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About the Artist
Presspectives

Profession Reporter

Dan Warburton

Duration 46.06 | Released December 2008

Profession Reporter - the reference to Michelangelo Antonioni`s 1975 film of the same name is entirely deliberate and for you to figure out - is the latest in a series of works, following on from Warburton`s Walks series and Compendium Maleficarum III (with Frederick Farryl Goodwin), that seeks to further break down the already fragile barriers separating composition and improvisation, natural (field recordings) and man-made (improvised) sound. Sourced from recordings made in Morocco in three different locations at three different times of day - morning, midday, evening - and extracts from live improv concerts in France, featuring Kyle Bruckmann, Bertrand Denzler, Greg Kelley, Jean Sébastien Mariage, Bruno Meillier, Bhob Rainey, Fabrizio Spera and Warburton himself - it`s voyage of discovery across space and time for composer and listener alike.

About the Artist

After studies at Cambridge University and a Harkness Fellowship to pursue a doctorate in Composition at the Eastman School of Music (Rochester NY), Dan Warburton settled in Paris in 1988. In 1992 he was awarded the Lili Boulanger Prize for Composition, and subsequently was commissioned to write for the Composers Ensemble (UK) and the Newt Hinton Ensemble (NL). Since 1997 he has been Editor in Chief of the Paris Transatlantic web magazine (www.paristransatlantic.com), and also writes regularly for The Wire (UK) and Signal To Noise (US). As a performer he has recorded with Jean-Luc Guionnet, Edward Perraud, François Fuchs, Bruno Meillier, Eric La Casa, Nikos Veliotis, Fred Blondy, Martine Altenburger, Jean Sé Mariage, Arthur Doyle and Reynols, for labels including Tzadik, Wergo, Leo, Ayler, Chloe, Absurd, Durtro, SMI, Crouton, Meniscus, Creative Sources, Not Two. He has also performed with John Butcher, Hans Tammen, Radu Malfatti, Kyle Bruckmann, Scott Rosenberg, Greg Kelley, Bhob Rainey, Tetuzi Akiyama, Daniel Erdmann, Bertrand Gauguet, Bertrand Denzler, Pascal Battus, Alan Courtis, Aaron Moore; Alan Licht, Aki Onda, Alex Bellenger and Jac Berrocal.
Picture of Dan Warburton

Presspectives

Nicola Catalano, BLOW UP 130

Compositore e giornalista, in "Professione: reporter" Warburton opera come vero e proprio reporter audio, accostando registrazioni repertate sul campo in Marocco nel luglio del 2006 a improvvisazioni strumentali dal vivo realizzate insieme ad una schiera di usuali collaboratori (Greg Kelley, Bhob Rainey, il nostro Fabrizio Spera, Bruno MeillierŠ). Riuscito tentativo di abbattere le ormai già fragili barriere tra musica organizzata, improvvisazione e impiego di field recordings, il lavoro si fa apprezzare per discrezione e rispetto che l'intero ensemble mostra nei confronti delle sorgenti originali. (7/8)

Nick Cain, THE WIRE 301

A sort of concrète compositional conceit, the album threads together field recordings Warburton made in Morocco with concert recordings of various French and US improvisors, including Kyle Bruckmann, Greg Kelley, Bertrand Denzler and Fabrizio Spera. Its three tracks establish contrasting levels of discord and equilibrium between the two sound sources. “Al-Sabaah” embeds discreet instrumental sounds in a bucolic nature setting, while “Al-Dhahiira” pits sharper improvisations in a bustling dialogue with what appears to be an urban marketplace.

Warburton might be playing provocatively on the cultural contrast between an obscure and rarefied Western artform and everyday life in Arab North Africa, or making a point about the importance of improvisation in quotidian routines. Then again, his intent might be purely aesthetic.

[AT note: or all the three above]  

GONZO #91

Met de film ‘Profession Reporter’van Michelangelo Antonioni heeft deze cd niets te maken. Niet direct althans, al is de titel vast niet voor niets gekozen. Het meest dichtbij dat de twee elkaar naderen is in de locatie van Antonioni’s slotscène (Algerije) en de locatie van de field recordings van Warburton. Het zijn de geluidsopnamen die hij heeft gemaakt in Marokko die de ruggengraat van drie tracks vormen. De opnamen worden gecombineerd met fragmenten uit live-optredens in Frankrijk in 2001-2003. Niet dat je iets herkent dat doet denken aan concertregistraties, en zelfs het rijke instrumentarium (onder meer oboe, saxofoon, trompet, gitaar, viool, piano, percussie en elektronica) is soms alleen bij geconcentreerde beluistering herkenbaar. De field recordings zijn gemaakt op drie verschillende locaties en op drie verschillende tijdstippen. De ochtendopname laat vooral vogelgeluiden, een kraaiende haan, kraken en verre geluiden horen. Bij de middagopname wordt de natuur naar de achtergrond gedrongen door de aanwezigheid van de mens: een brommer, ander verkeer, bezigheden, stemmen. Hier treden ook de instrumenten meer naar voren, maar de geïmproviseerde muziek vormt met de omgevingsgeluiden een organisch geluidslandschap. In de avondopname keert de rust terug en worden de klanken van de instrumenten gemengd met geluiden van vogels, cicaden, water en zachte stemmen. Wie zichzelf de tijd gunt om drie kwartier werkelijk te luisteren, wordt meegenomen op een knappe auditieve reis. De beelden mag je zelf erbij creëren. (rm)