 0* / 2001
GUY SHERWIN / Filter Beds / 1998
PHIL SOLOMON / YES, I SAID YES, I WILL, YES. / 1999
*Denotes films created for the Stories, Maps and Notes event.
Film program may vary with each screening. More information about the
filmmakers and works at http://www.astriasuparak.com/boxens.htm
*** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.