Broadcast live on 97.1MHz FM Amsterdam.
I. Rembrandtplein
II. Utrechtsestraat Shining
III. Black Light (for Peter Christopherson)

Rembrandtplein_Utrechtsestraat_Shining_Black_Light.mp3

- Fall Of The Fifth Sun – 10′ 38″
Fall_Of_The_Fifth_Sun.mp3

About signal.toNoise:

I first became interested in minimalism as an undergraduate while studying painting. I recall reading Sol LeWitt’s “Sentences on Conceptual Art” and being taken by his statement: “Successful art changes our understanding of the conventions by altering our perceptions.” This radically changed how I viewed many minimalist works moving forward. Monochromatic pieces like Rauschenberg’s white canvases, which influenced John Cage’s 4’33″, took on a whole new meaning for me. It became apparent that environment, lighting, sound and smell, etc. could alter the viewers perception of an artwork. Over the years, the essence of these ideas have always resonated with me. Whether in my performance work, videos, net.works, sound or music, the idea of challenging perception has always been key.

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the general understanding of noise. Most people would consider it a distrubance to an otherwise desired experience. Static during a weak radio or television transmission or a child crying during a church sermon could be seen as anomalies that “ruin” the expected outcome of an otherwise desired event. Over the years we’ve attempted to purify these experiences with technologies that attempt to filter the noise from our lives. Dolby Laboratories, during the heyday of cassettes tapes, developed a noise reduction system that was built into most stereo compontents. This filter emphasized the audible frequency range and diminished tape hiss, an artifact of the recording process similar to white noise. Wet cleaning vinyl records became a popular method for audiophiles to reduce the crackle and pops from LP playback. And more recently, digital or internet radio has all but eliminated weak signal noise or static common with old antenna tuners.

In a system similar to composting, the works in the Signal To Noise series recycle a particular medium’s inherent, undesirable sonic traits (cassettes hiss, radio static, digital music compression etc.) and presents them for consideration as the final work of art.

signal.toNoise Series:

Clicks and Cuts:
20 minutes of equalized record clicks and pops pressed back onto 10″ clear vinyl records.
Edition of 5 albums.

IEC Type II:
C-90 Type II. cassette tape.
45 minutes of equalized tape hiss per side.
Edition of 9 cassettes.

128kbps:
40 minutes of isolated mp3 compression.
Edition of 4 iPods containing the mp3 file.
Presented on Apple mini’s for the exhibition.

whiteOut:
FM broadcast.
Live FM tuner static being rebroadcast in full stereo on 93.5 MHz FM over an approximate
distance of 4-5 miles.

The_Signal.mp3
- jason.sloan discussing the signalTo.noise series on Baltimore’s NPR affiliate WYPR. Original air date 1/27/12 -1/28/12

- Review of Signal To Noise at Disquiet

The signal.toNoise exhibition will be on view Friday, Jan. 27 through Sunday, March 11 at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Pinkard Gallery (1401 W. Mount Royal Ave.). A reception will be held on Friday, Jan. 27, 5-7 p.m.

Track listing:
warmAndfading.light – 13’03″
withNo_return – 8′ 14″
piercedAether – 1′ 03″
asFragile.as – 5′ 39″
(s)END – 8′ 35″
(a)SEND – 16′ 16″

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Previews
- warmAndfading.light [2 minute excerpt]
1_edit.mp3
- (s)END [full track]
5_full.mp3

Set list:
- Blue Star – 19’38″
- ElevenEleven – 24’07″
- The Fifth World – 15’19″Sadayatana_Live.mp3 << Free Download 133mb .zip >>

Visit the 12 Questions Blogzine

Irony caught up with me early this spring. I happened across a couple drawers in my basement/archive filled with close to 100+ hours of old 4-track cassettes, all well over a decade old. Curiosity got the better of me and I unearthed my old Yamaha MT400 that was used to create these recordings. As I began to listen, for the first time in over 10 years, I was transported back in time by what I heard. My studio during that period was about the size of a small, narrow walk-in-closet with accommodations for barely two people. There were no windows and only a single door (I remember it would get pretty hot in there during the summer months.) These 4 track recordings were all created in that wonderfully claustrophobic space circa 1997-1999. Some were sketches for later compositions. Others were soundtracks for the performance works, videos and installations I was creating at that time. Most of this music fits in nicely with my early experimental ambient albums Shoreline Of An End, Space Between Beginnings and Still.

After much deliberation, I’ve decided to compile what I feel are the best of these recordings for a multi-volume series of archive collections. If all goes as planned, look for a late summer early fall release through Slo Bor Media’s upcoming archive series.

Below is 5 minute excerpt from one of the first cassettes I listened to. Around the time of the recording [1997-98] I was heavily into deep electronic drone music and was listening to a lot of La Monte Young and Terry Riley. According to the notes I made on the cassette inlay card, I was experimenting with an Ebow for one of the first times. This tool went on to become a staple item in my studio and during live performances. The full composition runs around 48 minutes and will be released in it’s entirety with the upcoming archive collection.

Asleep in the Ocean and Breathing the Sky
[5:14 edit] [recorded on 4-track cassette circa 1997-98]
alseep_archive_recording.mp3

This live performance debuted all new material that will be re-recorded for my upcoming 14th album (s)END, tentatively scheduled for a Fall 2011 release on Slo Bor Media.