Andrew Levine

You’ve never heard the organ like this before! A freely improvised concert on the (in 2024) 254-year-old instrument by the Gotha court organ builder Carl Christian Hoffmann, successor to Christoph Thielemann. More here and here.

Built in 1770, overhauled in 1819, 100 years before the invention of the theremin, and restored in 1994/95, the fully mechanical action and stop action allow organist Annabelle Sachse complete freedom in her playing.

From the electronic side, the Moog Theremin, voice-controlled modular synthesiser, Haken Continuum, Cracklebox, Stereo Field and the obscure Din Datin Dudero Fyral are heard.
Join us on a fantastic, unheard-of and never to be experienced again sound journey to the shores of distant planets…

So don’t miss out on the opportunity and be there at 20:00 / 8 PM CET for an unforgettable experience.

After researching some working options to generate music with AI I used ExtendMusic to “extend” an improvisation of Michael von Hintzenstern (pipe organ) and me (Cracklebox).

Next I asked the latest version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT to compose a piece of music for me. Let’s just say I was not overwhelmed this time either. Thanks to Narakeet for the easily usable and good sounding AI voices.

Here is the second draft…

Thanks to Non-Eric I tried Udio next, and that platform finally did give me something usable. I present to you: Echoes in Code

Wednesday, June 12 at Westwerk…

The Theremin, a voice that seamlessly combines the registers of sub-bass and piccolo meets instruments drummed, tapped and bowed for thousands of years in the timeless space of free improvisation.

Check out the pages of the VAMH and / or join the event on FaceBook.

On Friday, June 07 The Crystalline Elements play at Maria Magdalenen. The concert with projections starts at 22:00 (10 PM) CET. If you are especially adventurous don’t miss out on the introduction to the electronics at 21:00 (9 PM) CET.

On Wednesday, June 12 I play with Björn Lücker at Westwerk, also at 22:00 (10 PM) CET.

Both concerts are part of blurred edges – Festival for contemporary music in Hamburg, May 31 – June 16, 2024 – www.blurrededges.de – blurred edges 2024 is funded by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the Hamburgische Kulturstiftung.

After my first encounter with Peer Schlechta in a sequence of his Ambient Stairs series (July 2023) I was back this May for a larger format concert in the large space of Kassels Auferstehungskirche.

The Friedrich-Euler-organ (1956), restored by Orgelbau Andreas Schmidt (2011) encountered my combination of Moog Claravox Theremin plus modular synthesizer (sonics primarily by 4ms Ensemble & Make Noise Spectraphon VCO).

I used my voice to create and manipulate the timbre while controlling pitch and spectral tilt through the Theremin. A Stereo Field generated glitchy and crackly components and centrally placed Haken Audio Continuum Fingerboard allowed for more polyphonic improvisation.

Watch the montage of the first 12 minutes of our concert here. More to come 🙂

About the workshop: “The organ has been one of the most technically complex musical instruments for centuries and has always inspired organ builders and musicians to create new technical and musical innovations. It offers exciting connections to a wide variety of electronic musical instruments that have emerged over the past 100 years of music history.

Together with sound engineer Andrew Levine, an expert in the field of electronic musical instruments, we embark on a sonic journey of discovery to new sounds and sound combinations that can pick us up in our present and touch us emotionally.”

The concert at the church St. Johannes Baptist will take place on Sunday, May 5th at 16:00 (4 PM) CET.

On the way to Berlin I stopped by lovely Schwerin to record a few clips of solo PIPEing…

Studying the Landscape Audio Stereo Field…

…and Ciat-Lonbarde Din Datin Dudero Fyral.

Check out the release on Nachtstück Records.

On Saturday, 17 February 2024 the trio Crystalline Elements featuring Benedikt Hansjosten – Cello, Benedikt Simon – Korg SV-2 and Andrew Levine – Electronics got together for a spontaneous improvised session at Galerie Netzwerk in Trier.

Feel free to check out our eight videoclips and sonically optimized audio release.

C❄︎E will have it’s Hamburg premiere on Friday, June 07 as part of the blurred edges 2024.

Workshop: Electronic music for children and young people

Music has been around since time immemorial. People possibly first used their voices (and lips to whistle), then discovered rhythm, clapping, drumming, blowing in and bowing on objects.

The oldest musical instrument known to us today is a bone flute that was found in a cave in Ulm and is around 35,000 years old!

For many thousands of years, until the age of electricity in the early 1800s, all instruments were based on the principle that a “body of sound” is set in vibration; moving so fast that we hear one or more tones.

How does that work?

An object made of stone, wood, stretched skin (fur), metal, etc. is stimulated by tapping, a stretched string is plucked or bowed with a bow (strung with hair that feels rough), a column of air is made to resonate by blowing… So that you can hear something with your bare ears.

Let’s take a look at this! […]

Are you interested? Please do contact me via eMail 🤗