Tim Catlin

I recently completed a soundtrack to the animation “The Coming Community”.  The images were originally cyanotype photograms produced by Carolyn Lewens. These images were then animated and given “three-dimensionality” by Aasmund Heimark. (Cyanotypes are images made without a camera by placing objects directly on the surface of photo-sensitive material.)

Carolyn describes the process as “Light permeates through metaphors of photosynthesis and bioluminescence as a living light; it caresses objects leaving tangible traces of its penetration on light-sensitive surfaces. Objects become phenomena with no intermediary apparatus, images are creative re-interpretations, truths of art that are different to those of science or biology.”  (From notes to “In the Photic Zone”, Monash University Gallery, December 2009)

The resulting animation is a playful and fictive evocation of strange undersea creatures and microscopic organisms. It’s a beautiful piece and I’m quite happy how the soundtrack turned out..

Showing at the Latrobe Regional Gallery as part of the “Edge of the World” Exhibition from 15 May to 27 June.  http://www.latroberegionalgallery.com/exhibitions-edgeoftheworld.php

The animation will also be shown at the Monash Gallery in Melbourne in September and I will be producing a surround-sound mix for the exhibition.

From “In The Photic Zone”

Melbourne Launch of the second Infinite Decimals CD. It’s an afternoon show at the The Empress Hotel in North Fitzroy (3-6 pm) with multiple 8mm/16mm projections from Paul Rodgers.

Mike Cooper (UK), Tim Catlin and Gearoid Brinn

Mike Cooper is a musician who wears many hats. He’s out here for the Brunswick Music Festival performing a live soundtrack to the  Eisenstein film Que Viva Mexico.   ”Ambient Electronic Exotica” is one description I’ve read of his recent work, but his sound palette incorporates so much more than this: slack key, lap steel improvisations with live processing, sampling, singing and field recordings.

An artist whose work spans 40 years of playing blues, free jazz, improvisation, reggae, folk and ambient exotica..

He’s a regular visitor to Australia and it will be a pleasure to play with him again. We’ll be joined by local guitarist and improviser Gearoid Brinn

Solo and Trio Performances

The Make It Up Club at Bar Open, 317 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy 3065

Doors at 8:30 pm for a 9:00 pm start  $5/$10

Irenes Warehouse

5 Pitt St, East Brunswick. Starts at 5pm 5$ entry

A huge night of experimental/ambient/drone/psych and other micro-genres your ipod wouldn’t recognize…

Lakes (10:20pm – 10:50pm)

Dead Ants Rainbow (9:40pm – 10:10pm)

Matthew Brown (9:00pm – 9:30pm)

Tim Catlin (8:20pm – 8:50pm)

Eko Eko Azarak (7:40pm – 8:10pm)

Shellys (7:00pm – 7:30pm)

A. Wallace & Tom Hall (6:20pm – 6:50pm)

Anekantavada  (5:40pm – 6:10pm)

Aktion Unit (5:00pm – 5:30pm)

The second in the series of Lego Feet concerts is taking place at the Thousand Pound Bend Gallery – 361 Little Collins St, Melbourne on Wednesday December 16.  7-11pm

A wide ranging selection of multi-channel, immersive and audio-visual works.  Should be a great night in this huge warehouse space. $5 only.

“Glisten is the first collaborative release by Tim Catlin, a guitarist and sound artist based in Melbourne, Australia and Machinefabriek, the nom de plume of Rutger Zuydervelt from Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Whilst researching information on prepared guitar, Zuydervelt discovered the work of Tim Catlin, most notably his album ‘Radio Ghosts’ (released on 23five in 2007). Intrigued by Catlin’s approach towards mechanically prepared guitar and the engaging sound world created by this unassuming expertise, a partnership was soon set in motion.

For the release, Catlin made initial recordings drawing upon a wide range of approaches including guitar preparations, customized and abused effects through to more ‘conventional’ picking. These tracks were then sent to Zuydervelt for the addition of extra sounds and overdubs through to final editing and sequencing.

With both artists’ sharing a passion for developing upon the minutiae of the guitar, ‘Glisten’ is an immersive album of slowly unfurling sound layers, deeply embedded drones and acute harmonic gestures. Throughout the running time, a palpable sense of playfulness is present, allowing the prepared guitar process to determine the course of action. Through minor touches and sleights of hand, fleeting vibrations are produced which are capable of both overwhelming intensity and pure sonic transcendence.”

CD’s can be purchased directly from me. Email me for details.

I’m playing at Bar Open this Tuesday as part of the long-running “Make It Up Club” night.

This will be a drone-based performance on electric guitar, ebow and effects, exploring room resonance, difference tones and microtonality. (yeah, fun for all the family…)

“A night of solos from 3 distinctive improvisers, exploring the outer limits of their instruments and the traditions circumscribing them. First up is a solo drumkit and processing project from jazz drummer extroadinaire, Sam Price. Ben Byrne returns for a maelstrom of Revox genius. And Tim Catlin continues his expansion of the resonant possibilities of the humble humbucker.”

The Make It Up Club – Avant Garde Improvised Music and Sound Performance  www.myspace.com/makeitupclub

Every Tuesday night at Bar Open, 317 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy 3065   Doors at 8:30 pm for a 9:00 pm start, $5/$10

I’m curating a night of  guitar, entitled “Humbuckers” at the West Space Gallery on October 15th. It’s part of the “Tomorrow the World” festival which runs at West Space from October 13 to November 1st:

“Invented way back in the 1950s, the humbucker is a guitar pickup that reduces hum and noise from electromagnetic interference. Ever since then guitarists have been finding ways of adding noise back into the signal. Feedback, distortion, altered tunings, guitar preparations, live-sampling, electronic modification and customised effects are some of the ways in which players have sought to circumvent guitar orthodoxy. ‘Humbuckers’ showcases three local guitarists employing different strategies for extending and transcending the limitations of the common electric guitar.”

Featuring Dave Brown (Candlesnuffer), myself and Bonnie Mercer (Grey Daturas)

More info on the festival: http://www.westspace.org.au/program/tomorrow-the-world-coming-soon.html

David Brown: http://www.candlesnuffer.org/

Bonnie Mercer: http://www.myspace.com/bonniemercer http://www.myspace.com/greydaturas

“Glisten” is a new CD coming out on Low Point. It’s a collaboration with Dutch musician, Machinefabriek, who was  described by the Wire magazine as “..one of the most interesting new experimental musicians”.  I’m very happy with how it turned out.  More soon..