Krispen Hartung - Creative Performance & Composition

2009-06-24T07:53:00.001-07:00

Atheist activist meets top Washington officials
http://ping.fm/Bv0Yk

2009-06-24T07:49:00.001-07:00

Thomas Jefferson: “Atheist and Leveler From Virginia”

2009-04-16T07:25:00.001-07:00

In a 1801 letter to Moses Robinson Jefferson wrote that "the Christian religion, when divested of the rags in which they have enveloped it, and brought to the original purity and simplicity of its benevolent instructor, is a religion of all others most friendly to liberty, science, and the freest expansion of the human mind."

Jefferson believed the propagation of religious dogma was the cause of much evil in the world, and he was convinced that reason alone could guide the moral life. In a 1787 letter Jefferson had this piece of advice for his nephew Peter Carr: "Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of God."

Commit it then to the flames!

2009-04-15T21:27:00.001-07:00

When we run over libraries, persuaded of these principles, what havoc must we make? If we take in our hand any volume; of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance; let us ask, Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence? No. Commit it then to the flames: For it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion. "

-- David Hume, Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

2009-04-15T21:23:00.001-07:00

20 possible reasons why you should question all your beliefs

2009-04-15T15:43:00.001-07:00

20 possible reasons why you should question all your beliefs

1. Because many of them are based on convention or tradition, which may be untrustworthy and subject to change
2. Because the objects of your beliefs and what you think are the objects of your beliefs may not be one in the same
3. Because your reasons for believing in them may be flawed
4. Because your reasons for believing in them may not themselves have their own set of reasons, and so on
5. Because you may not know that you know or what it means to know
6. Because you are emotionally attached to them and may not be able to recognize that they unjustified or improbable
7. Because someone told you so, or you read it somewhere, but have no other reasons
8. Because you thought you could justify them by yourself, but you may not be qualified or knowledgeable enough to do so
9. Because you aren't perfect and it's possible that you could be wrong without knowing it
10. Because you have too much pride wrapped up them and you're afraid to admit that you could have been wrong all these years
12. Because you may not have thought them through in to any depth
13. Because a belief is just a state of mind and not a fact
14. Because someone much smarter than you believes the opposite
15. Because you've forgotten why you originally believed in them
16. Because they are too complicated
17. Because you can't conceive how they could possibly be false
18. Because you are annoyed or offended that someone would suggest you should question your beliefs
19. Because you've grown wiser and learned more since you first believed them
20. Because the world is much stranger than you realize

2008-11-09T10:23:00.000-08:00

I am excited to announce my second release with my friend and percussionist, Robert Sterling, from Ventura, CA.

KRIBOPHORIC - "VISCERAL II"

BUY: http://www.papercutsrecords.com/Kribophoric.html
More information: http://www.kribophoric.com
Listen to sample MP3s or Buy MP3s individually: http://www.kribophoric.com/index.cfm?CFID=128224693&CFTOKEN=29820697
This CD represents the culmination of a six-month collaboration between drummer/percussionist Bob Sterling and electro-acoustic guitar player Krispen Hartung. Spontaneously improvised files were exchanged on-line, each player then responding to the previously recorded material. Sometimes just two tracks were ultimately utilized, while at other times several tracks were layered via further improvisations and then mixed in order to better balance the sound. The spirit of the CD lies in it spontaneity, each artist attempting to 'get into the creative head' of the other in order to develop compositions that reflect a mood, a setting, or an implied situation. Bob used a number of acoustic and electronic devices to fulfill his artistic intents, from acoustic and electronic drums to effect units, samplers, his voice, mini synths, and even small objects like plastic straws and twist ties. Krispen's instruments included mini electric and nylon string guitars, nylon string guitar, voice and laptop computer. Bob and Kris continue to collaborate this way and intend to release more CDs of their music on a periodic basis in the future. Their first CD, "Kribophoric-Visceral," will be premiered at the 2008 Boise Experimental Music Festival (BEMF 3) and will be available from the Paper Cuts Records website.

2008-10-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

As usual, I have too many things going on at once. But somehow I manage to get it all done. Basically, I have three CD projects in the works right now. The first is with me and Robert Sterling (we call ourselves Kribophoric). We released our CD "Visceral" a few months ago, and now we are ready to release the second CD based on the same recording sessions. Plus we are now planning a third CD of brand new material, where I'll be playing primarily the nylon string acoustic guitar. The second project is with pianist, Reyn Ouwehand from Holland. We are just now starting to record tracks, after which we'll be passing them back and forth via the internet to create our pieces. The third project will be a solo CD of just me on nylon string acoustic and the laptop computer. I am really looking forward to playing the acoustic more now, after a long time playing mainly the electric guitar. Other than this, Robert and I play duo this October at the Y2K8 International Live Looping Festival in Santa Cruz, CA, where we'll be one of there headliners for the event. And then I hope to be playing at a new free jazz festival in Seattle, in January…no confirmation of that yet.

Kris

2008-09-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

Crimeny! Has it really been since June 20 since I've posted on this blog? Crazy. Too many things going on.

My beer adventures continue upward and beyond, but first a brief instructional video on the technicalities of fermentation, by my three-year old son, Tristan:

So, since my last post, I've brewed several more batches of beer, including a few Belgian "lite" ales, a honey brown ale, etc. More recently, I have gone "all grain" and will not be brewing extract recipes moving forward. I am mashing all my own grain now, which allows more control and produces a higher quality beer. Check out my facebook beer brewing page, which has recipes, pictures of brewing, my gear, etc.

Three days ago I brewed my first all grain recipe of a Belgian ale, which I call St. Prunus Avium or "St. Sweet Cherry". It is a beer modeled somewhat after the St. Bernardus 12, but lower gravity and I added some cherry puree to give a hint of cherry flavor. It should be interesting. Here is a picture of some of the ingredients - cherry puree, hops, and Belgian candy syrup.

On to the music. I will be playing at the Y2K International Live Looping Festival again this year at Santa Cruz, in October. This time I will be a headliner and playing with Robert Sterling on drums, who is from Ventura, CA. I look forward to the break from work.

I should also be playing at a new free jazz festival in Seattle called "Is this Jazz?". This will be in January, but I don't have the details yet.

Kris out...

2008-06-20T16:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I was getting really irriated, but this morning I woke up (and this is after rocking the crap out of carboy at 3pm), 36 hours after I brewed this Chimay clone, and I can see fermenation starting. Whewww! I must have scared it into action. I was starting to think that all three viles of that WLP500 yeast were dead, perhaps from getting exposed to hot temperatures in transit. Weird. I guess this happens sometimes, at least from the literature that I have read, and it doesn't necessarily mean that the beer will turn out bad. I am just used to a real explosion within 12 hours.

...a few hours later.

It's totally kicking ass now. It's like a organic frenzy inside the carboy. Here is a video that I sent to my friend/neighbor who helped me brew this one. It was his first brew.

http://www.box.net/shared/lbw5pn7c44

I don't know why, but watching primary fermentation in the carboy has not stopped amazing me. It never gets old. It's just so intriguing to watch what starts as a static body of liquid turn into a frenzy of living activity. Yeast is awesome!!!

Kris

2008-04-06T12:10:00.000-07:00

Last Thurdsay night, I brewed the Westveleteren 12 Belgium Abbey ale clone. I startd at 8:30pm and by 11:30pm I had the wort ("brew") in the fermenter and ready to store in the basement. It was exhausting, but loads of fun.

My original gravity (OG) reading (taken with a hydrometer) of the final brew was 1.128 (measured at 72F). Based on some tools I received from some expert brewers, and given the Belgium Abbey Ale yeast I used, my estimated final gravity (after several weeks of fermentation) should be between 1.032 and 1.026, which will yield
an alcohol percentage of between 13% and 13.8%. Wow. It's going to kick ass, and that percentage is right in line with the actual Westveleteren 12 ale.

This was a BIG thick and complex brew, so as I expected it took a while to start fermenting and the yeast to gain momentum. It took 24 hours to even start bubbbling in the interlock once a minute. And then by 48 hours it was bubbling 2-3 times a second. You wouldn't believe how much sugar is used in this recipe, for 5 gallon batch.

a. 16 ounce bottle of Dark Belgian Candi Syrup
b. 1 pound of Amber Belgian Candi Sugar (rock)
c. 6 oz of Malto dextrin

Almost 2.5 pounds of sugar, and all this in addition to the sugar produced by the 12 pounds of extra light Pilsner malt grain extract I added, plus the 2.5 pounds of specialty grain extract.

Here is the actual recipe and detailed brew instructions I wrote up:

http://www.box.net/shared/static/n6tzx9ykgw.doc

The recipe I used as a starter is here:
http://homebrewingadventures.blogspot.com/2007/04/westvleteren-abt-12-clone-recipe.html From Brian Richards.

I saved the sample of wort that I used to take the hydrometer reading, kept it in the test tube, and decided to use it as a mini fermenter of the beer. As you can see, the airlock, normally designed to fit inside one of those large 5 gallon glass carboy fermenters, it fits nicely into the test tube. Very convenient. You can see it starting to ferment and produce a nice head.

Kris

2008-04-02T18:09:00.001-07:00

Beer, beer, beer. Yes, that's what I've been into lately. Belgium beer, to be more precise. Even more precise, Trappist Belgium beer, any one of only six varieties in Belgium brewed by monks: Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Achel, Westmalle, Westveleteren, Check this out...

Just look at the six un-labeled bottles. Yup...those are six bottles of Westveleteren 12, probably one of the highest rated beers in the world, bought only in Belgium (you can buy the other five varieties in the USA). I have an employee in Belgium who brought me those, when we met at a team meeting in Houston. Amazing. This stuff tastes out of this world. I am so grateful. But it gets better. I have started to brew my own beer. I started with a variation of a nutbrown ale (with a slight twist, the addition of 16 oz. of Belgium Dark Candi syrup to the brew for spice). You can see a video of it fermenting below, with lots of bubbles coming out of the airlock. Quite entertaining, if you have nothing else better to do on a Friday night. :)

My next project, a brew I will start next week is a Westveleteren 12 clone, based on this recipe: http://homebrewingadventures.blogspot.com/2007/04/westvleteren-abt-12-clone-recipe.html If all goes as planned, in about 16 weeks, this glass will be full of my own Westveleteren 12 clone beer, vs. the imposture Chimay Blue clone it it now :).

Kris

2008-03-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

Time to check in. Too many updates, but I'll give it a shot.

Two new CDs out since the last one noted on this blog: Music Unfit for Children and Mojo at the Dojo. More here: http://www.krispenhartung.com/. Full song MP3s are free.

Music Unfit for Children

Mojo at the Dojo

I have been working on a new CD with Robert Sterling. This very well could be one of my best works. It is primarily guitar and percussion, not a lot of electronics, but mostly guitar and looping effects with my max/msp Kaiser Looper. More to come on this. Here is a sneak preview: http://www.box.net/shared/static/s7akaou0w0.mp3

The 3rd Annual Boise Music Festival is coming along well. More here: http://www.boisemusicians.com/BEMF-3/

...some outstanding musicians coming this year. Really impressive. I can't wait for May 28!

Finally, my new mini archtop jazz guitar should be complete very soon. This is a very unique instrument. Check out the history here: http://www.krispenhartung.com/mini-jazz-guitar/index.htm

Kris

2007-07-15T13:40:00.000-07:00

Project MRI by (CT) Collective

Project MRI is a collection of compositions based on a set of sample recordings of a MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine. The artists, all members of (CT) Collective, manipulated these sample recordings with various effects and audio software, using the output as their final compositions, or using it as a backdrop for adding additional recorded tracks from various instruments.

More info: http://www.krispenhartung.com/mri/index.htm

2007-07-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

...my newest CD release, "Mandolin from Mars". You can read more below, download sample sound clips, and view CD artwork on the web.

Mandolin from Mars is colorful and complex exploration of the 6-string mandolin and laptop computer. This work weaves a fantastic story of the "red planet," babbling mountains, and menacing telepathic messages from the ancient chimera of HP Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos.

Krispen Hartung - 6 string mandolin, vocals, guitar, laptop computer, real-time looping

Website: http://www.krispenhartung.com/mandolin-from-mars/index.htm
BUY: http://kunaki.com/Sales.asp?PID=PX00DQY6HH

Credits

CD cover artwork by Mike Oglesbee (shaboodude@hotmail.com)
CD production by Kunaki (www.kunaki.com)
CD outside tray photos by Tarey P. of Thee Art Of (www.theeartof.com)
"Reanimation" was recorded live at the 2nd Annual Boise Experimental Music Festival, with Vincent Miresse on percussion

Sample Sound Clips

Unintelligible Archetypal Babble from the Face - http://www.box.net/shared/static/7qjdb75zzg.mp3
Astrophonic Dreams in the Tube - http://www.box.net/shared/static/ok3vj504kx.mp3
Probe Out - http://www.box.net/shared/static/nbststyf8e.mp3
Trenches - http://www.box.net/shared/static/5maacjopzr.mp3
Thirst for Ancient Shores - http://www.box.net/shared/static/1qrsmqcda6.mp3
Reanimation - http://www.box.net/shared/static/a71glfsqvn.mp3
Cthulhu On Mars - http://www.box.net/shared/static/s5c9v2ruz8.mp3

CD Themes

Anyone who has managed to follow my discography, while taking note of the themes I have emphasized as inspiration for my music, will also observe that I am almost always fixated upon the ideas of space, science fiction, and horror (especially the Lovecraftian sort). I’m afraid this CD is no different. These themes continue to occupy my thoughts and heart with the same fascination and intrigue that I experienced as a child.

As with most of my works assembled on compact disc, I tend to freely improvise the music, let the music do the talking, and then title the songs and tell the story accordingly. Mandolin from Mars has two stories to tell.

The first story is regarding this so-called "mandolin from mars." I decided to play an instrument relatively new to me, namely, the 6-string mandolin. The instrument has six single strings (not doubled like the traditional four-string mandolin), and it is tuned like a guitar. It was therefore not difficult for me, as a guitarist of 25 years, to grasp the fundamentals of the instrument and play it in a convincing manner almost immediately. However, the small fret spacing on the mandolin proved challenging and forced me to take the songs on the CD in a different direction than from the idiosyncrasies I normally exhibit on the guitar. Consequently, I titled the CD "Mandolin from Mars" because the instrument was alien to me (i.e., metaphorically from Mars), which compelled me to generate a musical feel that would seem alien to listeners relative to what they normally expect from the mandolin.

Playing the mandolin on this CD was therefore an experiment. I did not practice the instrument before recording, but rather I immersed myself directly in the instrument to express myself as best as I could without being colored by familiarity with its musical character.

The second story is the usual one. The titles and order of the pieces on this CD frame a series of images and concepts. Here is the “CliffsNotes” version: The so-called face of Mars sends a radio message to Earth, which the title depicts as “Unintelligible Archetypal Babble from the Face.” This concept is accentuated by the fact that it is the only song on the CD that was recorded with only my voice, processed with the laptop computer. After the babble from the face, Earth sends out a manned probe to investigate. (Remind you of "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "2010: The Year We Make Contact"? It should.) During the space trek to the red plant, and while in their life support cold-sleep units, the astronauts are haunted and possessed by telepathic and menacing messages from an alien being on Mars. (The being is Cthulhu, and this is basically consistent with the Cthulhu Mythos for anyone into that story by HP Lovecraft.) Think of this when you hear the song “Astrophonic Dreams in the Tube,” but take note that some of the sound effects you hear are a processed recording of an MRI machine. (I was inspired to do this after receiving an MRI and experiencing back surgery.) I actually enjoyed the MRI, which inspired me to produce more CDs like this!

...back to the story. Shortly before the manned space probe lands on Mars, Earth loses contact (“Probe Out”), after which the astronauts are driven (again by telepathic commands from Cthulhu) to cultivate some of the "trenches" on Mars, fill them with water (“Thirst for Ancient Shores”), and then reanimate Cthulhu, the ancient Lovecraftian beast. After this activity, Cthulhu rises to the planet’s surface to...well, who knows? That is for the imagination of Lovecraft fans, but one might suspect that the creature remains on Mars to build a new alien kingdom. Either that or he makes his way back to earth to torment us…

Cheers,

Kris

2007-04-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Boise Idaho, Thursday, April 26 through Saturday, April 28 2007 ~ Visual Arts Collective, at 1419 Grove Street, continues its commitment to the Boise Area art and music communities with the presentation of the 2nd Annual Boise Experimental Music Festival (BEMF)

Last year, the 1st Annual Boise Experimental Music Festival was a huge success and received accolades that placed Boise on the map of other high caliber music festivals from around the world. The festival received significant coverage in both the Boise Weekly and Idaho Statesman "Thrive," and it was awarded a grant from the Idaho Commission on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts.

Continuing the momentum, the 2nd Annual Boise Experimental Music Festival will feature 23 performances from 26 artists from around the country, including several major representatives of the experimental, avant-garde, and creative music genres from New York, Chicago, California, Seattle, Wisconsin, and British Columbia. This program will truly be a stellar and mind-blowing event for enthusiasts of creative and innovative music art. BEMF will feature a unique form of music that is rarely ever heard or promoted locally. At no other time or place in Boise will music enthusiasts be able to experience such a focused and professional representation of the creative and avant-garde music arts.

PERFORMERS

Amy Vecchione (Boise, ID)
Breccia (Boise, ID)
Craig Green (Idaho Falls, ID)
Jeff Kaiser & Gregory Taylor (Ventura, CA, Madison, WI)
Gretchen Jude (Boise, ID)
Jared Hallock (Boise, ID)
Kris Hartung (Boise, ID)
Lumper-Splitter (Oakland, CA)
Margaret Noble and Edyta Stepien (Chicago, IL)
Moe! Staiano + Z'EV (Oakland, CA)
Patrick Benolkin (Boise, ID)
Rick Walker (Santa Cruz, CA)
Rob Price & David Grollman (New York, NY)
Stefan Smulovitz (Vancouver, B.C.)
Ted Killian (Medford, OR)
Tom Baker (Seattle, WA)
The Transhumans (Ventura, CA)
Unicorn Feather (Boise, ID)

EVENT DATE & TIMES

April 26, (Thurday), 8:30-10:30pm
April 27 (Friday), 8:30pm-Midnight
April 28 (Saturday), 2:30pm-Midnight

TICKETS

$15 for all 3 days or $10 a day at the door or the following locations:

Boise Co-Op
888 W Fort St., Boise, ID
(208) 472-4500

Visual Arts Collective
1419 Grove Street
(208) 424-8297

BEMF website: http://www.boisemusicians.com/BEMF-2/tickets.htm

For more information, including artist biographies, event schedule, and music samples, visit the 2nd Boise Experimental Music Festival website at: http://www.boisemusicians.com/BEMF-2/

EVENT SUPPORT

Krispen Hartung, Festival Coordinator
(208) 724-5603
info@krispenhartung.com

BEMF was made possible through support from the following local sponsors:

· Visual Arts Collective - http://www.visualartscollective.com/
· Boise Weekly - http://www.boiseweekly.com
· Thee Art Of – http://www.theeartof.com
· AudioLab Sound Recording - http://www.audiolab.org/
· Boise Co-Op - http://www.boisecoop.com/
· 3 Shapes Aikido - http://www.3shapesaikido.com/
· Boise Community Radio - http://www.radioboise.org/
· Good Boy Rufus Custom Design Services - http://www.goodboyrufus.com/

Krispen Hartung
www.krispenhartung.com / www.myspace.com/krispenhartung
1st Annual Boise Experimental Music Festival
http://www.boisemusicians.com/experimental
2nd Annual Boise Experimental Music Festival
http://www.boisemusicians.com/BEMF-2/

"X is it"

2007-03-03T20:24:00.001-08:00

Did it work? Yes "it" works. What is "it"? It is what 'X' denotes in "X is it". Can X be anything? Yes, it CAN be anything. Can X be nothing? Depends on which theory you subscribe to. Is Nothingness a property?

2007-03-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

This is a pre-Press Release announcement of the 2nd Annual Boise Experimental Music Festival (BEMF 2).

BEMF 2 is going full steam ahead and is on target to occur on April 26-28, 2007 at Boise's Visual Arts Collective. Tickets are now on sale at the BEMF 2 website (http://www.boisemusicians.com/BEMF-2/), and at will go on sale at the Boise Co-Op (888 W Fort St.) and Visual Arts Collective (1419 Grove St.) on April 1. Ticket prices are $10 a day or $15 for a three day pass (that's a mere $5 day for over 12 hours of some of the most creative music going in the United States).

BEMF 2 will feature 23 performances and 18 artists from around the country, including several major representatives of the experimental, avante-garde, and creative music genres from New York, Chicago, California, Seattle, Wisconsin, and British Columbia. This program will truly be a stellar and mind-blowing event for enthusiasts of creative and innovative music art.

The performance lineup for the festival is now set and the schedule is published on the website:
http://www.boisemusicians.com/BEMF-2/ (follow the "schedule" link at the top menu).

Event Times

April 26, (Thur), 8:30–10:30pm
April 27 (Fri), 8:30pm–Midnight
April 28 (Sat), 2:30pm–Midnight

BEMF 2 Performers

Amy Vecchione (Boise, ID)

Breccia (Boise, ID)

Craig Green (Idaho Falls, ID)

Jeff Kaiser & Gregory Taylor (Ventura, CA, Madison, WI)

Gretchen Jude (Boise, ID)

Jared Hallock (Boise, ID)

Kris Hartung (Boise, ID)

Lumper-Splitter (Oakland, CA)

Margaret Noble (audio) and Edyta Stepien (video) (Chicago, IL)

Moe! Staiano (Oakland, CA)

Patrick Benolkin (Boise, ID)

Rick Walker (Santa Cruz, CA)

Rob Price & David Grollman (New York, NY)

Stefan Smulovitz (Vancouver, B.C.)

Ted Killian (Medford, OR)

Tom Baker (Seattle, WA)

The Transhumans (Ventura, CA)

Unicorn Feather (Boise, ID)

IMPORTANT: Because the Boise Experimental Music Festival is fundamentally a non-profit event, it cannot occur without the support from local businesses, organizations, and individuals, who value and wish to support artistic diversity in Boise and the surrounding Treasure Valley. In order to cover event costs and help fund travel expenses for top notch artists from around the country, this event cannot proceed without financial donations and sponsorship.

If you are or know of a business or individual who may be interested in supporting BEMF 2, please have them contact me at the email or phone number listed below. The website also has a PayPal button and link for people to donate using their Visa or Master cards. All proceeds will go directly to BEMF 2 costs and musician travel.

BEMF CD Set

And finally, I have a very special announcement and opportunity for individuals to support this year's festival. Excerpts of the 1st Annual Boise Experimental Music Festival are now available on a two CDs (BEMF Vol. 1 and BEMF Vol. 2) for $11.99 each. As with sponsors and those who donate, all proceeds will go directly to BEMF 2 event and musician travel costs with the ultmate goal of everyone breaking even! You can view more information, listen to MP3 samplers, or buy the two CDs at this web page:

http://www.boisemusicians.com/experimental/CD.htm

A very special thank you also goes to the musicians on these CDs, who were generous enough to allow the sale of their live performances to support the experimental music scene in Boise, Idaho, USA. Hats off to you all, ladies and gentlemen! :)

Cheers,

Krispen Hartunghttp://www.krispenhartung.com/ / www.myspace.com/krispenhartung info@krispenhartung.com / 1.208.724.5603

BEMF 2: http://www.boisemusicians.com/BEMF-2/
BEMF 1: http://www.boisemusicians.com/experimental
BEMF on Myspace: http://groups.myspace.com/bemf

2007-03-03T19:59:00.000-08:00

I have a new CD release, a collection of songs I have been sitting on for some time, but just haven't had the chance to design the CD, package them, and get it out. Here it is, at last...probably the last CD you'll see from me for a while that isn't entirely off the deep end (next stop is planet Mars). Fragments is a collection of live electro-acoustic performances recorded at public venues or via the Internet. This free improvisational and avant-garde work exhibits a balance between the sound of the acoustic guitar and electronic processing via the notebook computer and various tone altering effects.

Krispen Hartung - Guitar, real-time looping, voice, percussion, computer-based signal processing

More info the CD, including MP3 Samples here: http://www.krispenhartung.com/fragments/index.htm

2006-12-13T20:51:00.000-08:00

Performing at the Visual Arts Collective...

"A Night of Spontaneous Compositions: Jeff Kaiser, Craig Green, & Krispen Hartung"

Date: January 13th (Saturday)
Time: Doors @ 8:30pm, Showtime @ 9pmCost: $10 at the door
Where: Visual Arts Collective, 1419 Grove Street, Boise, ID, 208-424-8297

Jeff Kaiser - Quarter tone trumpet, laptop computerwww.jeffkaisermusic.com
Craig Green - Guitarwww.craigjgreen.com
Krispen Hartung - 6-string mandolin from Mars, laptop computerwww.krispenhartung.com

Another belated update and letter to myself

2006-11-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

Well, let' see....what's happened since the last time I wrote. Last October was the Y2K6 International Live Looping Festival in Santa Cruz, Oakland, and San Francisco, California. Great event. I played Thursday in the City, Friday at Oakland, and Saturday in Santa Cruz, which was where the main festival occurred...over 50 live looping musicians from all over the world. Check out the website. I recorded the entire event, and I'm slowly getting the MP3s posted. Check out my recording with Jeff Kaiser on Thursday.

http://www.y2k6loopfest.com/

Other news. I'm working on two new CDs: "Mandolin from Mars", an experimental work of me on the 6-string mandolin and laptop computer; and "Flatus Vocis", my first all vocal experimental looping CD. I hope to have the first one ready for release by March or so.

Finally, I'm now mastering the files for the double-CD of the Boise Experimental Music Festival. That should be on sale by March or so, which I'll use to help fun the 2nd Annual Boise Experimental Music Festival, the first weekend of May.

K-

The Virtual Boise Experimental Music Festival!

2006-05-31T21:44:00.000-07:00

Hello all -

Now that the dust has settled, I can say with confidence that the Boise Experimental Music Festival was a great success and turned out to be nearly everything I had expected. I received comments from many attendees and performers indicating that this event was top notch, very
professional, and comparable to other major experimental, avant-garde, or electronic music festivals all over the world. I'd like to extend a big "thank you" to all who attended, performed at, or supported the event. BEMF could not have occurred without you.

I have managed to create the closest approximation to a "virtual" version of the festival. At the BEMF website at the Sound & Video and Images pages, you can find MP3s of many of the performers, mini videos, and a lot of pictures.

Feel free to download anything you like and spread the word to all your friends, discussion groups, and email distribution lists.

http://www.boisemusicians.com/experimental/index.htm

In addition, some of us in the BEMF crew and group of performers are thinking of producing a 2-disc compilation CD of the event. We could potentially sell it and use part of the profits to fund next year's festival. I'll provide more updates on this at a later time.

Now get ready for the 2nd Annual Boise Experimental Music Festival!

Cheers,

Kris

*************************************************
Krispen Hartung
www.krispenhartung.com / www.myspace.com/krispenhartung
info@krispenhartung.com / 1.208.724.5603

Boise Experimental Music Festival

2006-05-11T09:02:00.000-07:00

Videos, Pictures, and MP3s are now available from the Boise Experimental Music Festival.

http://www.boisemusicians.com/experimental

Go to Sound & Video or Images. There will be more MP3s posted from the Saturday schedule by end of next week.

Kris

NEW CD: Interstellar Delirium

2006-05-11T08:51:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce the release of my newest CD "Intersteller Delirium," with me on guitar, real-time looping, computer electronics, voice, and sound effects; and Jared Hallock on electronic percussion, marimba, acoustic drums, sound effects.

ABOUT THE CD

Interstellar Delirium is a delightful entanglement of insane free-improvisation and avant-garde electronica inspired by imagery of a spaceman's last dying moments and twisted hallucinations in the vacuum of space.

Krispen Hartung - guitar, real-time looping, computer electronics, voice, sound effects
Jared Hallock - electronic percussion, marimba, acoustic drums, sound effects

HOW TO BUY

Buy the CD at CD Baby" for $12.99 US here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/krispen4

Buy the CD in MP3 format for $5.00 US, listen to song samples, or view CD artwork here: http://www.krispenhartung.com/interstellar

SAMPLE SOUND CLIPS

Disconnect-Drift - http://www.box.net/public/mhuxhpimyz
Anseriformes Dementis - http://www.box.net/public/0mcn1u56no
Horror Vacui / Neuro-Collapse - http://www.box.net/public/h1d6jrehq6
Narcoticlysm - http://www.box.net/public/9er67t5j81
Repair - http://www.box.net/public/y21zairlv1
We Implode - http://www.box.net/public/khyxocvebl

Cheers,

Kris

Jazz Trio

2006-02-25T22:09:00.000-08:00

Oh yeah, the jazz trio website…

http://www.boisemusicians.com/newvibetrio

Peace,

Kris

New CD Coming Out - "Interstellar Delirium"

2006-02-25T22:07:00.000-08:00

I have another CD coming out, probably in the mid April timeframe. It is called "Interstellar Delirium", featuring a collection of totally insane free improv, avant-garde tunes with me on guitar, real-time looping, voice effects, and computer electronics; and Jarod Hallock on electronic drums, acoustic drums, marimba, and sound effects. I'm finalizing the CD design in the new few weeks and send everything off for product mid March. One song was recorded live at the Bouquet night club here in Boise, ID. I doubt they'll ask us to play again because we went off the deep end to such an extreme…I mean, we were off our rockers. On one song, I was laughing hysterically and looping my voice, reversing it, dropping it to half speed, etc, etc. Some of our set was really intense and atonal as well, partly free jazz, partly free electronic/ambient. The doorman said we really challenged folks in terms of their pre-conceptions of music, but I think we just scared the shit out of them and blew their minds. The funny thing is, this type of bizarre experimental music is nothing new…you can find stuff like this recorded in the 60s and earlier, but Idaho appears to be in a musical time warp in when it comes to comprehending or appreciating this genre of music. Of course, I'm working on changing this here with things like starting the first Boise Experimental Music Festival (www.boisemusicians.com/experimental). Give it time. It will happen.

By the way, I started playing in a jazz trio everyone Monday night at Boise's Milky Way restaurant. It's good to be playing jazz again, to provide a balance to the exerimental and free improv music I've been playing. The jazz really really works my chops and technical ability. The first few weeks were rough…I hadn't played some of the tunes for over 3 years. It's getting better.

Xperimentus Released!

2006-01-18T21:25:00.000-08:00

Are you Xperienced? Heh heh. This is a belated blog to myself.

Anyway, the new CD is out. More info here: http://www.krispenhartung.com/xperimentus

I setup so that folks can buy it in MP3 format only, with CD artwork and all for only $5.

Kris out….

Project MRI

2005-12-26T20:41:00.000-08:00

I forgot to mention…when I had the MRI on my back a few weeks ago, I loved the sound that the machine made! It was amazing. I laid down on a sliding table, and they pushed me into a sarcophagus like tube with mere inches around my entire body. They put large headphones on my head, and then for the next 30 minutes I was eased into a seemingly euphoric and meditative state. What I heard were a series of interesting sounds...from jackhammer-like hammering, to buzzing or vibrating cycles, bizarre sci-fi industrial like sounds, and so on. It was delightful. The MRI technician said it was a rarity for someone to actually enjoy that procedure. At one point in time, I was in a half waking/dream state and was awoke by my leg twitching. I could have stayed in there most of the day. And the amazing thing is that when I asked about the source of the sounds, he said they were not mechanically generated; rather, around my body, encased in metal, was a giant electrical coil surrounded by helium, chilled down to a cool minus 270 degrees. The sounds were a result of changes they were making in the electrical current and the resulting vibrations to the machine. Unbelievable...not sure how all that produces an image of my back, however.

So, I did some research and found someone at Stanford University to record and send me some sound clips of a MRI machine. What I wanted to do is manipulate the clips with some effects and then use them as a backdrop for my experimental looping guitar work. But I went even further…there is this virtual group of musicians, the CT Collective, who starts music projects based on themes and end up producing a virtual CD of downloadable MP3s. I proposed "Project MRI" and I now have 12 other musicians from around the world using these MRI sound clips for their own unique compositions. The project will be done next June, and I may even produce it on physical CD. Here is the Yahoo Group for the project: http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/CT-MRI/

Check out the MRI sound clips here: http://box.net/public/khartung/folders/142793.html

Xperimentus on CD Baby!

2005-12-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

My new CD "Xperimentus" is now on CD Baby at…

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/krispen4

I am now only 8 days from sending out the release email for this project. I also sent press release packs and CDs to our two local new papers…not sure if they will review the CD - because it's not exactly mainstream - but we'll see.

On top of this, I started another collaboration CD project, called "Project MRI." I was able to acquire some sound clips of an MRI machine. The clips were recorded by a friend of a musical peer here in Boise. Me ad 11 other musicians from around the world are using these sound clips to create our own experimental music compositions. We'll be manipulating and altering the source sound clips and using them as background for additional musical parts. This should be done by next June or earlier. I can't wait to start working on my part…as soon as my back recovers and I'm not on bed rest (I had my back surgury two days ago).

2005-12-17T19:47:00.000-08:00

Good grief...where has the time gone? I forgot I had a blog. My blog was in the fog.

At any rate, a lot has happened since my last post. I don't even know where to begin. I released a new solo looping CD, "Descent to Self" (http://www.krispenhartung.com/descent), I finished a new collaboration CD, "Xperimentus" (http://www.krispenhartung.com/xperimenttus), which will release on New Year's Day, 2006, and I am coordinating the 1st Annual Boise Festival for Experimental Music to be held here in Boise, Idaho (USA) on April 28-29. This event will be HUGE! I got the Visual Arts Collective, a local art studio and organization, to host and promote the event. I will be making the event completely multi-faceted, complete with experimental film and performance art intermissions, live artists painting with the music, and video visuals on the walls.

And on top of all of this, my Grandmother passed away last month and I have a ruptured disc in my lower back, which will probably require operation next week. It can't all be good, right?
I'll be taking 2 weeks off from work, starting December 22....I'm really looking forward to that. I won't be playing until mid January or so, to give my back a chance to recover.
I've been collaborating more with other experimental and improvisational musicians lately. I met this percussionist, Jared Hallock, who really understands experimental music. We jammed at his place in Eagle, ID several months ago, and we really hit it off. We performed together at a Moxie Java last month....great gig...we played 2 songs in 2 hours! We'll be playing at the Bouquet here in Boise mid January as well, seeing if we can get the masses used to our flavor of abstract experimental music and looping.

