the maestro

keith rowe, issue project room, NYC, 2007 (photo by yuko zama)

playing for history

tomorrow's French Open men's final is more than just another Grand Slam final, it's a rare showdown between two peerlessness alltimers. here's what's at stake:

for Roger Federer, a win would probably make him the consensus best player of all time, definitively vaulting him over Pete Sampras, who never managed to win at Roland Garros. Rod Laver is still in the discussion, but finally breaking through here against Nadal (who's beaten him here three years running) would be huge on Federer's lifetime resume.

for Rafael Nadal, a win would be a huge step towards becoming the best clay court player ever, and winning his fourth straight would put him decidedly closer to Björn Borg (six titles, four straight), who not so coincidentally was courtside today in Paris for the first time since he retired. Nadal has never lost a five set clay court match in his entire career, and has never even been pushed to five sets here.

all three previous matches here have been 4 set wins for Nadal, and if anything, the gap seems to have widened this year based on their play thus far. Federer's got another chance, though, now we'll see what he can do with it.

the gelato of the gods

while I believe that NYC has been the best food city in the world for quite some time (in terms of both range and quality, at least since I've started paying attention in the last 15-20 years), there were some gaping holes for a while. cafes with topnotch espresso, fantastic barbecue, and worldclass gelato were three of these, but in recent times, all have been filled quite impressively. we drink most of our espresso/coffee at home, but Cafe Grumpy in Chelsea (among others) takes their espresso making extremely seriously and it shows. BBQ places have been opening fast and furious over the last few years, our current fave is Hill Country (also in Chelsea), yum.

which brings us to gelato. the best gelato I've ever had (until about an hour ago) was in Rome, a highly touted place I forget the name of. the best options in NYC for the last few years have been Otto and Il Laboratorio Del Gelato (on Orchard St.), both of which are quite good but not life-altering. well, last year, an Italian store, GROM, opened on the Upper West Side. I walked by a couple of times but their high prices and my not being quite in the mood for gelato kept me from pulling the trigger.

but this afternoon, I walked by their new second store on Bleecker St. and decided to make the plunge. I went with something basic as a test, the "extra-noir chocolate". this is oddly listed as a gelato but described as a sorbet on their site, but either way, it was just remarkable, to the point where I don't want to eat anything else, I just want to remember how good it was. it's pricy ($4.75 for a small cup), but man, is it worth it. GO THERE NOW! you'll thank me later.

primer

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stemming from an IHM discussion, I've put together a EAI primer, FWIW. this includes a list of some proto-EAI or influential pieces, as well as some composed recordings that I think are close enough to this area to include.

60's

Group Ongaku-Music of Group Ongaku 1960-61

Cage/Tudor-Variations II (Edition RZ) 1961
Karlheinz Stockhausen-Telemusik (Deutsche Grammophon) 1966

AMM-AMMMusic (Matchless) 1967

AMM-The Crypt (Matchless) 1968
Intersystems-Free Psychedelic Poster Inside (private press) 1968

Music Now Ensemble-Silver Pyramid (Matchless) 1969

AMM-The Aarhus sequences (disc 1 of Laminal) (Matchless) 1969

70's

Taj Mahal Travellers-August 1974 (CBS/P-Vine)

Norbert Möslang/Andy Guhl-Deep Voices (FMP/Urthona) 1977

80's

AMM-The Great Hall (disc 2 of Laminal) (Matchless) 1982

AMM-Generative Themes (Matchless) 1982

AMM-Combine + Laminates + Treatise '84 (Matchless) 1984

AMM-The Inexhaustible Document (Matchless) 1987

Keith Rowe-A Dimension of Perfectly Ordinary Reality (Matchless) 1989

Early/mid 90's

AMM Newfoundland (Matchless) 1992

Christian Marclay/ Günter Müller-Live (For 4 Ears) 1993

AMM Live in Allentown USA (Matchless) 1994

Polwechsel Polwechsel (Random Acoustics/hat[now]ART) 1994

Lê Quan Ninh-Ustensiles (For 4 Ears) 1995

Burkhard Stangl-Loose Music (Random Acoustics) 1995

Cor Fuhler-7 CC In IO (Geestgronden) 1995

AMM Before driving to the chapel we took coffee with Rick and Jennifer Reed (Matchless) 1996

Kevin Drumm-Kevin Drumm (Perdition Plastics) 1997

Fennesz-Hotel Paral.lel (Mego) 1997

Ryoji Ikeda-+/- (Touch) 1997

Les Sculpteurs De Vinyl-Memory and Money (Stupeur et Trompette) 1997

Burkhard Stangl-Récital (Durian) 1997

John Wall-Fractuur (Utterpsalm) 1997

-------

1998

Olivia Block-Pure Gaze (Sedimental)

Kurzmann/Fennesz/O'Rourke/Drumm/Siewert s/t (Orange Disc) (Charhizma)

Sachiko M/Günter Müller/Otomo Yoshihide Filament 2 (For 4 Ears)

Gunter Muller/Jim O'Rourke-Weighting (For 4 Ears)

Toshimaru Nakamura, Tetuzi Akiyama and Taku Sugimoto-The Improvisation Meeting at Bar Aoyama (Reset)

Polwechsel 2 Polwechsel 2 (hat[now]ART)

Radian-Radian (Rhiz)

Such-The Issue at Hand (Matchless)

Taku Sugimoto Opposite (hat NOIR)

Voice Crack-Below Beyond Above (Uhlang)

Various Artists-Meme (Meme)

1999

David Daniell-sem (Antiopic)

Kevin Drumm/Martin Tetreault-Particles and Smears (Erstwhile)

Phil Durrant/Thomas Lehn/Radu Malfatti-dach (Erstwhile)

Erik M-Frame (Metamkine)

Erik M/Voice Crack/Gunter Muller-Poire_Z (For 4 Ears)

Sachiko M-Debris (F.M.N. Sound Factory)

Gunter Muller/Masahiko Okura/Otomo Yoshihide/Taku Sugimoto-Metal Tastes Like Orange (Amoebic)

Mongoose-At Penguin House (Slub Music)

nmperign/Jason Lescalleet-In Which The Silent Partner-Director Is No Longer Able To Make His Point To The Industrial Dreamer (Intransitive)

Pita-Get Out (Mego)

Keith Rowe-Harsh (Grob)

Keith Rowe/Günter Müller/Taku Sugimoto-The World Turned Upside Down (Erstwhile)

Burkhard Stangl/Christof Kurzmann-schnee (Erstwhile)

John Wall-Constructions I-IV (Utterpsalm)

Otomo Yoshihide-Cathode-(Tzadik)

Otomo Yoshihide/Keith Rowe/Taku Sugimoto-Ajar (Alcohol)

2000

Activity Center (Michael Renkel/Bukhard Beins)-Möwen and Moos (2:13 Music)

Fabrice Charles/Michel Doneda/ Günter Müller-Direct Chamber (33Revpermi)

Werner Dafeldecker/Uli Fusseneger/Dieter Kovacic-Printer (Durian)

Efzeg-Grain (Durian)

Morton Feldman-Allpiano (John Tilbury) (LondonHALL) (4 CDs)

Greg Kelley-Trumpet (Meniscus)

Thomas Lehn/Marcus Schmickler-Bart (Erstwhile)

Günter Müller/Lê Quan Ninh-La Voyelle Liquide (Erstwhile)

Toshimaru Nakamura/Sachiko M-do (Erstwhile)

Andrea Neumann/Annette Krebs-Rotophornen (Charhizma)

Andrea Neumann/Toshimaru Nakamura-Atøn (Rossbin)

Keith Rowe/Burkhard Beins-Grain (Zarek)

Taku Sugimoto/Kevin Drumm-Den (Sonoris)

2001

Tetuzi Akiyama-Relator (Slub)

AMM-Fine (Matchless)

Olivia Block-Mobius Fuse (Sedimental)

