Global Hockets 1998

"A virtuoso fusion of the pure rhythmic energy of the New Zealand music group From Scratch with Michael Saup's innovative world of computer graphics. A new media/performance which provocatively and convincingly evokes contemporary forms of creative presentation in the interplay of traditional artistic elements and interactive computer graphics." (ars electronica 1998)

 

Sounds made From Scratch

By RICHARD PAMATATAU

THEY may be the weirdest musical instruments you will ever see. But for German graphical artist Michael Saup and beatmeisters From Scratch they are the keys to Global Hockets, a rhythm and computers multimedia performance created for next year's Festival of the Arts.

The work is a collaboration between From Scratch and Mr Saup that will combine both re-recorded and live music performed interactively with lighting, moving images and computer graphic elements.

Global Hockets is a sound and image structure focused on the high energy and physicality of From Scratch's live performance, the sculptural presence of unique looking and sounding instruments, and "rhythmic hocketing", a musical spatial technique characteristic of From Scratch.

Hocketing is a music-composing term describing a writing style where the rhythmic and melodic line are fragmented and produce swarms of notes which respond to each other.

Mr Saup says while the work may appear to viewers to be random, every moment in it is choreographed precisely. "I want to create a visual environment that is completely relevant to the music, and the viewers at each performance," he says. Each visual element has been chosen for how it relates or represents what the audience hears to make the experiences rich and enjoyable, says Mr Saup. "Many people see this form of performance as elitist but Global Hockets is about reaching out and including the audience - at least for most of the time," he says.

A tattoo that Mr Saup acquired on his recent visit to New Zealand will be used as an element in the performance. From Scratch founder and multimedia artist, Phil Dadson, says his composition is about creating new and exciting sounds. "I want the audience to be excited by the sound the instruments make, as well as what they look like," he says. Now that From Scratch is 20 years old, it has some history and an audience following, says Mr Dadson.

He hopes the multimedia aspect of this production, which is processed on Silicon Graphics workstations, will bring new people to the work.

"It is not just for arty types," he says.

Global Hockets will be performed from February 27-March 1 next year in the new auditorium at Te Papa, The Museum of New Zealand.

Wellington Newspapers Limited 1997