I met this other guy, a keyboard player, and I hope to play a performance with him in January or February. Finally, while rounding up musicians to play at my experimental music festival, I met these two guys over email...both have PhDs in electronic music and have composed some really wild material. I hope to play with them live in the coming year as well. So, I'm pushing myself to play more with others. It really makes it more gratifying and an interactive experience. Every experimental duo is unique.

Kris out...

2005-09-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was probably the worst gig I ever experienced...totally horrific. Just about everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. To start, the night before my 85 year old grandma slipped on the hardwood for of my kitchen and landed on the back of her head, knocking her out unconscious, and bleeding profusely. We had to call the ambulance, take her to the emergency room at the hospital, and she has been in the hospital since. She is fine and they are keeping her in the hospital as a precaution, to observe her, take a cat scan to ensure there is no internal bleeding, etc....main point being that I was up until at least midnight the night before the gig, and then I got up a 5:30am to pickup my percussionist and drive 3.5 hours to the art festival. It was a arts festival that I signed up for...a pro bono gig to support the arts.

So here is where the nightmare starts. We get to this little town where the arts fair is, and not only is it totally overcast, but there is new snow on the mountains nearby (September), and we can see our breath as we get out of my Jeep. First bad sign....my fingers don't work to well on the guitar when it's that cold. So, it starts to warm up a bit, and we discover that the sound man is behind schedule. We were supposed to start at 11:30am, but we didn't even start doing a sound check until 11:45pm. Then I had some major technical difficulties with my system, getting both my guitar and the percussion to loop through my Gibson Echoplexes, and come through the main channel of my mixer board...that takes a while to troubleshoot. In the mean time...the lady that is coordinating the whole thing is pressuring us to start playing....so while we are working the bugs out, she decides to have the act after us start part of their show, which incidentally was her singing of full vibrato, church-lady style. Gasp! She finishes her song and we finally start playing....but what the $#@!*&%!? My looped signal is not coming through the main PA speakers....so in the panic mode, I just start playing solo guitar style...some jingle-jangle jazz stuff...Aaron, my percussionist and good friend adapts and plays his ashiko along with me...no loops though...after that song, I decide to push a few buttons on the board, and what the hell...my looped signal is coming through, but there are no monitors, no percussion in the loops, and the looped signal is not coming through my headphone signal, which is what we were using for our monitors. Okay, I can deal with that...I can just rely on what I hear in the main PA speakers. So we limp through our shorten set, and then I discover probably the most ludicrous thing about this event...the lady who coordinated it built ABSOLUTELY NO transitions between the acts! Totally unbelievable. In other words, there is no setup or teardown time before or after acts. So she's practically yelling at us to get our gear off the stage so that the next act can start in, ehhhh, 30 seconds? Yeah right. We manage to just scoot my rack off to the side, but the real kicker is that at 3pm we are scheduled to play again, meaning we have to set all this shit up again with no transition time, thus eating into our set.

But it gets more ludicrous. After we get off the stage, we discover what is lined up for the other performing acts. Totally crazy...5 old blue hair women and a man who are dancing and singing on the state to pre-recorded music. I mean, this is freakin' hilarious, everything from the Charleston to clog dancing. And it's the same damn performers each time...they just changed into different costumes in their tent and played musical chairs. This was starting to seem like a sick and twisted joke. Who the hell is going to come listen to an improvisational and avant-garde looping duo when what they have to lure them into the area are blue-haired church ladies singing with the most unbearable vibrato, barely hobbling around with some old dance moves, etc? Talk about a marketing/promotional fiasco.

And the temperature outside gets colder, and colder....then my wife calls me from home, and she had to take our 4-month girl twin to the emergency room because she was cold, handles purple, etc...she was fine eventually...long story but we discovered the source. And to top it off, my wife and her mother (staying with us at the time) have both acquired the stomach flu and are vomiting, trying to take care of the twins. They end up calling our nanny to work on the weekend to help out.

So, 3pm comes around and the schedule is now 1 hour behind....remember, no transitions. I'm freezing, and I feel like I'm getting sick....yes, most likely the stomach flu. We probably won't start playing until at least 4:30, which puts me back home later than 9pm...not acceptable given the situation at home. So I negotiate with the lady coordinator and she thinks its fine that we just not play and leave. So we pack are stuff up and drive off like bats out of hell.....good riddens, man.

Aaron drives my Jeep because I have the cold chills and hot flashes, plus I feel like I'm going to vomit. We finally make it home, I crawl into bed, and spend the a good portion of the night in the bathroom, ejecting fluids from every orifice in my body.

2005-09-07T22:38:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog...not much of one, but a start. I'll be using this tool to rant and rave about anything and everything related to my music - gigs, new CDs and live sound clips, gear, colloboration with other musicians, my thoughts on improvisation and looping, etc, etc. For now, I'll leave you with my website: http://www.krispenhartung.com. More later...