Filament 29092000 (Amoebic)

Cor Fuhler/Gert-Jan Prins-The Flirts (Erstwhile)

Greg Kelley/Jason Lescalleet-Forlorn Green (Erstwhile)

Annette Krebs-Guitar Solo (Fringes)

Metamkine/Voice Crack-Double_Wash (Grob)

Toshimaru Nakamura/Tetuzi Akiyama-Meeting at Off Site vol. 1 (IMJ)

Keith Rowe-29 October 2001 (Sound 323)

Keith Rowe/Toshimaru Nakamura Weather Sky (Erstwhile)

Burkhard Stangl/Taku Sugimoto-An Old-Fashioned duet (Slub)

Otomo Yoshihide-Ensemble Cathode (IMJ)

2002

Tetuzi Akiyama/Toshimaru Nakamura/Taku Sugimoto/Mark Wastell-Foldings (Confront)

John Butcher-Invisible Ear (Fringes)

Cosmos-Tears (Erstwhile)

Cremaster-Flysch (G3G)

Dafeldecker/Hautzinger/Tilbury/Sachiko M-Absinth (Grob)

Kevin Drumm-Sheer Hellish Miasma (Mego)

Greg Kelley-If I Never Meet You In This Life, Let Me Feel The Lack (Rossbin)

Jason Lescalleet-Mattresslessness (Cut)

Sachiko M/Sean Meehan-s/t (no label)

Kaffe Mathews/Andrea Neumann/Sachiko M-In case of fire take the stairs (IMJ)

MIMEO/John Tilbury-The Hands of Caravaggio (Erstwhile)

Toshimaru Nakamura/Tetuzi Akiyama-Meeting at Off Site vol. 2 (IMJ)

Andrea Neumann/Burkhard Beins-Lidingö (Erstwhile)

Phosphor-Phosphor (Potlatch)

Polwechsel/Fennesz-Wrapped Islands (Erstwhile)

Radian-Rec.Extern (Thrill Jockey)

Philip Samartzis/Sachiko M-Artefact (Dorobo)

SSSD-Home (Grob)

Burkhard Stangl/dieb13-eh (Erstwhile)

Taku Sugimoto/Masafumi Ezaki/Taku Unami-Trio At Offsite (Hibari)

Otomo Yoshihide/Taku Sugimoto/Sachiko M-Les Hautes Solitudes (Out One)

Various musicians-AMPLIFY 2002: balance (7 CDs/1 DVD box set) (Erstwhile)

2003

Boris Baltschun/Axel Dörner/Kai Fagaschinski-No Furniture (Creative Sources)

BSC/Axel Dörner/Andrea Neumann-Good (Grob)

Cremaster-Infra (Antifrost)

I.S.O.-s/t (Sound Tectonics/YCAM)

Radu Malfatti/Taku Sugimoto (Raku Sugifatti)-Futatsu (IMJ)

Toshimaru Nakamura-Side Guitar (IMJ)

Toshimaru Nakamura/Tetuzi Akiyama-Meeting at Off Site vol. 3 (IMJ)

Jerome Noetinger/Erik M - What A Wonderful World (Erstwhile)

Julien Ottavi - Nervure Magnetique (Sigma)

Gert-Jan Prins-Risk (Mego)

Stephane Rives-Fibres (Potlatch)

Keith Rowe/John Tilbury-Duos for Doris (Erstwhile)

Martin Siewert/Martin Brandlmayr-Too Beautiful to Burn (Erstwhile)

John Tilbury-Barcelona Piano Solo (Rossbin)

Dion Workman-Ching (Antiopic)

Trapist-Highway My Friend (hatOLOGY)

Otomo Yoshihide/Martin Tétreault-Studio-Analogique-Numérique (Ambiances Magnétiques)

2004

Matt Earle/Will Guthrie/Adam Sussmann-Bridges (Antboy)

Christian Fennesz/Sachiko M/Otomo Yoshihide/Peter Rehberg-ErstLive 004 (ErstLive)

