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January 2010

Hello

Welcome to a new decade, 2010 (MMX), the 10th year of the 3rd millennium and of the 21st century, a bright start to new possibilities.

Given that I work on a host of projects at any one time many of them either not heard by a wider public, or else there are works I write that are not suitable for the project and sit in the Rejected Folder. This collage features unreleased works for the Pavillon d'Armide ballet, and Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde film soundtrack, as well as exclusive recordings from the Darwin Centre London DNA Code soundtrack, the Samsung Corby Telephone launch, and a live collaboration with the wonderful pianist Joanna MacGregor.

December closed gently, with a thrilling performance in Maastricht in an enormous former ceramics factory, and then Validation Day in Le Fresnoy France where as Professor Scanner I sat around a spacious table with ten others contemplating and discussing the future of each students work. An enormously responsible day, and a definite challenge, leading towards the Panorama art show in June 2010, but more on that later in the year.

Adventures for Githead continue apace too. We recorded our debut BBC Radio Session for Marc Riley’s 6 Music show, playing three live songs and engaging in an absurdly surreal conversation. My old friend American singer-songwriter and new folk hero Devendra Banhart was recording a session next door for the BBC too, which was amusing since it led to a quirky photo session in the Gents toilets!

We will also be releasing our latest album, Landing, in a one off special vinyl edition this year. It will also valuably include a vinyl edition of our debut release Headgit, which is no longer available in any physical format at all. The album should be ready for a February release and be available as tour merchandise during our forthcoming European March live dates, and you will be able to pre-order it on our Mail Order page when we confirm the delivery date of this gem.

We also just uploaded a new promotional video, filmed and directed by Renate Zeigermann for the title track from Githead's new album Landing. The video can be streamed at Headgit's YouTube page or, exclusively to readers of this newsletter may be streamed and downloaded in higher resolution from here. We would love other contributions from folks keen to make a little promo film using one of our latest songs and will collude to find a bunch of goodies to give as a prize to the best offering too, so take 2010 as a chance to get creative!

And continuing the videos theme Scannerdot my website has been upgraded and enhanced once more and any sharp viewers will notice a new VIDEO tab across the top of the page which collects together almost every piece of video relating to my world in one place for your viewing pleasure. Once again the digital fingertips of Eric Scott of Day for Night has ensured that the Scanner digital world remains as current as possible.

With my recent limited edition Conversations with the Dead EP on Dust Science now sold out, I will be releasing a new 10” vinyl later this year on Steamin’ Soundworks. In a strict edition just 300 copies it will feature four exclusive tracks, reworkings of pieces by the very fine Dutch composer Michel Banabila and myself. Again, more on this later when it is available.

Work in January has already begun earnestly on a top-secret hush-hush public project to be released for Christmas 2010, whilst my schedule has already slipped into busy mode. I’ll be presenting my work at the Royal College of Art in London on 14 January, whilst two dance works I composed original soundtracks for will be presented. 4m2 with choreographers Claire Cunningham and Jose Agudo will debut in London at Laban Dance, whilst Switch by Thomas Lebrun will be performed at Le Vivat in Armentieres France for the Vivat la danse festival.

So wrap up warm in Northern Europe and elsewhere and have a generous and positive spirited entry into a New Year and decade.

Until next time

Robin
Professor Scanner



::: listen :::
SFT: Music from Films you Should Have Seen (Optical Sound)
Clouwbeck: Wolfrahm [Shining Day)
Monolake: Silence (Imbalance Computer Music)
Nurse with Wound: Paranoia in Hi-Fi (United Dairies)

::: read :::
John Cheever: Stories of (Vintage)
Edwin van der Heide: Witteveen+Bos
This is not a Book: Michael Picard (Continuum)
David Eagleman: Sum (Canongate)

::: film:::
The Red Shoes, Powell/Pressburger, UK
Where the Wild Things Are, Spike Jonze, USA
Cléo de 5 à 7, Agnès Varda, France
Triangle, Christopher Smith, UK

Exhibitions

The Black Cabinet ­ Surveillance and Resistance
Post & Tele Museum
Copenhagen Denmark

09 October 2009 - 24 October 2010

Exhibition exploring a historical look at phone technology and developments. Scanner is presenting early examples of his controversial scanned mobile telephone calls from the 1990s.

Post & Tele Museum

Night Haunts
By Sukhdev Sandhu
Design Mind Unit
Sound Design Scanner

Artangel Interaction invited writer and historian Sukhdev Sandhu to write a nocturnal journal unfolding over the course of 2006. His postings will appear sequentially at this microsite specially designed by Mind Unit. Sandhu's forays see him prospecting in the London night with the people who drive its pulse, from the avian police to security guards, zookeepers and exorcists. Acclaimed artist and musician Scanner has collaborated with Sukhdev and Ian Budden of Mind Unit to compose the sound for the site. If you would like to be kept informed as each episode is posted, join artangel's mailing list by clicking here .

www.nighthaunts.org.uk
www.artangel.org.uk



Bittersweet Songs for the Sleepless City
Artangel Interaction

NightJam is the latest project in Artangel Interaction’s Nights of London series of artist-led collaborations with people who have a special view on a hidden side of the nocturnal city. Scanner invited young people at New Horizon Youth Centre in King’s Cross to collaborate on a creative project that expresses how the city at night looks and sounds to their ears and eyes. Through music and voice workshops they explored the sense of freedom and fear, celebration and solitude of the concealing darkness. Meanwhile, they captured their nights on disposable cameras, taking images that are at times eerie, startling, contemplative and funny. NightJam presents two elusive visual and musical journeys through the city’s ‘quiet’ hours.

NightJam presents two music tracks, a film, photographs, that can be experienced and freely downloaded. Additionally it features remixes of NightJam by Stephen Vitiello, Hakan Lidbo, Troy Banarzi, Si-cut.db and Pete Lockett.

www.nightjam.org.uk