Sign up now to participate in an instrument making workshop with Drone Ensemble at Workplace Foundation on Saturday 27th October

Sat 27 October 2018

13:00 – 16:00

LOCATION:

Workplace Foundation

The Old Post Office

19-21 West Street

Gateshead

NE8 1AD

Join the Drone Ensemble in an instrument making workshop at Workplace Foundation.

Participants will have access to materials and tools and the expertise of Drone Ensemble members and will make new instruments that make use of both acoustic and amplified sounds.

Participants will then perform alongside Drone Ensemble in a public performance to close their installation Lyres of Lemniscate.

The workshop is suitable for participants 14 years and above and is limited to 12 spaces.

Lyres of Lemniscate was commissioned by Workplace Foundation and Tusk Festival supported by the Digital Cultures Research Group in CultureLab at Newcastle University.

Please reserve your ticket via the EventBrite link below

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/drone-ensemble-workshop-and-performance-tickets-51633572405?aff=efbeventtix

Drone Ensemble set up in Studio 1.17 for rehearsals

In preparation for the next Drone Ensemble performance on Saturday 18th August (details to follow shortly), we have moved the majority of the new instruments into Studio 1.17, where they will remain until the performance. This will allow us to be able to go straight into playing during our rehearsals as opposed to spending a large portion of time moving and setting up the instruments.

We had a great experimental session and found that, due to the acoustics in the space, it is extremely easy for the space to be filled with sound. We have therefore decided to minimise the number of instruments that are played at once so that we can hear the subtleties of each.

SAVE THE DATE - Saturday 18th August 2018 - Drone Ensemble gig at Boiler House, Newcastle University

Drone Ensemble have been invited to perform in the newly refurbished Boiler House at Newcastle University on Saturday 18th August.

We are planning an ambitious durational performance between 12-7pm during which a number of selected artists / musicians will contribute to the score. Details of the special guests will be released in due course.

Back in the workshop, Joe has been experimenting with creating instruments that produce sounds through mechanical means (motors, gravitational pull and self destructing / re-creating organic elements).

On Monday night we had a play with these latest creations, and discussed our plans for Summer. We've got some exciting stuff in the pipeline so stay tuned (excuse the puns!)           

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

The Drone Ensemble in Infinity Pitch, an exhibition by Pester & Rossi at The BALTIC

The Drone Ensemble were invited by the collaborative duo Pester & Rossi to host an experimental sound workshop for young gallery visitors during the Infinity Pitch exhibition at The BALTIC.

Pester & Rossi are asking visitors to make, break and re-make the rules of play. BALTIC’s largest gallery space has up to eight live action stations with activities where you can watch, listen, explore, improvise and play along with a number of enormous colourful inflatables.

We had planned a simple workshop structure that involved making megaphones for the children to use to mimic the sounds of the instruments. To make the megaphones we had prepared templates that could be used to trace the outline that was to be cut out of coloured card. Pester & Rossi have supplied rolls of coloured electrical tape for gallery visitors to use to transform the walls and floor of the gallery. This tape was also used to form and decorate the megaphones. The Drone Ensemble would perform a number of times throughout the duration of the workshop, following a score projected onto the walls and getting the children to participate at specific times. However, once we entered the space we soon realised that we would need to reassess our plans due to the existing noise levels, the nature of the space and the sheer number of children who desperately wanted to have a go at playing the instruments.

After setting up the instruments and observing how the space was being used, we had a group conflab and prepared our plan of action. Each of us was responsible for one type of instrument, and we were to demonstrate how to play the instrument. We encouraged the children (and adults) to try playing the instruments, and guided them as they did so.

I was very impressed by the children's abilities to learn how to play a new instrument, particularly the friction drums.

The gongs were extremely popular, and we were able to involve lots of the kids playing the gongs at once as we performed a number of gong parades around the gallery. Pester & Rossi have made a selection of costumes for visitors to wear, and so we encouraged the children to dress up in these. Armed with a gong in one hand, a beater in the other, and dressed in an array of brightly coloured red, green, yellow and blue outfits, we paraded around the gallery in single file making a rather colossal sound. 

The children enjoyed making the megaphones, and this activity was easy to manage as the instructions were very simple and did not require many materials or guidance. This meant that we could concentrate on playing the instruments with the children.

