austraLYSIS: Netting the Nodes

austraLYSIS in concert (image supplied).  

This well structured concert at the end of a busy 2013 for the New Music Network brought pleasing variety in craftmanship, performing elements, and political programs to the soundscapes.

Topics as varied as the ambiences surrounding states of sleep through to the tragedy of human slavery were well developed by the ensemble with its collaboration with expressive image and video collaborator Will Luers in the USA.

Once again, Hazel Smith’s creative and performance imput to Disappearing 2 and Motions made these multimedia protests against inhumanity a fine and penetrating one. Conceptually, the blending of music voice and image in Motions into an accessible multimedia book with the option of live performance was contemporary and practical in communicating the art and message.

As well as these full ensemble efforts, austraLYSIS paid homage to electronic and electro-acoustic works by Xennakis and Dhomot. These renderings of pieces by somewhat ‘heritage-listed’ composers in the genre sat well beside the innovations of the newer works.

Roger Dean’s work on and inside the piano satisfied once more. So to did the work of trumpeter Phil Slater. His work manipulating sound in the mosaic like improvising style with Diemi Schwarz’ groundbreaking software was a stylish and exciting way to conclude an emotional night of new music possibilities.

Film of Sound from Will Luers on Vimeo.