Benton C Bainbridge

Benton C Bainbridge (photo: Siqi Xu)

Hello Friends,

Temperatures and tempers are high this winter in America. Here, and around the world, we’re looking for real news outside familiar channels: rethinking our media habits as nations convulsively respond to cries for change. I worry, but I’m encouraged to see so many people motivated to speak up, hit the streets and get involved. I hope we can respectfully work through our differences to forge a better future for all our children.

One Step Beyond with The Brothers Macklovitch at American Museum of Natural History, February 3, 2017. Media art detail: VHS Portraits: Daniel Neumann. (photo by Mattia Palombi)

Meanwhile, I’m busy as usual making and sharing art. We’ve already thrown three events for the 10th Season of One Step Beyond at American Museum of Natural History. February’s #OneStepBeyond was unforgettable: an all-alumni edition with:

• A-Trak, who first DJ’d One Step Beyond on January 25, 2008 with The Cool Kids, Kid Sister and a surprise appearance by Kanye West, with guest visuals by Derek Sweeney Kesler.
• Dave 1, who last took the stage with P-Thugg (Patrick Gemayel) when Chromeo headlined the April 22, 2011 One Step Beyond.
• Prince Klassen, last seen in the Hall of the Universe on March 15, 2013, is resident DJ with The Rub – also One Step Beyond alumni (February 13, 2009).
• DIRTYFINGER, who last played One Step Beyond on Leap Day – Feburary 29, 2008, with DJ Jazzy Jeff. Visuals were by Abstraction Figures (David Last) + Chris Harvey. DIRTYFINGER tours with fellow OSB alums Zebra Katz (May 18, 2012)
• 24MAR17 One Step Beyond returns! with Classixx (DJ set), Lloydski, and Alex Behnke

“As usual the visuals above the planetarium dance floor were amazing and dancers young and old loved every bit of it.” – WhereNYC

Barbara Held and Benton C Bainbridge rehearse for Pausa

• 24FEB17 Pausa at Composers Now Festival at Harvestworks, NYC ONE SHOW ONLY: limited seating. Doors at 7:30 PM. Free admission!

February 24 saw the world premiere of a new collaboration with Barbara Held. Pausa pairs acoustic and electronic sound with realtime image processing. A unique Binary Pattern Generator creates simple rhythms that are interpreted by an A/V synthesis system, generating variations in the timbre of a live flute performance and molding abstract forms into moving paintings. Held and I co-designed the system, with custom audio software by Josep Aymi and Binary Pattern Generator by Brendan Byrne.

In March, Barbara and I bring Pausa to Minnesota for two performances and an exhibition:

• 18MAR17 Pausa at Studio Z, St. Paul
• 20MAR17 Pausa at Kiehle Gallery, University of MN at St. Cloud

Other news:

• Barbara Held / Benton C Bainbridge Observatory / Lisa Joy (W) showed in Escuchar con los ojos, an exhibition of 55 years of sound art in Spain at Fundación Juan March, Madrid. The catalog is sold out but will soon be downloadable from march.es as an eBook.
• Hans Tammen and I conducted an A/V Synth Workshop at School of Visual Arts MFA Computer Art Department
• 10MAR17 Strange Attractor opening at Marfa Ballroom, TX. The reception will feature a unique collaborative performance by artist and musician Lonnie Holley and psych duo Tonstartssbandht, with my analog video synthesis.
• Coming soon: a video remix for Strange Attractor curator Gryphon Rue called Google Portrait:

Benton C Bainbridge: detail of Google Portrait

That’s it for now. I leave you with my favorite sentiment from the Grammys: #Persist!

Benton C Bainbridge
The Bronx