With Friday Night Laneways, Organic Data just around the corner, we are excited to chat with musician, teacher, composer and DJ Craig Parry (Puzhaki). Craig is bringing an interactive audio-visual set to Organic Data at Fish Lane, South Brisbane during the World Science Festival Brisbane. In the spirit of art, science and technology, Craig’s shares insights into his experimental electronic sounds.

Kerry: As a professional musician and DJ, live electronic music performances and music technology are part of your daily work. Can you tell us more about what’s involved in composing and the technology used in performances?

Craig: The compositional process can start anywhere and be inspired by anything really. I’m a multi‐instrumentalist so often just experimenting on different platforms will reveal concepts and ideas that can be later developed in the computer. I’m a music technology enthusiast, so employ quite a vast cache of programs both mobile and desktop to develop my work. Programs such as Logic, Ableton Live, MAX MSP and NI Traktor feature quite heavily though.

Kerry: What influences your original and experimental sound works?

Craig: At this point in my career it is moving much more toward textural palettes and cinematic sound stages. I am always inspired hearing music that merges field recordings and organic sound design with traditional instrumentation. Heavy processing of sounds from obscure sources also tends to influence my direction so I spend a decent amount of time with microphones or sampling rare vinyl & tapes for textural breadth.

Kerry: You’re mixing things up for Organic Data by combining original and local electronic music with an interactive VJ set. What can we expect from your performance? Can you tell us more about how viewers can interact with your set?

Craig: The Organic Data performance is still evolving and I expect will do so right up until the day! But at this stage the foundation I am building on will be delivered in 2 simultaneous parts. The audio side of it will be a combination of local, through composed music and live improvised sound design using material that I have previously collected in field recording from the Fish Lane area. The Visual side of the performance will be an audio reactive, VJ set, projecting onto the side of one of the buildings in the lane. The projected video will be interactive in the sense that audio members will be able to use wireless remotes to affect the video signal in real-time.

Kerry: Where can we keep up to date on your upcoming events?

Craig: Most of what I do in the performance and composition world can be found at: www.craigparrysound.com The things I do with Music Education can be found at my school website: www.musictechacademy.com

Thanks so much Craig, really looking forward to the performance for Organic Data!

Kerry

Friday Night Laneways, Organic Data is an initiative of Brisbane City Council.

• Where: Fish Lane, South Brisbane (over the road from the Qld Museum)
• When: 6-10pm, Friday 11 March, 2016
• This is a free event, bookings not required.
• www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/whats-on

Image: Craig Parry, Interactive audio-visual set (detail), 2016. Pre-production still for Organic Data. Courtesy of the artist.