Filament-Filament BOX (F.M.N. Sound Factory)

Margarida Garcia/Mattin-For Permitted Consumption (L’Innomable)

Anthony Guerra/Matt Earle-In (L'Innomable)

Sachiko M/Toshimaru Nakamura/Otomo Yoshihide-Good Morning Good Night (Erstwhile)

Radu Malfatti/Mattin-White Noise (W.M.O/R)

Alfredo Costa Monteiro-Stylt (Absurd)

Keith Rowe/Burkhard Beins-ErstLive 001 (Erstwhile)

Keith Rowe/Axel Dörner/Franz Hautzinger-A View from the Window (Erstwhile)

Keith Rowe/Sachiko M/Toshimaru Nakamura/Otomo Yoshihide-ErstLive 005 (Erstwhile)

Burkhard Stangl/Christof Kurzmann-schnee_live (ErstLive)

Nikos Veliotis/Taku Sugimoto/Kazushige Kinoshita/Taku Unami-Quartet (Hibari)

2005

Olivia Block-Change Ringing (Cut)

English-English (Copula)

4g-Cloud (Erstwhile)

GOD-Anti-Sex/Anti-Wiretapping (Made in Taiwan) (Little Enjoyer/JYRK/GMBY)

Arek Gulbenkoglu-Points Alone (Impermanent)

Will Guthrie-Spear (Antboy)

Graham Halliwell-Recorded Delivery (Confront Collectors Series)

Tomas Korber-Effacement (Cut)

Sean Meehan-Sectors (for Constant) (SoSEDITIONS)

Gabriel Paiuk/Jason Kahn-Breathings (Cut)

John Tilbury/Marcus Schmickler-Variety (A-Musik)

2006

Axel Dörner/Mattin-Berlin (Absurd)

Filament-Dark Room Filled With Light (Uplink)

Klaus Filip/Toshimaru Nakamura-Aluk (IMJ)

Joe Foster-Ethics (no label)

Will Guthrie/Ferran Fages-Cinabri (Absurd)

Bonnie Jones-Vines (EMR)

KRZ (Kai Fagaschinski/Christof Kurzmann)-First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Quincunx)

David Lacey/Paul Vogel/Mark Wastell – Live in Dublin (Confront Performance Series)

Lionel Marchetti-Red Dust (Crouton)

nmperign/Jason Lescalleet-Love Me Two Times (Intransitive)

N:Q-November Quebec (Esquilo)

Keith Rowe/Toshimaru Nakamura-Between (Erstwhile)

Ami Yoshida/Christof Kurzmann- a s o (Erstwhile)

2007

Robin Hayward/Annette Krebs-sgraffito (no label)

Graham Lambkin-Salmon Run (Kye)

Sachiko M-Salon de Sachiko (Hitorri/IMJ)

MIMEO-Sight (Cathnor)

Kevin Parks/Joe Foster- Ibsi Sibi Somnia Fingunt (self-released)

R/S-One (Snow Mud Rain) (Erstwhile)

Keith Rowe-The Room (Erstwhile)

Mitsuhiro Yoshimura-and so on ((h)ear rings)

2008

Choi Joonyong/Hong Chulki/Sachiko M/Otomo Yoshihide-Sweet Cuts, Distant Curves (Balloon & Needle)

Annette Krebs/Toshimaru Nakamura-Siyu (SoSEDITIONS)

David Lacey/Paul Vogel-The British Isles (Homefront)

Graham Lambkin/Jason Lescalleet-The Breadwinner (Erstwhile)

Toshimaru Nakamura/English-One Day (Erstwhile)

Stéphane Rives-Much Remains To Be Heard (Al Maslakh)

Keith Rowe-ErstLive 007 (Erstwhile)

Seymour Wright-Seymour Wright of Derby (self-released)

2009

Cremaster-Noranta Graus A L'Esquerra (Monotype)

Jason Kahn-Vanishing Point (23Five)

Radu Malfatti/Klaus Filip-imaoto (Erstwhile)

Radu Malfatti/Taku Unami-Goat Vs Donkey (Taumaturgia)

Noid/Taku Unami- ˇ‚ + : * (Manual)

Keith Rowe/Sachiko M-contact (Erstwhile)

Various-Relay: Archive 2007-2008 (Manual)

Ami Yoshida/Toshimaru Nakamura-Soba to Bara (Erstwhile)

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around this point, these lists begin to factor in more composition, so gradually away from EAI and towards something more accurately labelled post-EAI or what Michael Pisaro calls 'exmus', short for experimental music. 

