GI Gurdjieff Iannis Xenakis Horatiu Radulescu Sylvano Bussotti Luigi Nono Giacinto Scelsi The Hafler Trio Mauricio Kagel Merzbow Nurse With Wound Arvo Part Jean Barraque Brume Lustmord Zoviet France Thomas Koner Alfred Schnittke John Duncan Harry Bertoia Janek Schaefer Luc Ferrari Z'ev Ilhan Mimaroglu Jani Christou Fernando Arrabal Alejandro Jodorowsky Antonin Artaud Francois Rabelais Jerzy Grotowski Emilio Vedova Octavio Paz Alan Watts J. Krishnamurti D.T. Suzuki Beroalde De Verville Alfred Jarry Peter Greenaway Federico Fellini Ken Russell Tinto Brass George Bataille Seneca Martial Spanish Baroque South American Baroque Pierre Klossowski Friedrich Nietzsche
Sounds Like
misc
" ..... which is man , with all his limbs lending , borrowing , and owing . For nature has created man for no other purpose but to lend and borrow ... life consists of blood . Therefore there is only one task entrusted to this microcosm , that is continuously to forge blood . At the forge , all members play their different parts ; and their hierarchy is such that one borrows incessantly from another , one lends to another , one is another's debtor . To find , prepare and cook this nourishment , the hands work ; the feet move and transport , thee whole mechanism , the eyes act as guides ; the appetite in the orifice of the stomach , by means of a little sour black humour , which comes to it from the spleen , gives warning to shut in the food . The tongue makes a test of it ; the teeth chew it ; the stomach receives it , digests it and chylifies it . The mesaraic veins suck out of it what is good and suitable , leaving the excrements , which are voided by an expulsive mechanism along special conduits and conduct it to the liver ; which transmits it once more into blood ...."
Craig Hilton was born in New York and now resides in Raleigh, NC.
His first experimentations in sound began as a teenager with a guitar and a 4 track tape recorder, unknowing of the catalogue of experimental music that came before him.
After intensive study of classical and flamenco guitar for years, he finally started to return to the idea of abstract sound designs and noise with an industrial project called Sixtus V, where he became obsessed with the idea of using electronic means (i.e. samplers, treated tape loops) to achieve sounds he was not able to create with guitar alone.
These experimentations led him down the path of more "stand-alone" pieces, utilizing clusters and creating large walls of sound completely in the electronic domain. As a result, there was a collaboration between his project at the time and the late MSBR.
Since 2001, Craig has been involved with many other projects. He toured Europe for the first time as guitarist/live electronics of the free improv. group The Feraliminal Lycanthropizers, playing in Sweden, Amsterdam, Berlin and in Hamburg as part of the Nozart Improvised Music Festival, sharing the stage with the likes of Franz Hautzinger, Tim Hodgkinson, Hans Koch and others.
Also at this time he was creator and sound designer for The Centre for Transgressive Behaviors, an experimental theatre group built around the ideals of the Theatre of the Absurd and the Happenings.
As a full time thought process, this particular group enabled Craig to really coordinate the interaction between concrete and composed sound with the live action of the performers. The group still has remnants in the US and Europe.
After a few years touring with a band back in the US, Craig once again gave full effort into his electroacoustic pieces.
Since early 2008, Craig has began performing live with his guzheng (Chinese zither). He felt the need to once again have the interaction between live acoustic and live electronics.
He has done two tours in Europe since late 2007, performing in Berlin with Derek Houlzer, Marcelo Aguirre and Penelope X, in Brussels with Yannick Franck and most recently in London playing guzheng alongside Steve Beresford.
