CHICAGO, IL.- Experimental music duo White/Light -- musician Matt Clark and sound engineer Jeremy Lemos -- create an interactive music installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago, as part of the monthly UBS 12 x 12: New Artists / New Work series. Two tape machines loop drone sounds and minimal electric guitar samples in the darkened gallery, while a glowing microphone entices visitors into the space which triggers a sensor that alters the sound frequencies. Acclaimed musicians -- including Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth, Disappears from Chicago, Tim Kinsella of Joan of Arc, and Lucky Dragons from Los Angeles -- join White/Light for special performances throughout the duration of the exhibition, that opens on the evening of March 5, 2010 during First Fridays and runs through March 28.
The electro-acoustic drone music is inspired by the French Musique Concrète composer Pierre Schaeffer and features twelve tracks of taped loop recordings created by an analog synthesizer and a shruti box, a wooden instrument that originated in India. Clark periodically visits the gallery to create new electric guitar samples for the loops. The analog reel-to-reel machines and amplifiers are placed in various locations of the gallery so visitors may hear different sounds as they move through the space.
White/Light discuss their work at an Artists Talk on Tuesday, March 9, at 6 pm, followed by a performance in the gallery. White/Light began in 2003 as a recording project with Lemos layering analog electronics, synthesizers, electric bass, and shruti box underneath Clark's electric guitar. The duo began performing live in 2004 and they have played at various venues in the U.S. and Europe. They have recorded two full-length albums and are currently working on a collaborative album with Disappears and Steve Shelley.
Marchs First Friday theme is "The Street." Matt Clark of White/Light and Brian Case of Disappears spin music while guests may participate in the interactive creative station and scavenger hunt throughout the galleries and look for matches via the iMac Digital Dating Bar. Complimentary Puck's hors d'oeuvres are served, and specialty cocktails are available for purchase. Tickets are $16 at the door and advance tickets are $11 and available through the MCA Box Office at 312.397.4010 or
www.mcachicago.org. Doors are open from 6-10 pm. A cash bar is open until 9:30 pm. Guests must be 21 or older to enter.