A season of film and video as part of the ELEKTRONIC festival at the Barbican.\

 

It might seem logical to suppose a historical and natural link between electronic music and abstract or impressionistic films, but there are surprisingly few examples of films that were made in direct collaboration between filmmakers and composers or musicians. However, there is a significant body of films that 'borrow' or re-appropriate recordings of contemporary music, and a number of works for which their makers have assembled soundtracks which may, if separated from the visuals, be heard as extraordinary electronic compositions. In such films, electronic, tape music, noise, primitive sampling and musique concrete come together in chaos or harmony to accompany astounding visual constructions.

The film series of the Elektronic festival will present screenings in which the sound and image complement each other on the highest level. It will feature an international selection of historic and contemporary works by Bruce Conner, Malcolm Le Grice, Peter Tscherkassky and others, and a live music and film concert by Phill Niblock. Composers whose unique works may be heard of the soundtracks include Edgar Varese, Christian Fennesz, Terry Riley and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

 

Mark Webber
curator Cinema Auricular