The workshop was a big success and Pester & Rossi were pleased with our contribution and response to their exhibition. We were exhausted afterwards, but would certainly consider doing more workshops in the future.

The Drone Ensemble prepares for BALTIC workshop

The collaborative artist duo Pester & Rossi have invited the The Drone Ensemble to lead an experimental sound making workshop as part of their current exhibition, Infinity Pitch, at BALTIC.

Sat 7 Apr 14.00-17.00
Drone Ensemble
Infinity Ensemble experimental sound making workshop

Yesterday we had another workshop planning meeting where we prepared the props we will be using in the workshop, confirmed the logistics, booked the van and developed the score for the performance that will take place as part of the workshop.

It was a really productive session, and I'm hopeful that it will go down well with visitors.

For more information about the event visit
http://baltic.art/whats-on/infinity-pitch

Fine tuning the Drone instruments

Over the past few weeks we have been redesigning and modifying some of our existing instruments. In some instances the improvements are being made to make the instruments easier to transport and store, and in other cases the changes are to have an effect on the sound produced by the instrument.

We have been redesigning the tube gurdys so that they do not all need to have their own individual stands which take up lots of space and are difficult to transport. Rather than the wheel being fixed in the stand, we are making some hand-held wheels that can be used on a number of instruments.

Joe has been developing the wheel so as to produce the most consistent and least 'tinny' sound. There have been a number of trials that have not worked which is frustrating, but these have helped us get closer to what we want, so they were not in any way a waste. The wheels we are making at the moment are made from wood which creates a solid and robust sound. The rim of the wheel is covered with a band of felt, and then the felt is covered with fishing wire that has been wrapped in an even layer with no bumps. A layer of special strong glue is applied and then rosin. The wheel is then ready for turning against the strings on an instrument or against a tube on the tube gurdy.

The process of wrapping the fishing line around the wheel was incredibly tricky as my eyes found it difficult to keep track of the edge of the fishing line and ensure that it was not overlapping with the previous thread.

As Charlotte and I tackled the wheel, Joe and Ben were working on the wah-wah contraption. The theory was that by using springs at the bottom of the instrument, when the flap was opened and closed during playing, a kind of wah-wah sound would be made. Unfortunately, in practice this was not the case! iu hjbuu

The Drone Ensemble attempt to come up with a new way of playing the pipes

The Drone Ensemble currently store all of the instruments in Joe's office, and it is gradually becoming harder to move around without knocking into or treading on one of the sound making machines. It is also quite a cumbersome challenge to set up the instruments and is not very time effective when we are only able to meet once a week for a few hours. When we have performed outside of the University, transporting the instruments has been another mammoth task requiring several trips, so any way we could reduce the clunckiness and size of the instruments would be a huge help.

We therefore decided to amend the design of the tubes so that they do not need to be attached to a base. We wanted to be able to have a wheel that we could each keep and move around with, playing the wheel on the various different tubes.

Achieveing the right design to make this happen is tricky, and we spent the whole session trying different options and testing out the results. Joe had sourced some felt for the rim of the wheel, and this seems to work when on the largest wheel but not so well on the smaller wheels.

Joe manages to make it look really easy to play, but there is quite a skill to balancing the wheel on the tube with just the right amount of pressure to make a sound.

This is how it is done:

Drone Ensemble at The Occasion Collective, Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle, 29th July 2016

Here's a video of the Drone Ensemble playing at The Occasion Collective, Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle on Friday 29th July 2016




https://youtu.be/h_AfELaE7OY

Drone Ensemble at UnEARTH

Last night the Drone Ensemble played as part of TOC's UnEARTH event at Alphabetti Theatre.

"UnEarth at Alphabetti Theatre will showcase some of Newcastle's most interesting experimental and electronic musicians. From artists pushing the boundaries of live coding, improvisation and a number of creators building their own instruments, UnEarth is sure to be a highlight of the summer. Expect to experience the power of the acoustic drone and get your grove on to some seriously dancey vibes."

Performers included Mr Blazey, Jamie Cook, Ben Jeans Houghton, The Drone Ensemble, Phil Begg, Shelly Knotts and co￥ﾡpt aka Sean Cotterill.

