Resurrecting a synth sound, the Penticton Art Gallery will be full of ambient sounds this weekend.
Analogue synth wizards and guitar space wash rock clash with experimental film displays in Sonic Sights: an evening of analogue mastery and video presentations in the next chapter of The End Of The World As We Know It exhibit which will run Nov. 30 to Dec. 2.
“I think that it is particularly suiting actually because a lot of the music that the three artists make could be construed as quite apocalyptic,” said Tom Reimer who is a musician in Rainboard and helped organize the performers for the weekend. “It’s very heavy and very epic sounding. I think it really falls into the whole idea of the 2012 end of the world theme. We haven’t intended it to be that way, but the music does dawn that kind of emotion out of people.”
Reimer said he combines his sounds with visuals, an integral part of the music.
“The visuals have been very much a part of the music and vice-versa. It creates a more powerful experience for the audience. It is a context that wouldn’t be there without one another, without one or the other, the audience would be lost,” said Reimer.
Rainboard will be performing on Friday at an all-ages event along with Sinoia Caves and Magnetic Ring. Josh Stevenson plays two EMS Synthi’s in Magnetic Ring, considered highly sought after instruments by that type of musician.
“It is really amazing to see him play because a lot of the time it is a very improvised type of performance meaning every single performance is completely different from the last one,” said Reimer.
Stevenson originally bought three of the EMS Synthi’s and sold one to Aphex Twin, an influential electronic dance music artist.
“So you can understand the level of these synth’s, that is how highly sought after they are. They are going to electronic musicians who are at the top of their game,” said Reimer. “To even just own one of these synth’s is one thing, but for Josh to be able to perform live regularly with them and have such control over it is really amazing. It is so modular that it is not like a keyboard at all, it is very much a sound-making device that is like a math equation to make it work.”
Sinoia Caves is the solo project from artist Jeremy Schmidt who also plays in a Vancouver-based band called Black Mountain. He re-released The Enchanter Persuaded earlier this year, with slight remastering of his ambient psychedelic sounds. As well as music short films by Shayne Ehman, Seth Scrivens and Reimer. Scriber is a master filmmaker and many of his animations were shown on regular rotation as shorts on MTV. Unfortunately, Reimer said, the duo of Ehman and Scrivens couldn’t be in Penticton to talk about their work. There will, however, be a workshop on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. where the artists that are performing will talk about sound synthesis and camera-less filmmaking as well as other topics.
“(Stevenson) will be talking about the synth, how it works and how he gets his sound which will be really interesting for people who like synthesizers or even are interested in making electronic music of any sort. These synths are really how it all started and where electronic music came from,” said Reimer.
All of the events are alcohol free and open to all ages. Admission is by donation. For more information visit www.pentictonartgallery.com.