An Aural Symbiotic Mystery

"More that 30 years had passed since our last experimental duet. Tony arrived and decided he could stay for several days in Brussels and we casually started to play together one afternoon. Aude, my wife, remarks about that special moment that in 5 minutes if not less, she heard a natural musical chemistry of beauty and power that greatly impressed her. Tony and I hadn't played, discussed or conversed about sound or anything in over 30 years. Nonetheless, the results were totally surprising, dazzling and deeply satisfying ... How is it that Tony and I can play so magically together without ever discussing or planning or anything? I have no idea! It's an aural symbiotic mystery!" --Charlemagne Palestine. Charlemagne Palestine wrote intense, ritualistic music in the 1970s, intended by the composer to rub against audience's expectations of what is beautiful and meaningful in music. A composer-performer, he always performed his own works as soloist. His earliest works were compositions for carillon (both church bells and tubular bells) and electronic drones, and he is best known for his intensely performed piano works. Palestine's performance style is ritualistic; he generally surrounds himself (and his piano) with stuffed animals, smokes large numbers of kretek (Indonesian clove cigarettes) and drinks cognac.

Tony Conrad is an avant-garde video artist, experimental filmmaker, musician/composer, sound artist, teacher and writer. Along with John Cale, Angus MacLise, La Monte Young, and Marian Zazeela, Conrad was an early member of the Theater of Eternal Music, which utilized Just Intonation sustained sound to produce what they called "dream music." This group performed compositions by La Monte Young in which the other performers would sustain certain harmonically related pitches determined by Young for the duration of each piece.

Conrad and Charlemagne Palestine reunite for this performance with as much meaningful intensity and symbiosis as ever.