Mr Blazey kicked off with his Kalimbo Project:

"[This project] is an attempt to apply collage techniques to every level of a musical performance; a thumb-piano ‘collaged’ together from everyday objects (lunch box, cupboard door handles, bike spokes etc.) contains motion and touch sensors which control effects while triggering, layering and juxtaposing fragments of samples and found-sounds through simple gestures. Expect exploratory shifting layers of ambient drones sprinkled with sloppy beats."

Check out the demo here:

mrblazey.tumblr.com

The Drone Ensemble were next up. We began with one of the friction drums, then gradually added another friction drum, followed by another. 

 

Edwin then introduced the large hurdy gurdy and after a while Ben shifted from playing the friction drum to playing the pipe gurdy. Later, I left my friction drum and took over from Edwin on the hurdy gurdy as he moved onto the percussion, shortly followed by Bex. 

Ben moved back to the friction drum for the remainder of the set. Bex and Edwin gradually faded out the percussion, and Edwin joined me on the hurdy gurdy, pressing on the strings to alter the sound produced. We ended the set by gradually fading out the hurdy gurdy.

We were pleased with how the performance was received, and felt it suited being played in such a venue. Unlike some other places where we have played, at the Alphabetti theatre each of the performers could hear the sound of the instrument they were playing. Hopefully the recording (which will go on the Drone Ensemble soundcloud soon) will sound as good.

Ben Jeans Houghton followed our set. creating layered loops with a multitude of instruments and his voice. Awesome!

For more information about Ben's work visit

http://www.benjeanshoughton.co.uk/

Next Drone Ensemble performance - UnEARTH at Alphabetti Theatre on Friday 29th July, 7-11pm

The Drone Ensemble are delighted to have been invited by (The Occasion Collective - TOC) to perform at UnEARTH, an evening of experimental and electronic music at Alphabetti Theatre on Friday 29th July.



"UnEarth will showcase some of Newcastle's most interesting experimental and electronic musicians. From artists pushing the boundaries of live coding, improvisation and a number of creators building their own instruments, UnEarth is sure to be a highlight of the summer. Expect to experience the power of the acoustic drone and get your grove on to some seriously dancey vibes."



For more information please visit

https://www.facebook.com/events/1256973927675640/

We are not yet sure what the setup will be, nor the duration of our set, but as we will have a limited number of drone performers (folk are on holiday) we are thinking of keeping it relatively simple, with a much smaller range of instruments. We met up to prepare the instruments and have a rehearsal. It was sounding great!

The Drone Ensemble at BALTIC - The Playground Project: Children'sPreview

Yesterday the Drone Ensemble participated in The Playground Project: Children's Preview at BALTIC.

The exhibition is really vibrant and exciting, featuring a range of works that embrace, encourage and depend upon interaction. The Lozziwurm, a giant orange snake-like tube with cut out windows, dominates the space. Children (and adults) crawl through it, slide down it and climb on it, much to the enjoyment of the gallery staff. This is an exhibition for those who love to play.

There are drawing machines, swings, a giant sandpit, a craft area, a continually growing and changing sculpture, voice performances and The Drone Ensemble were performing and demonstrating a selection of our instruments.



We had an overwhelmingly positive reception. Kids and adults were full of enthusiasm for what we were doing and it was great to see young and old take pleasure from playing with what we had brought. Children were mesmerised by the quirky sounds that they could control, and parents saw a different side to their children as they were so fully engaged in the instruments that they were no longer apprehensive about leaving their parents side. Children had a new found confidence.



There are loads of events happening throughout the duration of the exhibition so it's well worth checking out the BALTIC website to find out more:

http://balticmill.com/whats-on/the-playground-project

The press have also been very positive about the exhibition. Read some reviews here:

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/art-kids-cant-touch-no-11616999

http://www.sprogonthetyne.com/blog/2016/7/14/playground-project-the-baltic

http://www.thecrackmagazine.com/view-editorial/3638

The Playground Project is realised in cooperation with Kunsthalle Zürich Including work by Marjory Allen (Lady Allen of Hurtwood), Joseph Brown, Riccardo Dalisi, Richard Dattner, Aldo van Eyck, M. Paul Friedberg, Michael Grossert, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, Alfred Ledermann, Yvan Pestalozzi, Group Ludic, Egon Møller-Nielsen, Palle Nielsen, Isamu Noguchi, Sreejata Roy, Niki de Saint Phalle, Josef Schagerl, Mitsuru (Man) Senda, Carl Theodor Sørensen, Alfred Trachsel and more."