=================================

2010

Thomas Ankersmit-Live In Utrecht (Ash International)

Ernst Karel/Annette Krebs-Falter 1-5 (Cathnor)

Tomas Korber/Ralf Wehowsky-Walkuren am Dornenbaum (Entr'acte)

Annette Krebs/Taku Unami-motubachii (Erstwhile)

Graham Lambkin/Jason Lescalleet-Air Supply (Erstwhile)

Kevin Parks/Joe Foster-Acts Have Consequences (self-released)

Michael Pisaro/Greg Stuart-A Wave and Waves (Cathnor)

Michael Pisaro/Taku Sugimoto-2 seconds/b minor/wave (Erstwhile)

Taku Sugimoto/Moe Kamura-Saritote II (Saritote)

2011

Tetuzi Akiyama/Takuji Kawai-Transition (Ftarri/Improvised Music From Japan)

Lucio Capece/Radu Malfatti-Explorational (B-Boim Records)

Greg Kelley/Olivia Block-Resolution (Erstwhile)

Radu Malfatti/Keith Rowe-Φ (Erstwhile)

MIMEO-Wigry (Monotype/Bolt)

Toshimaru Nakamura-maruto (ErstSolo/Erstwhile)

Michael Pisaro-asleep, street, pipes, tones (Gravity Wave)

Michael Pisaro-close constellations and a drum on the ground (Gravity Wave)

Michael Pisaro-Hearing Metal 3 (Gravity Wave)

Keith Rowe-Concentration of the Stare (Bottrop-Boy)

Keith Rowe/John Tilbury-E.E. Tension and Circumstance (Potlatch)

Ryu Hankil/Choi Joonyong/Hong Chulki-Inferior Sounds (Balloon & Needle)

Graham Stephenson-Defiantly Not (Pilgrim Talk)

Taku Unami/Takahiro Kawaguchi-Teatro Assente (Erstwhile)

2012

Marc Baron-∩ (Cathnor)
Antoine Beuger-s'approcher s'éloigner s'absenter (ErstLive) (performed by Barry Chabala/Dominic Lash/Ben Owen)
Kevin Drumm-Humid Weather (self-released)
Matt Earle/Jason Kahn/Adam Sussmann-Draught (Consumer Waste)
Klaus Filip/Toshimaru Nakamura/Andrea Neumann/Ivan Palacky-Messier Objects (Meenna/Improvised Music From Japan)
Jürg Frey-Piano Music (Irritable Hedgehog)
Jason Lescalleet-Songs About Nothing (ErstSolo)
Radu Malfatti-darenootodesuka (B-Boim)
Radu Malfatti/Taku Unami (ErstLive)
Michael Pisaro-fields have ears (6) (Gravity Wave)
Michael Pisaro/Toshiya Tsunoda-crosshatches (Erstwhile)
Reed Evan Rosenberg-At The End of An Endless Stream (Accidie)
Vanessa Rossetto-Exotic Exit (Kye)
Keith Rowe-September (ErstLive)
Various-Dotolim USB (Dotolim)
Manfred Werder-2005¹ (Winds Measure) (performed by Jason Kahn)

2013

Antoine Beuger-24 petits préludes pour la guitare (Edition Wandelweiser)

Antoine Beuger/Michael Pisaro-this place / is love (Erstwhile)

Olivia Block-Karren (Sedimental LP)

Lucio Capece-Less is Less: Music for Flying and Pendulating Speakers (Intonema)

