In this performance footage from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake is elaborated and gives a visual hint for the improvisation. The performance blurs the line of historical time, creating a blend of early 20th century cinema, new electronic sounds and traditional instruments played with modern techniques. The footage is taken from the free Prelinger Archives and inspired by its rules: “to all for free downloading and reuse… any derivative works that you produce using these films are yours to perform.” We re-contextualize in real-time a bit of this huge mediatic deposit.
From the early days of Russolo's "The Art of Noises" on, a brave new dimension opened up for music avant-garde - that is, the musical potential of timbral variety inherent in each and every physical phenomenon. Accordingly to this point of view, the sonic substance of the second half of the performance will be made up of traces of natural events, such as a human breath or the gesture of hitting an object. Those voluntary (whatever that means) actions will also shape the basic framework of the audio/video performance, allowing the performers (and hopefully the audience too) to finally become part of the world around them.