Drone ensemble

Last night at Drone Ensemble we set out the full range of scaffolding tubular instruments starting with  the instrument producing the lowest note and ending with the instrument that produces the highest note.

We had to fix a few handles and sort out some that were not playing very well e.g. applying rosin to alter the friction between wheel and pad.

We also used one of the friction drums, a Hurdy Gurdy and some pipes.



We kept it very simple, starting quietly with the scaffolding tubular instruments, introducing the occasional pipe, and then involving the Hurdy Gurdy and friction drum.



We all agreed that this basic arrangement sounded good, and that we could have a number of 20 minute sections that each used a limited range of equipment.



Joe then demonstrated the effects of vibrating speakers - definitely something to be explored further.

The Drone Ensemble - creating a chorus of scaffolding tubular instruments

Tonight the Drone Ensemble continued with our work towards creating a chorus of scaffolding tubular instruments (these are yet to be christened). Joe had managed to source some more pipes, and so we now have the possibility of creating instruments spanning an even bigger spectrum of notes. The notes produced are determined by the length of the scaffolding. 

The image below was used to help understand semitones

                                                                                          

The scaffolding tube acts as a chamber for the vibrations; the vibration and resonance build within and travel down the tube until they escape at the base and project an almost organ-like unwavering note. 

The tuning of these instruments is established pre-construction through the length of the tube, which can be cut down gradually and ‘played’ through striking the tube at a point of appropriate resonance, assessing the current note and adapting the tube gradually until the desired note is formed.

The turn-wheel can be controlled at different speeds, by the player, and creates a friction against the felt pad which in turn translates that vibration into the metal scaffold tube itself.

When played in unison, three of these individually tuned instruments can emit a chord pattern with a certain sonic strength and resilience.

Next week we are going to have a session of playing our newly made scaffolding tube instruments.

Drone Ensemble at Bamburgh House

Last night the Drone ensemble performed as part of an exhibition at Bamburgh House. This was our second performance, and we enjoyed sharing a range of different instruments with the audience.

Each Drone ensemble performance is unique. For Bamburgh House we performed a more minimal 'score', producing quieter, less chaotic sounds than our performance in the Ex Libris Gallery last month.

We responded to the context of Bamburgh House, deciding to base the majority of the instruments on the floor and therefore to perform in the main, sat on the floor. This felt right given the low ceilings. 

Mat Fleming showed a range of projections alongside our performance, and the gentle hum of his 'old school' projector provided a constant drone.

We were delighted that the audience were keen to engage with the instruments, both before and after we played, and are excited about the possibility of doing workshops with groups of people wanting to make their own.

Our next performance is in the Ex Libris Gallery on 15th April. We hope to see you there!

Drone ensemble

I've joined the Drone ensemble, a newly formed experimental sound group that make and perform extraordinary instruments that hum and wheeze, grunt and bark, shimmer and cascade. 

The group consists of a mixture of artists and musicians, but no experience of playing a musical instrument is necessary. 

We will meet every Monday evening and create instruments that make sound which we will then play.



I began by looking at some of the instruments that Joe has already made. He showed us a wonderful range of what looked and sounded like some form of steel drum. Another percussion instrument had been made by cutting a gas cylinder in half and making 4 tongues of different sizes on each half of the cylinder. The sound produced varied depending on the length of the tongue.



We then began making a kind of bagpipe/flute instrument using household pipes and inflatable yoga balls. Getting the mouthpiece right was rather difficult, and mine did not make much of sound, but as a team we managed to make a couple of organs, each with 4 pipes making 4 different notes.

On Friday 4th March we will be playing our first concert to an audience. A number of artists videos will be played alongside the improvised sound piece.

Please come along to the XL Gallery in the Fine Art Building, Newcastle University at 7pm on Friday 4th March for an exciting audiovisual experience.