Johnny Chang/Stefan Thut-Two Strings and Boxes (Flexion)

Devin DiSanto-tracing a boundary (Task)

Kevin Drumm-Earrach (self-released)

Anne Guthrie/Richard Kamerman-Sinter (ErstAEU)

Haco/Toshiya Tsunoda-TramVibration (skiti)

Eva-Marie Houben-Piano Music (Irritable Hedgehog)

Graham Lambkin/Jason Lescalleet-Photographs (Erstwhile)

Joe Panzner/Greg Stuart-Dystonia Duos (ErstAEU)

Michael Pisaro-Closed Categories in Cartesian Worlds (Gravity Wave)

Michael Pisaro-The Middle of Life (Die ganze Zeit) (Gravity Wave)

Graham Stephenson/Aaron Zarzutzki-Touching (ErstAEU)

Toshiya Tsunoda-O Kokos Tis Anixis (Grains of Spring) (edition.t)

2014

Kevin Drumm/Jason Lescalleet-The Abyss (Erstwhile)

Hong Chulki/Ryu Hankil-Objets Infernaux (Erstwhile)

Moniek Darge/Graham Lambkin-Indian Soundies (Kye)

Jürg Frey/Radu Malfatti-II (Erstwhile)

Jean-Luc Guionnet/Eric La Casa-Home: Handover (Potlatch)

Utah Kawasaki-U As In Utah (Ftarri/Improvised Music From Japan)

Michael Pisaro-Continuum Unbound (Gravity Wave)

Michael Pisaro-White Metal (Dromos)

Matthew Revert-Not You (Kye)

Vanessa Rossetto-Whole Stories (Kye)

Toshiya Tsunoda/Manfred Werder-detour (Erstwhile)

2015
Ryoko Akama/Greg Stuart-kotoba koukan (Crisis/Lengua de Lava)
Choi Joonyong/Kevin Drumm/Hong Chulki-Normal (Balloon & Needle)
Devin DiSanto/Nick Hoffman Hoffman-Three Exercises (ErstAEU)
Kevin Drumm/Jason Lescalleet-Busman's Holiday (Erstwhile)
Jeph Jerman/Tim Barnes-Matterings (Erstwhile)
Takahiro Kawaguchi/Utah Kawasaki-Amorphous Spores (Erstwhile)
Graham Lambkin-Live at Cafe Oto (Otoroku)
Graham Lambkin/Michael Pisaro-Schwarze Riesenfalter (Erstwhile)
Jason Lescalleet-This Is What I Do, Volume 11 (Glistening Examples)
Gabi Losoncy-Didn't Take Much (Alien Passengers)
Keith Rowe/John Tilbury-Enough still not to know (SOFA)
Various Artists-Experimental Music Concert (Slub)
Various Artists-Nice Weather For War (Kye)

2016

Casey Anderson-Radios (A Wave Press)

Olivia Block-Dissolution (Glistening Examples)

Ian Fraser-Harlem Electronics (Pilgrim Talk)

Sarah Hennies-Gather & Release (Category of Manifestation)

Jeph Jerman/Tim Barnes-Versatile Ambience (IDEA)

Graham Lambkin-Community (Kye/ErstSolo)

Michael Pisaro/Reinier van Houdt-the earth and the sky (ErstClass)

Matthew Revert-An Insect On the Other Side Of The World Climbing Up A Table Leg (Caduc)

Matthew Revert/Vanessa Rossetto-Earnest Rubbish (Erstwhile)

Reed Evan Rosenberg/Ethan Tripp-Medium Rude (ErstAEU)

Vanessa Rossetto-Adult Contemporary (No Rent)

Vanessa Rossetto-The Way You Make Me Feel (Unfathomless)

Keith Rowe-The Room Extended (ErstSolo)

Toshiya Tsunoda-Somashikiba (edition.t)

Taku Unami/Devin DiSanto (ErstLive)
Christian Wolff/Michael Pisaro-Looking Around (Erstwhile)