about David Gunn (UK): I'm the Director of Incidental, a UK-based creative organisation. We work on a bunch of stuff, from live music performances to community-led artwork and interactive software design.
career highlights: Finally getting 'Acrux Variations' up and running last year was great fun - it's a collaboration with Victor Gama, a Luso-Angolan instrument builder & musician. I play laptop, and start the show with a completely blank slate, gradually building up compositions by live resampling Victor as he plays his "Acrux" instrument. With computer music, I think it's hugely important that there’s an element of risk involved in the live show (above and beyond the danger of your machine crashing...) and this is certainly one of those projects.
which creative people, places and things on your radar right now?
places: We’re currently preparing a residency for our 'Neak Ta' project in Phnom Penh, Cambodia so that is at the front of my mind. It's great to see the work that people like Java Arts Cafe are doing there - supporting Cambodian art with a strong, critical eye towards contemporary issues in the city, such as approaches to urbanisation, the displacement of people and so on.
people: On a different note, I'm very happy to watch the Hyperdub label as it evolves via people like Ikonika - the careful skill / careless brutalism of her debut record leaves much to be admired.
things: And webwise ... Geoff Manaugh’s consistently excellent work over on BLDGBLOG never fails to distract me.
Open Cities / Porto from David Gunn on Vimeo.
what's your favourite daydream? I tend to daydream about books I’d like to write. Charley Patton is a constant obsession of mine, and I often find myself constructing imaginary scenes from his life in the heartland of early folk and blues, Clarksdale, Mississippi. Most often they seem to consist of watching people, objects and acts as they twist and turn through the waters of the Great Mississippi Flood in 1927. Cat-gut strings, wax curling out from old recording devices, toy cars lost in the spate... that kind of thing.
what was the last rule you broke? Not to worry too much about rules.
if you could ask a question of someone you respect, who and what would you ask?
George Bataille: "What really happened at the meetings of the Acéphale Society?"
Acéphale Society was an ultra-secretive group of French theorists, that spent their time cultivating all these rumours of failed human sacrifice ... but I’ve always suspected they just sat around drinking lemonade and reading early editions of Krazy Kat.
note: As of Tuesday, 13 April 2010, David and his team at Incidental successfully raised US$2500 via Kickstarter for 'Neak Ta'. The first phase is currently underway, exploring the connections between traditional Khmer instrument and modern electronics, and working with the students of the Royal University of Fine Arts to design participatory arts events. Future phases of work will build on this experience in a series of focused collaborations with individual Cambodian artists and musicians. If you would like to get involved or make a donation, please do not hesitate to contact
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
directly.
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Tags: