2013: Pmocatat Ensemble

Matt Davignon: conductor; CD DJ unit and multispeed tape player, percussion, acoustic guitar, voice, accordion, melodica, glockenspiel
Amar Chaudhary: iPod with traditional Indian instruments
Tom Djll: tape player with trumpet
David Douglas: tape player with percussion
Gretchen Jude: tape player with concertina, guitar, voice, melodica, koto, shamison
Daniel McAnulty: tape player with guitar
Rent Romus: 4-track and tape player with saxophone, flute, accordion, zitherod
Daniel Steffey: tape & CD with percussion
Benjamin Tinker: cassettes with organ, harmonica and chanter with Echoplex tape delay
Nick Wang: cassettes with guitar, saxophone, ukelele
Michael Zelner: iPod with saxophone, clarinet, flute

As part of the 12th Annual Outsound New Music Summit, Matt Davignon will present the Pmocatat Ensemble (Pre-recorded Music on CDs and Tapes and Things) performing his original graphic and textural scores. Each member of the ensemble records the sounds of their instruments in advance of the concert using the composition as their guide to a tape-based medium. During the concert, the music is then performed by playing and manipulating these recordings according to the composition. Performers frequently record the instruments they are most accustomed with, but it's also common for them to play other instruments that are available to them, as defined by the score. The second part of each score provides instructions on how to interact with the recordings, and the other performers on stage. Special attention is usually given to the abilities and limitations of the playback devices.

Originally born in Agawam, Massachusetts, Matt Davignon has been developing his own unique form of improvisation and composition since 1993. After moving to California as a teenager, he spent his musically formative years tinkering with tools such as lo-fi samplers, cassette tapes, contact microphones, household objects, 4-track compositions, extensive chains of guitar effects, prepared instruments, turntables, and field recordings. These explorations fuel and inform his current work, which most frequently involves processing the sounds of a drum machine in real-time with various electronic devices. Characteristics of his music include a focus on textures, arrhythmic patterns and musical imperfections, with a focus on evoking biological systems. Matt continues to organize inclusive music events such as Droneshift, the Pmocatat Ensemble (which stands for Pre-recorded Music on CDs and Tapes and Things) and Conduct Your Own Orchestra. He's a member of Larnie Fox’s Crank Ensemble, and the vaguely krautrock band, Tiny Owl.

Artist (photo by Photographer)