MICHAEL MORLEY IS A SOUND ARTIST AND VISUAL ARTIST FROM NEW ZEALAND,
best known as 1/3 of the Dead C, an enduring free rock unit that has
pushed the proto- and post-punk templates to exhilarating points of
disintegration for the past three decades. Responsible for over 100
audio releases from 1985 to the present day, MORLEY HAS ALSO CREATED
MUSIC UNDER THE NAMES GATE, the Righteous Yeah, the Fuck Chairs, Sun
Valley, and under his own name. His work across a range of genres
confirms his abilities as an artist, composer, improvisor, performer,
and producer. 'MUSIC FOR THE NEVER QUARTET' EXPLORES THE SONIC
POSSIBILITIES OF THE ACOUSTIC GUITAR AS A PURE RESONANT AMPLIFIER OF
SOUND. Four acoustic guitars are placed on solid wooden furniture,
with electronic bows are placed upon the strings of each guitar. The
guitar bodies amplify the bowed strings, which the furniture further
amplifies, creating a lush and generous sound field. The addition of
various wooden blocks, bowls, and rods placed atop and underneath the
instruments modifies the collective sound. These tonal drones reveal
connections between time and space, sonically activating the
instruments and the other wooden objects within architectural
structures. The audience is encouraged to move around the space so
they can experience the sound from multiple vantage points. However,
MORLEY EXPLAINS THAT REMAINING IN ONE PLACE ALLOWS FOR THE SHIFTING
TIME SIGNATURES OF THE DIFFERENT VIBRATING STRINGS TO WASH OVER THE
LISTENER. Concert-goers are also welcome to record the performance on
their mobile devices to be played back as loops during the
installation. The development of 'MUSIC FOR THE NEVER QUARTET' COMES
FROM MORLEY'S THIRTY YEAR EXPLORATION OF THE GUITAR AND OF SOUND AS
ART. The focus of the acoustic guitar as the nexus of an examination
of sound stems from a desire to provoke and create experimental MUSIC
THAT CHALLENGES THE STATUS QUO OF THE HIERARCHY OF ROCK AND POPULAR
MUSICS, and allows for a reimagining of the idea of performance and
composition.
music
concerts
acoustic
punk
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18/07/2019 Last update