Chris Watson and Florian Hecker November 30, 2007

CHRIS WATSON

Working with sound since 1972, Chris Watson currently specializes in location and field recordings, mostly for natural history documentaries. Many of these documentaries have been broadcast on BBC television and radio. Other nature recordings have found their way onto his solo CDs, many of which have received international acclaim. In the late 1970s and early 1980s he was a member of the early English industrial music group Cabaret Voltare. After departing C.V., he co-founded The Hafler Trio, an experimental music project. In 1987 he formally began his present work as a sound recordist.

Watson's "particular and passionate interest in recording the wildlife sounds of animals, habitats and atmospheres from around the world" has won him numerous accolades including a BAFTA Award for Best Factual Sound for 'The Life of Birds' (BBC TV) and an Award of Distinction at the 2000 Prix ARS Electronica for "Stepping into The Dark" (Touch). As a freelance recordist for film, tv & radio, Chris Watson specialises in natural history and documentary location sound together with track assembly and sound design in post production.

For his appearance at RML, Watson will present three pieces: "Storm" (Watson/Nielsen), "MIDNIGHT AT THE OASIS" and "TORTUGA BAY".
Please visit his website for detailed descriptions of the work.

FLORIAN HECKER

Hecker's works emphasize the connection of most recent as well as historic developments in computer music. Often working closely together with software engineers and scientists, his recent productions incorporate psycho-acoustic effects disorientating the listeners spatial perception in live presentations and studio works.

His work has been presented in exhibitions at Secession, Vienna, TN Probe Gallery, Tokyo, Schindler House, Los Angeles, MUMOK, Vienna and Badischer Kunstverein, Karlsruhe amongst other spaces. Most recently, Hecker has presented a large-scale, computerized Soundpiece at Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville in Paris and in the Lenbachhaus in Munich. He has given numerous international audio presentations, including La Biennale di Venecia, 49th International Exhibition of Art, Venice 2001, Royal Festival Hall, London 2002, Centre Pompidou, Paris 2002, Ars Electronica, Linz 2003, Casa Da Musica, Porto 2005, Kunsthaus, Graz 2007, WDR Cologne 2007.

Hecker’s latest full length solo compact disc 'Recordings for Rephlex' has been released by Rephlex in december 2006 and „Blackest Ever Black“ a collaboration with Russell Haswell, using Xenakis’ unique UPIC system during their research at the Centre for Composition of Music Iannis Xenakis (CCMIX) in Paris, has been released on CD and Vinyl by Warner Classics in 2007.

NEU CD and NEU LP, a collaboration with Peter Saville has just been presented at the Frieze Art Fair London with Galerie Neu and "Hecker, Höller Tracks" a double gatefold Vinyl is forthcoming on Semishigure shortly. "UPIC WARP TRACKS" in collaboration with Russell Haswell is forthcoming on Warp Records.

Official Website: http://recombinantmedia.net/calendar/watson_hecker/