photos by Vivian Wenli Lin

Text from our mailing list:
Special celebration concert for Luc Houtkamp`s 55th birthday with POW Ensemble

Han Buhrs - vocals, live electronics
Guy Harries - vocals, computer
Luc Houtkamp - saxophones, computer, live electronics
Jacqueline Hamelink - cello
Wolter Wierbos - trombone, live electronics

POW Ensemble plays Homage to Hazard - music that might create unease
The POW Ensemble, led by Dutch composer/ saxophonist Luc Houtkamp, is a specialised ensemble, using live electronics and computers as musical instruments. The ensemble has a unique powerful sound and an uncompromising approach.
Computer music is often thought of as consisting of sounds that nobody can understand, except for some isolated nerds. A POW Ensemble show is something completely different. Here, real music is made!

Homage to Hazard is a jazzy programme with bizarre texts and disordering songs, sparkling improvisations and solid compositions played by virtuoso musicians.

In Western society it seems that security is God Almighty. Any hazard, coincidence, instability or even doubt is banned from our horizon. There is a strong collective urge to believe that modern technology will free us from peril - our prehistorical aspect of life.
This is, of course, profoundly questionable. Not only because in the process we are confronted with the limits of this technology (it crashes all over the place!) but because we also realise that technical security cuts us off from our ability to deal with reality as it arises. We lose our talent to improvise, to deal with insecurity, to make decisions based on instinct. We will never again take a train without knowing where it`s going.
At the same time, we also know that it is often fun to deal with the unexpected, to sharpen our brains and our senses by dealing with situations that occur accidentally, to improvise our way out of an uncontrolled momentum. Why? Because it appeals to our basic instinct.

This is precisely the thought that unites the POW-musicians: they pursue hazard, uncertainty and instability as a given fact. They regard doubt and instinct as useful colours to paint with. They never take anything for granted, and create a song out of any question mark.
In this Homage to Hazard, The POW Ensemble plays songs of insecurity - songs that might create unease, but don`t deny reality!

http://www.powensemble.nl/

This entry was posted on Friday, December 5th, 2008 at 4:47 pm and is filed under concert. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.