Deaf Center in Manchester

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Out this evening to Trinity Church again to see Deaf Center as part of a Type Records-themed event. Greg Haines set things rolling with a mysterious e-bow/autoharp performance where he managed to coax from a stringed instrument the kind of sounds more usually associated with electronic music.

Deaf Center are Norwegians Erik Skodvin and Otto Totland who were assisted this evening by Kristin Evensen Giæver on wordless vocals. Much of their set seemed to be versions of their Pale Ravine album which sounded a lot more substantial played live. Especially good were the clouds of noise with shifting harmonic layers, the kind of thing Boards of Canada do then often spoil by introducing a plodding rhythm. Deaf Center avoid plodding rhythms and are all the better for it.

Previously on { feuilleton }
Machinefabriek in Manchester
Trinity rendezvous
Helios in Manchester

Gertrude Käsebier’s crystal gazer

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The Crystal Gazer (or The Magic Crystal, 1904).

The photographs of Gertrude Käsebier (1852–1934) seem to be popular with art directors; the picture above was used on the sleeve of the Spangle Maker EP by the Cocteau Twins in 1984 and her Silhouette of a Woman / A Maiden at Prayer (1899) appeared on the cover of the Nonesuch recording of Henryk Górecki’s Symphony no. 3 in 1991.

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The Spangle Maker by The Cocteau Twins (design by 23 Envelope).

Gertrude Käsebier at the Art of the Photogravure

Previously on { feuilleton }
Karl Blossfeldt
The Dawn of the Autochrome
Fred Holland Day
The Door in the Wall
Edward Steichen
Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla