Remembering Ivor Cutler (15 January 1923 – 3 March 2006)
March 3, 2010
Today it was 4 years since Ivor Cutler died, and I just wanted to send out a little recommending post to introduce you to his music, or just perhaps remind you of his inspiring and amazing humour and imagination.
Casiokids + Kerry Yong at Borealis
March 2, 2010
Thursday march 11th Omar, Ketil and former Casiokids member Matias will perform works by Casiokids, Morton Feldman, the Specials and Giacinto Scelsi in collaboration with English musician and casio-lover Kerry Yong at the Borealis festival in Bergen. This meeting will take place at Landmark 22:30. Hope to see you there!
Kerry Yong will also perform solo at these times the same day:
Thursday march 11 20:30
Venue – Kunstmuseum, Stenersen
Kerry Yong, ‘Cover Me Casio’ #1
Karlheinz Stockhausen, ‘Klavierstück XVI’
Aldo Clementi, ‘Madrigale’
Knut Vaage, ‘Electra’
Kerry Yong, ‘Cover Me Casio’ #2
Thursday march 11 21:30
Venue – Landmark
Giacinto Scelsi, ‘Aitsi’
Peter Ablinger, ‘Voices and Piano’
Messiaen, ‘Dance of Fury’ from Quartet for the End of Time
The Specials, ‘Friday Night, Saturday Morning’
Omar Johnsen (Casiokids) interviews Kerry Yong:
Q How did you come to use Casio keyboards in contemporary music settings?
A It came slightly by accident and is still quite a new project: I was booked to play in a new series called Kämmer Klang in East London that experiments with performing ‘serious’ new music in different settings – like bars. The venue had a piano there on the day the organiser visited it. But then the piano disappeared – the venue hadn’t made it clear that it wasn’t always there. Rather than withdraw, I thought of a crazy substitute. Although these works were originally for piano with electronics, Aitsi by Scelsi also existed as a string quartet and I always wondered if it could work on electric guitars. And Stockhausen’s Klavierstuck XVI allows for the inclusion of electronic synthesizers and samplers. At the same time, a friend had lent me his Casio keyboard (an MT-210), which we were using to make lo-fi retro-sounding music at church. So the experiment of retro-adapting works for an 80s Casiotone began: the project COVER ME CASIO was born.
Q What do think about Walter/Wendy Carlos (with the use of Moog synthesizers on “Switched on Bach”) or other people performing or recording music from the classical world with so called non-traditional instruments?
A I have a generally positive view of adapting music for new forces. I LOVE the Wendy Carlos’s Switched on Bach: they bring out aspects of the music that are killed by a certain seriousness and preciousness in classical performance. And the thing is, great performances of Bach will still continue – it’s very robust music and the diversity is refreshing and illuminating. As for performing or adapting music that isn’t your mother-tongue – I see great value in it: sometimes it will work, sometimes it won’t. But it’s worth giving it a go. And even if the result has a somewhat limited shelf-life, you still learn and experience something new from both musics. And it’s a kind of dare too – the risk is actually quite fun!
Q What are are the reactions like to your casio-oriented performances?
A It certainly depends who you ask. So far, I’ve been fortunate enough to receive only positive reactions, a few baffled but curious ones, but mostly very enthusiastic. However, I did receive one negative reaction to the performance of one work: that it was ‘totally wrong’. I try to take this in the best possible light…
Q I know you are familiar with the Bergen-based composer Knut Vaage. What fascinates you about his work?
A Knut Vaage has an excellent imagination for colour and drama. The Electra pieces (which I will newly adapt for the Festival) have a wonderful palette of colour, noise and space, and a great sense for pacing and action.
Q Which Casio sound (preset) is your favourite?
A But there are twenty delightful ones to choose from – not including the beats and accompaniments! I’ll try to name my top four: vibraphone, ‘funny’, synth guitar and jazz organ. But I want to include more!
US release and tour!
