Volume 16 Issue 9 - June 2011

Boundary PushersJASON VAN EYKJune is an important time of transition. This is true not only forthe seasons (the 21st marks the summer solstice and a promiseof consistently better weather) but also for the live music scene,summer music festivals.It is also true for me: I am making a transition away from theThis means that I will also be stepping awayfrom writing this column, which has givenme endless opportunity to explore howToronto’s new music community has made itsown remarkable transitions over time. Themost noticeable of these is in the sheer rangeand collaborations new music makers employto create and showcase exciting new work.We can look to a handful of this month’sconcerts to see this notion at play.One group that has been constantlypushing at the boundaries of what it meansto be “new music” is CONTACT ContemporaryMusic. Their multidisciplinary approach crosses between liveaudiovisual and interactive, in ways that many other ensembleswould be too timid to try. If that weren’t enough, the content of eachCONTACT show treads into touchy territory – from transexualismto transcendentalism, popular music to electro-eroticism, and justabout everything in between. Ultimately, CONTACT seeks to unlockthe power of artists, leveraged through music-based collaborations,new perspectives and advance new understandings of current, contemporarychallenges. It would be absentminded not to mention their“Electronica Unplugged” lunchtime concert on June 8 at the RichardBradshaw Amphitheatre, which features original electronic worksby David Bowie, Brian Eno, Robert Fripp, Gavin Bryars and PhilipGlass arranged for the unique forces of the CONTACT ensemble.You can learn more at www.contactcontemproarymusic.caAnother case in point is the deliriously eclectic Adventures ofthe Smoid, a creative concoction from the ever-adventurous percus-Contemporary Gamelan. Drawing on the growing popularity ofvisual story telling through comic books and graphic novels, Sacksinventively connects a diverse series of dots to link this world to thetradition of gamelan and Indonesian shadow puppetry. Sacks asks theClub to do double duty as musicians and puppeteers to tell a humoroustale about an astronaut’s adventures in space. Adventures of theSmoid is prefaced by a song cycle from iNSiDEaMiND, the wildlyexperimental turntable duo. New music crossover eclecticism doesn’tCONTACT.again for these June 13 and 14 events at the Music Gallery.Tapestry New Opera Works has long been exploring new paths tocollaboration between composers, writers and musicians in thecreation of the highest of musical forms: opera. Over the lastquarter century and beyond, this hallmark company has expandedbeyond its Canadian roots to provide a haven for an increasinglyinternational network of creators to develop some of the mostOpera Showcase will no doubt be another exhilarating adventurethrough a collection of shorter pieces in development, rangingfrom those by veteran creative partners to new collaborations.The inspirations range just as far, from Ancient Greek tragediesto modern-day Irish pub love stories, from Icelandic mythologythrough Old Testament morality tales. Besure to visit www.tapestrynewopera.comto get full details for the June 14 and 15performances at the Ernest Balmer Studioin the Distillery District.These three events are just the tip of aniceberg of musical innovation at work insuch radical minds and creative connectionsin my future work. Don’t miss yourchance to catch such new sounds whilethey are still summer fresh! Be sure to getin with the new via The WholeNote concertlistings here and online at www.thewholenote.com.Jason van Eyk, The WholeNote’s longtime New Music beatwriter is stepping down from this column and from his positionas Ontario Regional Director of the Canadian Music Centre.Summer Courtyard SeriesFRIDAY JUNE 3 | Radianwith guests Odradek | 8pm | $15/$12 advSATURDAY JUNE 4 | catl + Bill Orcuttwith guests Black Walls | 8pm | $12/$10 advTHURSDAY JUNE 9 | Charles Gayle+ Composition For Light, Percussionand Ultrasound: Paul Walde | 8pm | $20/$17 advFRIDAY JUNE 10 | Dublab: Tonalism12-Hour Season-Closing Fundraising Event6pm – 6am | $25/$22 advAll advance tickets available atRotate This/Soundscapes/TicketWeb.caThe Music GalleryCOLIN SAVAGE16 thewholenote.comJune 1 – July 7, 2011