The Bike Bin Project is a bicycle tour of Seattle from the constrained perspectives of several of Seattle's most iconoclastic and brilliant composers. Each composer has assigned an exact time and exact place for the piece to be experienced. The listener may venture to these specific places at these specific times and press play on their mobile music device. For more music and in depth information, go to www.thebikebinproject.com.
The Bike Bin Project has somewhat of an odd genesis, so I'll try to stick mostly to recounting what happened, instead of getting mired down in the details of why or how. I started working on a piece of music (now titled "Sexecutive Cummary"). When I had a sketch finished (about 20% done) I got drunk, listened to it on headphones, and then simultanesouly recorded myself giving a "DVD commentary" to the as yet unfinished piece. I then sent just that commentary mp3 (not the music) to the august Chris Delaurenti, the kickass new music writer for The Stranger. I instructed him to listen to my commentary and provide an audio "response" (thinking it would be a recording of him lambasting my commentary). By "respond" I meant ANY audio artifact that was inspired by the audio commentary. I was thinking he would write a review, record himself reading it, and then email it back to me. But to my surprise/delight, the rascal did something better. He took the first few moments of my commentary, before I started speaking, and stretched it out, and processed the living shit out of it, to create this eerie-underwater tome of tungsten and crystal. Gorgeous. To which of course, I had to then set out and ruin. I took Chris' audio file and ran it through a MAX program that was created by Ben Houge, the kickass game composer currently living in Shanghai. The program is like a black box of aleatoric nightmares that weirdly processes whatever audio you run through it. I have no control over what it shits out. And what I got on the other end of the program was this barren-haunting conversation amongst choked winds. Equally gorgeous. Music remixed from a response to a commentary of music that has yet to be created.
Then, I sent out that remix to the most briliant and compelling group of composers in Seattle, with the instructions to return to me an audio response - no parameters and no constraints except that it had to somehow be based on the remix I had supplied them. For example, if their response was a small paper mache sculpture, then I would record myself describing it. Or their response could be to record themselves talking about what they might do if they had the ability/inclination to do something. Or they might write and record a completely new 18 hour opera. Abstraction upon abstraction upon abstraction.
And upon receiving their responses, they also supplied me with the exact times and locations that they wanted a listener to experience their piece. And that's pretty much how the whole thing went down. Every response that I've received is astounding. So download, get on a bike, and enjoy Seattle. Thanks.
Map of the Week: Where Were You When You Heard Obama Had Won.
No matter how you voted on election day, this is clearly a defining moment in our history. Mark yourself on the map and write a few words about where you were and how you felt.
Have never been to Seattle but sure hope to have this avail when I do!! Until then I will just sit, close my eyes, and take that ride!! Thank you - great project
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