The world renown thereminist Pamelia Kurstin returns to ISSUE Project Room, Pamelia has been a rock star, rollerskater, party girl, classical virtuoso, jazz bassist and much more. She explores the unique sound of this exotic cult instrument through digital delay and other electronic effects. Her work is haunting and quirky—a perfect compliment to a moonlight drive, rainy afternoon or a soft summer evening.
Brian Dewan
Brian Dewan used to build furniture for a living and as of late is making and projecting I-CAN-SEE filmstrips. Two CDs, Brian Dewan Tells The Story and The Operating Theater feature songs with autoharp and electric zither accompaniment. He has exhibited drawings and filmstrips at The Brooklyn Museum, The New Museum, Pierogi gallery, The Armory Show and Modern Art Oxford. His recent recording of Lewis Carroll’s The Hunting Of The Snark has aired in London and New York.
While studying art, organ and composition at Oberlin College he recorded electronic music with Putney, Buchla, Arp and Moog synthesizers. He plays zither and other instruments with The Raymond Scott Orchestrette and arranged Scott’s electronic music for live acoustic septet in collaboration with accordionist Will Holshouser. In addition to performances of instrumental music he has also provided live accompaniment to the silent films of Ladislaw Starewicz, Harry Smith, Ester Shub, Oscar Fischinger, and rare films from the Mark Newgarden collection. These were screened at Lincoln Center, Galapogas, Tonic, The Robert Beck Theater and The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium.
Leon Dewan
Leon Dewan apprenticed to his inventor father since early childhood, helping him to construct homemade test equipment and numerous electromechanical, solid state and vacuum tube based radio frequency prototypes. He recorded his first electronic music in 1980 with a calculator and an electronic quiz game which broadcast signals to a clock radio tuned between stations. In 1989 he received a degree in physics at Yale University. He has played guitar and sung in New York based band The Happiest Guys In The World as well as The Philistines Jr, Shaumgummi, and Dangerspoon, and has made guest guitar and production appearances on several Guster recordings. He collaborated with sculptress Kathleen Griffin and for the Sculpture Center’s inaugural In Practice series created an installation involving large hollow spherical bodies made of hard candy with circuitry inside that caused the candy spheres to self-resonate at various points along their resonant spectrums. Governed by slow chaos, they harmonized in unpredictable ways, “singing” to each other in the vaulted cellar of The Sculpture Center in Queens.
Leon has performed at Rich Forum, the Knitting Factory, and Pierogi2000 Gallery, among other venues.
doors at 8pm, showtime at 8:30pm