Moving again

All's packed up now, in a few days (via Pambula for x-mas), we will be moving to Sydney. Staying in Pymble first, and see from there. The next chapter starts!..........

Solo piano in Paris

Just discovered a 20 minute solo piano show I did a few years back. Shot from the back of the hall, so not the best quality, best to turn the volume way up.

http://www.qwartz.org/index.php?/Qwartz-TV/Cor-Fuhler-Presences-electronique-14/03/09-Centquatre/menu-id-92.html

Corkestra new cd

Out now:

Corkestra
the Gas Station Sessions

recorded on a free day during the 2008 Canada tour
Available at Toondist:
http://www.toondist.nl/Platenbakkerij/pb001.html

Cor Fuhler - piano, organ
Anne La Berge - flutes
Tobias Delius - tenorsax, clarinet
Xavier Charles - clarinet
Andy Moor - electric guitar
Nora Mulder - cymbalom
Wilbert de Joode - double bass
Tony Buck - percussion
Michael Vatcher - percussion, singing saw


1 appletree 4’15
2 cobbles 6’23
3 dorst 6’22
4 olive oil 4’58
5 sandcastle 1’38
6 wine cellar 7’14
7 dune 3’40
8 fata morgana 4’20
9 kurk 6’06
10 pebbles 3’54

all compositions Cor Fuhler (Buma/Stemra)
recorded by Dale Morningstar
June 26th 2008 at Gasstation, Toronto
mixed/edited/mastered by Cor Fuhler
design by Hugo Herrera Tobón

check out some tunes on:
http://soundcloud.com/cor-fuhler

Photos

For anyone looking for photos of me, take your pick:

Short bio Cor Fuhler

Cor Fuhler has been called many things: a maverick, a chameleon, a tinkerer, innovator and even traditionalist. However, above all, he simply thinks of himself as an improvising musician and organizer of sounds, ideas and combinations of people.
Mostly piano is his choice, the instrument he fought with and against for many years before and during his studies at the conservatory in Amsterdam in the 80’s. Since then he has added an array of other instruments to his practice: the EMS synthi analogue synth, the keyolin (a keyed violin of his own invention), the guitar and various unusual (but usually modified) instruments.
He has been busy with his own groups: Corkestra, the Cortet, Fuhler/Bennink/de Joode, devised music and story for "Wayang Detective" a combination of improvising musicians, gamelan orchestra and shadowpuppets. And with the eclectic rock/improv group Palinckx, electronics duo the Flirts, Otomo Yoshihide’s ONJO and the (in)famous electronic orchestra MIMEO.
He has recorded for labels such as Erstwhile, Potlatch, Leo, BTL, Nuscope, Geestgronden, Unsounds, Datarecords and his own label ConundromCd.
Cor has written contemporary pieces for chamber music ensembles MAE, the Nieuw Ensemble, Insomnio, just to name a few, and is regularly comissioned by smaller groups and individuals.
He has taught classes at Princeton University, Dutch Impro Academy, the Art Instutute of Chicago, West Coast Conservatory of Music (Vancouver) etc.
He has performed at Vancouver Int Jazz festival, Montreal Int Jazz Fest, Victoriaville, North Sea Jazz fest, Umbrella Music fest Chicago, Konfrontationen Nickelsdorf, Perspectives Fest (Sweden), What is Music Fest Sydney, Moers Fest (Germany), Molde Int Jazz fest (Norway), Musique Action (France) etc etc
He has played with Han Bennink, Jim O’Rourke, Louis Moholo, John Zorn, Roswell Rudd, George Lewis, Evan Parker, John Tilbury, Frances Marie Uitti, Leo “Wadada” Smith, Hamid Drake, Mats Gustafsson, Toshimaru Nakamura, Misha Mengelberg, Paul Lovens, Christian Fennesz, Lol Coxhill, Keith Rowe, just to name a few.
Cor is also a member of the Doek foundation and co-organizes the annual Doek festival.

You can listen to various stuff on soundcloud:
http://soundcloud.com/corfuhler

Or if you like watching:
Cor solo piano:
http://vimeo.com/25366223
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZbWjRTDNKo
A composed piece for violin solo (played by Janine Jansen):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfIdLAqgEqU
A half composed piece for 4 turntables:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDSXZ9uGYDs
On EMS synth in an improvising quartet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daGtTYLk0OQ
On guitar with “the Gap”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozRIHyYgnIs



Furthermore, what some people have said in the press:

About "Stengam" his piano solo cd from 2006:
In the last five or so years, Fuhler has been involved in a very wide range of projects which cumulatively reveal him to be an idiosyncratic musician of the first rate. I've grown accustomed to hearing him in gnarly electroacoustic small groups or in his own Corkestra, so I was a tad surprised to see this solo disc. A prepared piano recital, it's superb and instantly recognizable. Unlike the frequently quite antic prepared piano sets heard from other improvisers, Fuhler concentrates here on music that's highly atmospheric, somber and sepulchral. Fuhler uses mild preparations (such as super magnets and Ebows inside the piano) to superb effect, creating the feel of gentle, lolling bells or massive plangent drones. It's a lovely, at times even bewitching feel that recalls an Ambarchi/Müller improvisation or something. The sound is gorgeous, oscillating, and unfolding on Ferrous - a rattling bowl or something sits on top of string, vibrating crankily in contrast to the effulgent drone. It's very compelling stuff, almost like listening to Harry Partch if he was hooked on Eliane Radigue. I find it addictive and I love the subtle variations Fuhler introduces (with every so often anincisive pluck or pedal or pointed finger). But the bulk of the album is given over to the six-part title suite. A marvelous piece that's immediately arresting, it ranges from deep tuned gongs and cross-cutting high tones to almost watery or didgeridoo-like sounds to gentle scrapings and overtones that suggest bowed electric guitars. A fascinating recital that's one of the year's best solo entries so far. - Jason Bivins, Signal to Noise, June 2007

About the Corkestra live in Montreal Canada 2008:
Once again the Dutch make my night. Pianist Cor Fuhler and his Corkestra were playing their singular brand of joyous mayhem at the Monument National Monday night. The nine-piece band—two drums, piano, three horns, guitar, hammered dulcimer, and bass—is the first one I’ve seen at this venue elicit cheers of joy and laughter from the audience during the set. It is certainly clear that the musicians are having a good time. They’re all big, silly smiles. The drummers looked as if there was nothing in the world they’d rather be doing. I can’t blame them. I’m sure it’s fun to improvise your way through Fuhler’s crafty compositions. At one moment they’re playing a beautifully orchestrated melody, and then suddenly, without preparation, they’re embarking on a collective noise solo. And with a group this experienced, even the noise sections have elegance about them. But mostly what I enjoyed were the composed sections. Fuhler uses his interesting instrumentation to full effect. The ensemble hits on some incredible moments of orchestration that sound like finely executed chamber music. Chamber music with a rock band edge, though. - Adam Kinner, Montreal Gazette.

About the 1998 cd “Bellagram” by Fuhler/Bennink/de Joode:
“There are the requisite dashes of wry humor and madcap frenzy, but it always seems to proceed with a certain structural logic.... What is apparent throughout is that these three are astute listeners. They know each other well and can react with lightning-quick response to any twist or turn thrown in by any member. This release is full of surprises at every turn, offering a compelling document proving that the spontaneous invention and masterful interplay of Dutch improvisation is alive and vital.” - Michael Rosenstein: Cadence, February 1999

DJ Cor Blimey and his Pigeon

DJ Cor Blimey and his Pigeon
, "10 Songs in 62 Minutes and 23 Seconds"
Conundrum 01

It's a while ago I made this cd (not cdr!), but it is still available and I thought to replace an old review here:


Performing under this humorous handle, the superb Dutch pianist Cor Fuhler gets down to some seriously absurd business, delivering a freewheeling admixture of world music, experimental sounds and overloaded kitsch. Although Fuhler performs on a wide array of keyboards here-piano, synthesizer, organ, harmonium, clavichord, celeste, melodica and even a keyolin (a violin with keys, a device of his own design)-his primary activity is that of a hip-hop DJ, giddily piecing together and layering all sorts of disparate elements. He mixes language-instruction records, schmaltzy exotica rhythm loops and Indian classical music with his own live instrumentation, displaying turntable skills that recall Christian Marclay more than they do Grandmaster Flash. Despite all of its lunacy, the album manages to transcend novelty status with some inspired, fascinating juxtapositions.

By Peter Margasak

Lamellophones

Building a new set up, limiting myself to just lamellophones:
A lamellophone (also lamellaphone or linguaphone, from the Latin root 'lingua' meaning "tongue", i.e., a long thin plate that is fixed only at one end) is any of a family of musical instruments. The name comes from the Latin word "lamella" for "plate" and the Greek root "phonos" for "sound". The name derives from the way the sound is produced: the instrument has a series of thin plates, or "tongues", each of which is fixed at one end and has the other end free. When the musician depresses the free end of a plate with a finger or fingernail, and then allows the finger to slip off, the released plate vibrates. A tongue may be plucked either from above or below.


Sofar I have got:
Inside toy piano
Inside pianet
Mbiras, kalimbas, thumb pianos etc
simple mouth harp
simple mouth accordion
disk music box
lots of simple music boxes (modified off course)
Inside accordion (the bas part)
Hohner guitaret (yes!)
Saw-blades with attatched magnets


Just ordered various mouth harps (form Vietnam, china, Hungary)
and a chromatic set of tuning forks......

Still working on a nail violin

If any of you know any more lamellophones, let me know

Electric Banjo

Not much to do here sometimes
so I built this out of left over stuff lying around

My dad

Second from the left above

left this planet March 30, 2011

Will mis him the rest of my life
I feel gratitude only

MIMEO Wigry

Soon out will be a doulbe LP by MIMEO called Wigry. A live concert we did in Wigry Poland in Nov 2009.

Whistlelight on VICMOD

So, now you can buy my 2004 cdr "Whislelight" (on EMS synthi AKS solo) as a download:

http://www.vicmod.net/music/whistlelight/whistlelight.html

You can also see "the Gap" on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozRIHyYgnIs

Duif, mol en vis

Uit de lucht valt een duif
dromend van zaad
ziende een zwevende mol

Uit de zee kruipt een vis
gevend om niets
voelend een gebroken tand

Uit het zand waait een tak
horend een toon
zoekend een zwervend nest

ConundromCd 0-15

ConundromCd
I thought it might be a good idea to make another clear list of the ConundromCd's sofar.
So here we go:

0
Zilch
This was "released" in '98.
It was a trio with me and Han Bennink and Wilbert de Joode in Utrecht. Nobody showed up but we played a set anyway (for the people working there). It was recorded quite badly because I forgot my datmachine and we used a simple cassettedeck instead. The recording levels where way off so the whole thing is rather distorted.
This one is OOP.

1
DJ Cor Blimey and his pigeon: "10 songs in 62 minutes and 23 seconds".
1999, being sick of all this fuss about 2000 coming up I wanted to release it in the last millenium. 500 made, so plenty cds (not cdrs) left still.
The concept was a combination of 3 things for every song: one of my keyboards, a sample from some easy listening tune and a spoken word LP. It was kind of a joke towards all this DJ crapp stuff I heared all the time. It's also about numbers and there is a complicated code all through the cd.....
I'm still happy with track 4 being a long unedited keyolin solo (I only just build it then) on top of some indian music samples..

2
Whistlelight
Here the "real" cdr series start. Me on EMS Synthi AKS, just analogue electronics.

3
Rowe/Fuhler
A duo with me on acoustic piano and Keith Rowe on guitar/electronics.
OOP (sorry)

4
Slee
Solo on acoustic piano, focussing on the keys this time.
A kind of study in speed and sleep.
Brian Olewnick wrote a nice write up of this one and number 3 at Bagatellen + some reactions from me which you can read here (scroll all the way down).

5
TCOD (the Condition of dreaming)
A solo but dubbed in recording on keyolin, prepared cymbalom and transistor organ.
I made this in the same perdiod as above, so it's part of the same study. And I added a study in springreverbs: 2 Springs attatched to the bridge of the keyolin, the internal springreverb of the organ (a Dakota, with the most beatifull springreverb I have ever come across) and the cymbalom going trough an external spring reverb box.

6
CRAX
A live concert with me on piano (+ some primitive amplifiaction and preparations with various speakers inside the piano), Axel Dörner - slide trumpet and Clare Cooper - harp.
For me this was a study in changing roles, either you are the lightperson in a theatre show or the actor/actress.

7
Het Kabinet
A kind of freakshow, 7 insruments that do not have a history together at all. An experiment.
I wrote something here.
And RP here.

8
Wenen
Solo on piano, trying to combine the feedback piano with various vibrating machines etc, all within a acoustic domain.
I wrote somehting here.
Our good friend Richard Pinnell wrote something here, and our good friend Brian Olewnick wrote something here.

9
AFG
A trio: me on 2 grand pianos and both Robbie Avenaim and Dale Gorfinkel on vibraphone, from 2006
B O wrote here and R P here.

10
F-O'R
A live concert from Chicago in 2000, duo with Jim O'Rourke, we both played various instruments, piano, organ, 2 Synthis, keyolin, Computer.
B O wrote about this and all the following10 - 15 here.

11
Mill
me, Misha Mengelberg and Michiel Scheen live in the Eusebious church in Arnhem. Swopping between church organ, choir organ, Hammond organ and harmonium. From 1997. RP wrote here.

12
MP
A live recording of a piano solo concert in Montpellier, France. A 3 inch mini CDR. From 2009.
Apart from BO, RP wrote here.


13
Puzzle
A series of leftover pieces that happen to be cyclic. From 1987 till 2005. From piano Jazz to Gamelan.

14
Puzzle 2
A series of leftover pieces, more in the composed music area. for various ensembles. All my compositions. From 1991 till 2007.

15
PPP5
Live set recorded in Amsterdam. A rather melodic series of pieces for: Keyolin, Cello, Percussion, Cymbalom and (bas-)Clarinet.
From 2005. (I really wanted to show the people that the keyolin is a great instrument....)


They can be obtained at my concerts (if I didn't forget them, so if you're interested, please email me beforehand to make sure) or at Erstdist.

@ Jethro's Manor this Sunday

Afternoon at Jethro's Manor with Fri Resonans
Sunday 16. january 2011 at 15:00
in the beautiful settings of Jethro's Manor, 42 Fraser Street, Brunswick
(come round the back, we'll be in the garden)

mini-festival of improvised music from norway, australia and africa

The Norwegian festival Fri Resonans is presenting some of its core musicians in Australia this January. Guitarists Kim Myhr and Håvard Volden and singer Jenny Hval will be joined by Dutch pianist and instrument builder, Cor Fuhler, Brunswick locals Dale Gorfinkel and Robbie Avenaim as well as a grooving melbourne african percussion ensemble.

Robbie Avenaim (Australia) - solo percussion
Jenny Hval/Håvard Volden (Norway) - guitars/voice
Kim Myhr/Cor Fuhler/Dale Gorfinkel (Norway/Holland/Australia) - guitars/piano/vibes/contraptions
Yele Yele - Ousmane Sonko, Tawanda Gazidkwa, nathaniel coombs + more (senegal/zimbabwe/australia)

Outdoor stuff by Dale and Cor (also playing the keyolin, it's Oz premiere!!)

cool drinks and food provided. byo too.
families welcome.
pets welcome.
friends welcome.
friends of friends welcome.
So, bloody COME!!!!!