Mattin by Hrvoje Goluza (Paris May 2007)
Biography:
Mattin is a Basque artist working with noise and improvisation. His work seeks to address the social and economic structures of experimental music production through live performance, recordings and writing.
Using a conceptual approach, he aims to question the nature and parameters of improvisation, specifically the relationship between the idea of ''freedom''and constant innovation that it traditionally implies, and the established conventions of improvisation as a genre.
Mattin considers improvisation not only as an interaction between musicians and instruments, but as a situation involving all the elements that constitute a concert, including the audience and the social and architectural space. He tries to expose the stereotypical relation between active performer and passive audience, producing a sense of strangeness and alienation that disturbs this relationship.
Discography
Mattin
has published more than 50 records on different labels all over the
world, alone and in collaboration.
Labels
Mattin
runs the label w.m.o/r which focuses on experimental works with a
conceptual and minimalist approach. He also runs Free Software
Series, a label dedicated to promote works that are realized using
free software and the chaotic netlabel Desetxea (
http://www.mattin.org/desetxea.html),
which has more than 150 references.
Collaborations
Mattin
has collaborated with many musicians inlcuding:
Eddie
Prevost (Sakada), '' ''
[sic] Tim Goldie (Deflag Haemorrhage/Haien Kontra), Lucio Capece
(NMM), Mark Wastell (Belaska), Rosy Parlane, Radu
Malfatti, Taku Unami, Dion Workman, Junko, Billy Bao,
Xabier Erkizia, Alberto Lopez,
Josetxo Anitua & Inigo Eguillor (Josetxo Grieta), Tim Barnes,
Matthew Bower, Oren Ambarchi, Margarida Garcia, Dean
Roberts, Klaus Fillip, Bruce Russell, Matt Earle, Campbell Kneale,
Werner Dafeldecker, Cremaster, DD Kern, Kouhei Matsunaga, Christof
Kurzmann, Matthew Hyland, Joel Stern, Anthony Guerra, Takehiro
Nishide, Taku Sugimoto, Yasuo Totsuka, Axel Doerner, Masafumi Ezaki,
Tony Conrad, Michel Henritzi and Philip Best.
Performances
Mattin
has toured Europe, Japan, USA, China, Australia and New Zealand.
He
has performed in many international festivals including: ad libitum
(Warsaw 2007), Argos (Brussels 2007), Sonorites (Montpelier 2007),
Densites (Fresnes en Woevre 2007), Jazz Festival (Mullhouse 2007),
Noise Festival (Ljubljana 2007), Sonic Protest (Paris 2007),
Escena contemporanea (Madrid 2007), ErstQuake
(New York
2006), No Trend (London 2006), Parthenay Festival (Parthenay 2006),
LMC festival (London 2005), What is music? (Australia
2004),Improvisations (Adelaide 2004), Avanto (Helsinki 2004), Lieux
Communs (Montreal 2004), Observatori (Valencia 2004), Ciberart y MEM
(Bilbao 2004), LEM e Improvisa ( Barcelona 2003), Freedom of the City
Festival (2003 & 2002 London), Konfrontation 2003 (Nickelsdorf),
SKIF 7 ( 2003 San Petersburg & Moscow) , Wrong Festival
(Barcelona 2002), MEM (Bilbao 2003, 2002, 2001), Ertz 2001 & 2002
(Bera) y Elektronikaldia (2001 Donostia/San Sebastian).
Writing
Mattin
also writes about improvisation, noise, culture in more general terms
and intellectual property. His texts have been published in books and
magazines such as: Work the Room (b-books, Berlin),
Mute magazine (London), Soliloquio (Getxo), Gara (Euskadi), Arsenal
(Londres), 3t (Bergen), The Wire (Londres) y MEM codex
(Bilbao). Mattin has edited the book ''Bilbao
Acabado'' dealing with role of culture in the regeneration process of
Bilbao.
He is currently editing a book titeld
''Noise & Capitalism'' that explores the relationship of
experimental music with the economic system that we are living in.
''Noise & Capitalism'' will be published in English and Spanish
by Arteleku-Audiolab in collaboration with [un]common sounds
(Donostia/San Sebastián).
Lectures
& Workshops
He
has given lectures and workshops about improvisation in different
places such as: MAK (Vienna), Zagreb, Adeleide and Basque Country.
Exhibitions
He
had exhibited his sound work in places such as Arthouse (Dublin),
Arteleku (Donostia/San Sebastian), Abisal y Sala Rekalde
(Bilbao), CataLyst Arts (Belfast), Cubbit Gallery (Londres), ZAIM
(Yokohama), Alma (Londres).
Media
Mattin
has appeared on TV and radio, including the ''mixing it'' program on
BBC and Resonance FM (London).
He
has received many reviews and articles in the international music
press, such as Time
Out (New York), Berria (Euskal Herria), The Wire
(London), Reveu et Corvige, (Grenoble), Signal to Noise (Texas), Ruta
66 (Barcelona), Autsaider (Kiev), and El Correo (Bilbao). He was
described as of one of the best laptop performers of the moment
(Jonathon Dale, Signal To Noise USA).
Grants
& Residencies
He
has twice received grants from the Basque government to realize
different projects (2004 & 2005). One of these projects was
''Bilbao Acabado'' (http://www.mattin.org/bilbaoacabado.html),
an investigation of the role of culture in the the processes of
gentrification in post-industrial cities like Bilbao. A part of the
project was the publication of the book with the same name.
In the summer of 2003 Mattin had a residency in Vienna at Quartier 21, Muesums Quartier ( www.mqw.at).
Website:
Email: