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Concert Thu Jun 09 2011
Marcus Schmickler smashes universes for a living
Marcus Schmickler, an early and vital voice in digital electronic music and late-'90s post-rock (under his pseudonym Pluramon) has been steadily accruing power and esteem over the past decade for his tough, detailed sound fields. A staple on labels like Mille Plateaux, A-Musik, and Editions Mego, Schmickler concerns himself with big sonics and expansive ideas, but with flair and real-world experience (i.e. killing in front of audiences) that elevate him above more academically-flavored granular synthesists. This Saturday, Schmickler will make his first appearance in Chicago since 2002, again through the grace of Lampo, the non-profit international experimental music series. Schmickler performs "particle/matter-wave/energy," a composition that will ask the age-old musical question, "What does it sound like when galaxy clusters of 30 objects reciprocally influence each other by means of gravitation? Using a sonification of astrophysical data, Schmickler will collide first two, then three simulated galaxies." As you'd imagine, this will likely be no shrinking violet of a composition....smashing galaxies is a surefire way to wake your neighbors.
Schmickler performs at the Graham Foundation Madlener House (4 W. Burton Pl., Chicago) this Saturday (June 11) at 8 p.m. The event is free, but tickets are currently sold out. However, you can get on the waiting list should ticketholders not arrive by 8:00 by visiting the eventbrite page and letting them know you want in. No guarantees, but you can damn sure believe it's worth a shot.