Surface Noise

An opera/installation by

Barry Moon and Chris Danowski.

Performed by Christina Dahl.

Monday and Tuesday, February 2nd and 3rd 2009, IAP Gallery

Thursday and Friday, February 12th and 13th 2009, PHiX Gallery http://www.myspace.com/phixgallery

"Surface Noise" is a term relating to phonograph record players. Digital communications are similarly noisy. We mistake the noise for personality, thinking these interfaces have a personality, but maybe it is only a reflection on, or prediction of, a history of poor judgment (how would we know, just look at us).

When Chris and Barry first talked about working on a new piece, the focus was drawn towards a performer that would be stuck in a box. Barry had some years prior started a musical adaptation of Brecht's Metamorphosis. Chris was not interested. He stuck Barry in a box and called it history, and then Barry stuck Chris in a box and called it memory, and this is when the project really took off.

This work owes a lot to growing up in the seventies, although it is not clear to the person writing this why or how. There is also a debt to the eighties, but we don't remember. Besides that, there are several historical (present future tense) people who should be mentioned:

Laura Moon constructed most of the installation. Barry had vague ideas that could only be realized by someone with spatial sense.

Louis Moon built a computer and solved Windows XP problems.

Stan Bosch played drums on the recordings.

Most of all, Christina Dahl, who has premiered many pieces and has performed at Mix 0.1 in Århus, Odense Performance Festival and Musikhøst.. Founder of and singer in Art on Stage, a group working in the crossover field of contemporary music, poetry and performance. (www.artonstage.dk)

Here are some videos from/of the piece: