connected concerts

To: Derek's SenseSonic Sesssion

From: Rick, DiY

Further to Andrew Chetty's remarks and observations about the Hyperjam event at NOW98; as an attendee of this event I have a few thoughts. Firtsly I would like to declare myself as a DJ who has played at the Bomb many times, so have this perspective on the space vis a vis responses to music with or without an attached persona ( real or virtual). This night though I attented as a punter and enjoyed the night from this point of view. I was unaware of the full set up, who was playing where etc so took things in at face value. The main room had 3 TV's replacing the turntables, whereas the dancefloor in normally focussed towards this end, people were dancing around facing all directions, the first time I had seen this at the club. The vibe was cool but perhaps a little unfocessed without the normal anchor of a person 'doing something' at one end. The element of performance as a DJ is less than with a band , the physical activity of putting on records can be somewhat mundane compared to playing an instrument, but is it the fact that there is a person there that constitutes the focus?

So to me the dancefloor was different than normal; still active tho and definitely in anticipation of Mr Craig. The visuals on the TV screens ; altho interesting; did little to replace the the persona normally at the turntables. Whilst they were of quality and discernably changing with some rhythm, it was difficult to relate these movements wholly to the music. A subject oft discussed by myself and others who consider going to great pains to interface music and visuals is whether the observer will discern all this.

As Andrew says, when Carl Craig appeared on the screens it was to resounding applause, I would say that his actual body on the screens was small in the physical space of the club; and it was more his american voice over the sound system that created the most impact. The view of someone doing stuff in there studio is not particularly interesting and raises the question of can you translate a studio vibe to a nightclub one. The fact that it is around 8pm for Carl in his studio and 2am in a sweaty club in Notts illustrates the difference in environments. Carls electro set didn't really translate, but this was to me more the problem of putting yourself in another place 2000 miles away and the obvious problem of (i) feedback thorugh TV screens and (ii) performing to a video camera.

So having moved from no DJ, or rather 3 TV screens in place of a DJ, to Carl Craig in his studio on the screens, the main room reverted to 3 TV screens with visuals. At this point the music was back to 4 Hero; which moved into superb latin breakbeat. I moved through into the backroom where they were DJing and the whole vibe was a lot more up, postive and to use the word again, focussed around the performers in this case 4 hero. The dancefloor was vibrant, more than the other room had been at any point during the night.

This then raises the questions, do we need

(i) a human being around which to focus our reception of a musical selection, and if so

(ii) can visuals replace this (no)

(iii) can an image of a person replace this (yes).

To me, as someone who does stand there and put on records this night raised questions in an environment familiar to me. There was lack of focus without a _performer_ or someone on which to ground our view of the selection. Further to Derek's comments in yesterday's digest (21 July) whilst visuals can help to fouces this interpretation, I think we are too used (or conditioned) to recieving a selection from a person to happily dance without this point of focus. Whilst the main room vibe was there, the back room was better for the presence of 2 DJs. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that the DJ is be all and end all ( as one) but I although I agree with Andrew Chettys remarks that people danced happily without a performer, I would propose that they would have been _happier_ if there was one. Carl Craigs 'virtual' or transmitted presence did fulfill this role, but the discernable difference between this and a physical one was clouded by the difference in energy and pace between the real and virtual performers. I think a better way to set this up would be to perform in a club in the Uk at midnight and transmit this to the USA for a 6am crowd. FSOL said that their first transmitted performance felt 'kind of lonely' and I think this is a problem inherent with this kind of exchange. Remove this and the real interplay between virtual/real performers can be examined. Nonetheless an interesting and valid experiment with the real and virtual, openly accepted by an enthusiastic crowd aware of what was being attempted.

Rick (Digs)

DiY