February 25, 2010
According to our Myspace stats the typical Casiokids fan is a 18-24 year old girl/woman from Los Angeles. We’re happy to announce that our new singles/remix/remakes compilation “Topp stemning på lokal bar” will be released on Polyvinyl records june 8th to accommodate her needs. The tracklist will be the same as the Norwegian one, but the cover (as usual done by our friend Petri, this time in collaboration with Aki-pekka Sinikoski) will be slightly different (sorry 18-24 year old girl/woman who has already paid loads of money to get the CD shipped from Norway!). But even better, the album will be out on double vinyl as well! Legendary, and when you buy it (on CD or Vinyl) you will also get Mp3 versions.
Preorder the album from Polyvinyl here
Also (news flash!) we’ll come back to the US in march. Confirmed shows so far are:
13.03.10 USA, New York, Piano’s
14.03.10 USA, New York, Littlefield
15.03.10 USA, New York, Moshi Moshi / Brooklyn Vegan party @ knitting factory
17.03.10 USA, Austin, SXSW / Celebration of sound
17.03.10 USA, Austin, SXSW / Shout it out out @ Creekside lounge
17.03.10 USA, Austin, SXSW / Thunderbird coffee @ Plush bar
18.03.10 USA, Austin, SXSW / Filter party (10:30 a.m.)
18.03.10 USA, Austin, SXSW / Moshi Moshi party @ Red House Pizzeria (15:00)
19.03.10 USA, Austin, SXSW / Lose control party
20.03.10 USA, Austin, SXSW / Polyvinyl showcase @ Galaxy rooms (20:00)
En vill hest – music video!
February 12, 2010
It’s here! And we think it is magical.
Director: Kristoffer Borgli
Editor: Kristoffer Borgli
Producer: Elle-Beth Lønnestad (Fantefilm)
D.O.P.: Håvard Byrkjeland
Animation: Ole-Magnus Saxegård
Grading: Håvard Albertsen (Hocus Focus)
Creative partner: Richard Eriksen
Topp stemning på lokal bar
February 2, 2010
Design by Blank Blank
Announcement alarm. 15th of february Universal Norway will release a compilation on CD of the 4 singles we gave out last year. It also comes with a bonus CD made up of our favorite remixes, remakes and translations done by others and for others. All the songs have been remastered by our friend Andreas Tilliander, and the design was done by Blank Blank. So, Norway only for a start, more news on releases elsewhere coming up soon soon! So, you other countries can still download most of these songs under the release section.
“TOPP STEMNING PÅ LOKAL BAR”
CD 1
Grønt lys i alle ledd
Togens hule
Verdens største land
Fot i hose
Finn bikkjen!
Gomurmamma
En vill hest
Min siste dag
CD2
Verdens største land (Velferd remix)
Fot i hose (Captain Credible remix)
Det snurrer (Casiokids remake of “Det snurrar i min skalle” by Familjen)
Verdens største land (Captain Credible remix)
Fot i hose (Axemax & Big P remix)
Hun er min venstre hånd (by James Yuill, featuring Casiokids)
Fot i hose (Lo-Fi-Fnk remix)
Verdens største land (Axemax & Big P remix)
En vill hest music video, by Kristoffer Borgli coming soon!
New amazing tune from Lo-Fi-Fnk
February 2, 2010
Our swedish friends have made a new sensational track called “Marchin’ in”. Here’s the video. You can also download it from their webpage.
Feddi + Jonny from Bob hund
January 25, 2010
Metz!
January 24, 2010
Casiokids on tour with Hot Chip!
January 18, 2010
Kids. Just to let you know. We’ll be on tour with the band Hot Chip in february. It WILL be crazy. Please get your tickets soon!
We’ll be there the following dates and places.
12.02.10 UK, Glasgow, Academy w/Hot Chip
13.02.10 UK, Edinburgh, Picture House w/Hot Chip
15.02.10 UK, Nottingham, Rock City w/Hot Chip
16.02.10 UK, Leeds, Academy w/Hot Chip
19.02.10 UK, Manchester, Academy w/Hot Chip
20.02.10 UK, Birmingham, O2 Academy w/Hot Chip
22.02.10 UK, Bournemouth, O2 Academy w/Hot Chip
23.02.10 UK, Bristol, O2 Academy w/Hot Chip
24.02.10 UK, Norwich, O2 Academy w/Hot Chip
26.02.10 UK, London, O2 Brixton Academy w/Hot Chip
On the office stereo
January 5, 2010
thanks to Dionne
