General ECC News
Wednesday, 27 September 2017 03:57
"We're not quite dead yet!"
Hello, and thanks for wondering if ECC is still alive. Considering the two-year gap since the last post here, that's a natural wonder.
When I started The Evolution Control Committee back in 1987 (30 years ago!) I envisioned a very open-ended creative platform. The ECC would be a musical chimera, an aural amalgam, a wide-ranging mashup of genres, styles, technology, and people. And it was a good time to embrace change, since those three decades spanned many important eras and musical movements: cassette culture, home recording, cassettes, sampling, the internet, web, file sharing, Napster, MySpace, streaming audio, MP3s, CDs, DIY, DMCA, DRM, LPFM, memes, mashups... so many technologies, techniques, and tipping points. All have changed the world in their own thorny ways since The ECC began.
And yet with all that change, I sought more. In 2012, after 25 years of music making and performance, I decided to go to art school for the first time. For the next three years I earned my masters degree in fine arts (MFA) specializing in Art And Technology. During that time I made a conscious choice to focus less on music and performance to give myself space to try new directions such as installation works, video, and robotics. It's been artistically refreshing to dive into new creative oceans, and you can see the works that have emerged from them at www.TradeMarkG.com.
But The ECC has slowed to a crawl during these last five years. There's plenty of reasons beyond the above for this including a cross-country relocation, and I've slowed to a crawl too (I'm over 50, eep!). I didn't intend for those new artistic directions to pull momentum from The ECC and still imagine a future where the video and installation skills I've picked up get incorporated into a new phase of the band. After all, "Evolution" is our first name.
Meanwhile I want to say a long overdue thanks to all the fans of The Evolution Control Committee. Your excitement, dedication, and support has made for 30 years of incredible music and performances all over the world. Thank you so much for these exciting times.
- TradeMark (Mark) Gunderson
General ECC News
Monday, 11 May 2015 06:15
This year is the 10th Maker Faire. Frankly, it should be on every geek's bucket list. We've participated many times, performing at five Bay Area Maker Faires starting with the very first ten years ago. It's been five years since our last one, a mind-blowing treasure trove of artistic and technology nerdy delights that packed in 100,000 people then -- a little scary imagining what it will like now...
We won't have to imagine for long: it happens this weekend and we'll be there. Participating for our first time in five years, we're flying to San Mateo California and signed on for the full ride:
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Performance: The Evolution Control Committee performs with the nanoTar, and probably the Wheel Of Mashup, and very likely the Thimbletron too.
Yes, we're still figuring it out, but so are they -- this Maker Faire page lists SEVEN performances for us. I suspect 3 in a single day would be fatal. Now that we're on-site we've figured out the truth: ECC performs Saturday 7:30p to 8p on the Tesla Stage in the Fiesta Hall, right next to our booth.
>>> Maker Faire page
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Booth: See and interact with custom music inventions we perform with such as the VidiMasher 3000! Get into a Wiimote Pillow Fight! Kinect hacks! The ECC invites you in to our toy box, our first booth since Maker Faire number one! Located in the Fiesta Hall right next to the stage/video screen.
>>> Maker Faire page
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Presentation: Kinect Hacking In Max/MSP. Ever wanted to control something with the mere wave of your hand? Or play with 3D/depth sensing on the cheap? The $30 Kinect sensor is your answer. This primer is an introduction to Kinect hacking in Max/MSP. Saturday 1:30-2p on the Make:Electronics stage.
>>> Maker Faire page
THANKS to Sherry Huss and Maker Faire for reaching out to us and making our participation possible!
General ECC News
Saturday, 21 February 2015 07:53
TradeMark G will soon have a masters degree in Art & Technology, partially thanks to this art show. It's up for another month (through March 21, 2015) and if you're anywhere near Columbus Ohio don't miss this show: incredible works from over a dozen artists about to be unleashed on an unsuspecting world. TradeMark G's installation, Variations For A Door And A Sigh, tells the story of birdless wings and wingless birds through four microphones, three AutoTuned doors, and a mysterious dark room filled with artifacts.
Phase Shift: Department of Art, Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition
Tuesday, February 17, 2015 to Saturday, March 21, 2015
Reception:
Saturday, February 21, 5-7PM
Urban Arts Space presents the work of graduating Ohio State University Master of Fine Arts candidates. The product of three years of intensive studio work, research, and experimentation, Phase Shift: Department of Art, Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition highlights the accomplishments of a diverse group of emerging artists.
Artwork from:
Diana Abells
Natalia Arbelaez
Jeni Hansen Gard
TradeMark Gunderson
Chris Harvey
Alyssa Johnson
Michael McDevitt
Shane McGeehan
Maija Miettinen-Harris
Pete Morgan
Liam O’Connor
Paul Scott Page
Sarah Schultz
Zac Weinberg
General ECC News
Wednesday, 29 October 2014 05:31
There will be a brief pause...
...mainly to allow TradeMark G. to finish getting his masters degree in Art & Technology, but also to allow Frilly and TradeMark to brainstorm some new directions for The Sound Of Plaid. The last 4-5 years have produced over 200 great radio shows with a wide variety of themes and guests, and we want to come up with some fresh concepts to liven things up even more. Expect our broadcasts to resume very late 2014 or early 2015.
Similarly, The Evolution Control Committee's live shows, music, and website need a little freshening up, all of which will have to wait until that almighty thesis is finished in Spring 2015. It should produce some new concepts and foster some... um... evolution.
Stay tuned.
General ECC News
Monday, 11 August 2014 12:27
** Big show coming up in Cleveland! ** Tickets on sale now **
Back in the 90's ECC spin-off The Weird Love Makers participated in a few of these events. Now, after more than a decade off, it's back in a BIG way -- with many other bands creating custom-made performances to celebrate Enoch Light's legacy in lounge, plus go-go dancers, live VJing, video installations, and more! The ECC will not only bring an Enoch-friendly Wheel Of Mashup to the show but also custom-made Kinect-based video installations where YOU get to be the dots in album covers like the ones above.
This is a rare ECC live gig not to mention a one-of-a-kind show all around! DON'T MISS IT!
From the Facebook event page:
A phantasmagoric dance party/revue of sight/sound/live performance, celebrating the 8/18/1905 Canton, Ohio birth of Enoch Light, the legendary Project3/Command Records kingpin!
By semi-popular demand, the 1990s phenomenon known as the ENOCH LIGHT BIRTHDAY MEMORIAL GO-GO HAPPENING returns to NE Ohio...ludicrously larger than all of the previous events combined.
Yes, this is actually HAPPENING on the Beachland Ballroom main stage:
• New live analogue/modular synth arrangements of Dick Hyman’s electronic compositions, provocatively played by JON SONNENBERG AND THE HYMAN LEAGUE!
• Live vocal group performances atop iconic instrumental Project3/ Command recordings, sophisticatedly sung by THE FOUR CHANNELS!
• Enochian mashups and musical media mayhem maniacally manipulated by TRADEMARK G AND THE EVOLUTION CONTROL COMMITTEE!
• Groovy moves, daringly danced by AVA ADORE, DOT KING, AND TALLULAH MOONSHINE!
• Puppets and perplexities, pertinently performed by ZACHARIAH DURR!
• Jockeyed high-fidelity discs and mod visual atmospherics, enigmatically eminated by VJ VENDETTA, JEFF CHENAULT, AND TOTHAR!
• ...AND MORE! Let the Light turn you on!