AMatra review in Vital Weekly :
C.HILTON/Y.FRANCK - A-MATRA (CDR by Young Girls Records)
There is always, almost on a daily basis, new names to be explored. For instance Craig Hilton and Yannick Franck. The first 'has been composing sound via electoacoustic transformation and live improvisation since 13 years' and the latter is 'a multidisciplinar artist from Belgium envolved in electro-acoustic composition/improvisation and visuals'. For their joint release 'A-matra' they didn't meet up. Franck sent his sound material to Hilton who in return processed the material. In Sanskrit 'a-martra' means 'of indefinite measure, undetermined' which may be an appropriate title for this release. Hilton re-creates the original (which we of course didn't hear) into quite massive blocks of sounds, working them out in a way in a bunch of loaded and dramatic compositions. I am not sure how it was recorded, but it seems in a sort of concert/live atmosphere, or perhaps he used some of similar plug in throughout all of these three long pieces. That is a pity since it makes them sound similar throughout the various parts of the pieces. That for me didn't work to well, but on the other hand a few of the pieces are quite good. Almost orchestral in approach, I was reminded of the Oblivion Ensemble for this combination of the orchestral, improvisation and sampling techniques. And that is not a bad comparison. (FdW)
Smoking Mirror and PU94 review in Vital Weekly :
C. HILTON - THE SMOKING MIRROR (CDR by Young Girls Records)
MAURIZIO BIANCHI & C. HILTON - PU 94 (CDR by Simple Logic Records)
Its been more than a year since we reviewed Craig Hilton's work with Yannick Franck (see Vital Weekly 574), but here he returns with two releases, one solo and one in collaboration with music legend Maurizio Bianchi. Both releases indicate 2007 as the year of release, but both are in fact just released - why no error correction? From the ancient Aztec mythology comes the title: "Smoking Mirror" linked Tezcatlipoca to obsidian, a black, volcanic stone whose shiny surface could be used as a mirror." That is somehow reflected (pun intended) in the music, which is quite a dark mass of sound too. Hilton uses 'everything' he says here 'Electronic sound sources, microtonal acoustic instruments, treated acoustics, found sounds', and moulds it together into three pieces of highly dense music. Everything is layered and stacked together, whereas the original sounds blurr and obscure, but in make a beautiful dark ambient symphonia. Much like his previous release with Franck, Hilton (of whom I
never heard any solo work), this is an orchestral piece of music. Strings sound out loud, rain drops become waterfalls, and electronics tie everything together. Silence is absent in the music of Hilton - there should always be something heard. This work I thought was better than the one with Franck, since Hilton uses a variety of sound sources and techniques to keep things interesting. Nicely controlled dark atmospheres.
Which perhaps can also be said of the work conducted by Hilton and Bianchi. The process was like this: Hilton provided the basic material in the form of nine or ten sounds, which were reworked by Bianchi 'into an organic perpetuum mobile' and then the final mix was created by Hilton. Two long pieces at work here, a bit more monolithic than the 'The Smoking Mirror' and also a bit more electronic, with a lesser emphasis on field recordings and acoustic instruments - unless of course they have ultimately disappeared in the electronic processes that were used in this music. Big amorph masses of sounds, an ocean of cascading sounds, with many shades of grey collapse, collide together. Until a real collision takes place and things suddenly change shape, color, depth, speed or intensity. This is likewise a great release, perhaps not entirely suitable to be played right after eachother, but music to be played in the dark for sure (or to be avoided in the dark if that scares you too much -
such can be the effects of these). (FdW)
Vital Weekly Review 668 of " I Will Be the Light " :
UR & CRAIG HILTON - I WILL BE THE LIGHT (CDR by Afe Records)
A joint fascination for the work of Maurizio Bianchi brought them in contact with Craig Hilton, who did a collaboration with Bianchi (see Vital Weekly 644). Ur send Hilton four different takes of music and asked him to work freely with that. The title comes from Timothy Leary, about his ashes sent into space. Again, the whole Bianchi link is not very difficult to hear in the three pieces. Unlike Ur on their own, which have a more gritty, lo-fi electronic sound, this is more of a digital processing kind. The metallic sounds are filtered and re-processed into a new world of its own. Floating like rusty space ships - to stay on the thematic approach of the title, moving and humming. A bit like Organum's early works, but then covered with electrically charged dust. A very fine work too, more refined that the previous Ur release, and the industrial music of the 21st century. Chilling. (FdW)
Kulturterrorismus review of : " I Will Be the Light "
(text is in German only )
Eine rauschende Hommage für Timothy Leary!
VÖ: 2008 Label: Afe Records
Genre: Industrial, Noise, (Dark) Ambient, Drone, Ritual
Diese Publikation “I will be the light” im CD-R Format in einer Auflage von 100 Exemplaren auf Afe Records fördert eine spannende Zusammenarbeit zwischen dem italienischen Projekt Ur (Federico Esposito (Heartside, Den LXV) & Mauro Sciaccaluga (Never Was, Downright, Kafka, Den LXV)) & dem amerikanischen Soloartisten Craig Hilton zutage, welche ausschließlich via Web entstand und ohne persönlichen Kontakt auskam.
Inhaltlich basiert das Oeuvre “I will be the light” auf dem Satz: “Light is the language of the sun and the stars where we will meet again.“, den Timothy Leary (1920 – 1996) kurz vor seinem Tode aussprach. Der amerikanische Psychologe & Autor Timothy Leary erlangte durch seine Forderungen, bewusstseinserweiternde Drogen wie Meskalin, Psilocybin und LSD frei zugänglich zu machen, einen weltweiten Bekanntheitsstatus. Nach Timothy Learys Ansichten sollten psychedelische Drogen als maßvolles Mittel zur Neu-Programmierung des Gehirns und zur Öffnung der menschlichen Prägung eingesetzt werden, aber ausschließlich in überwachten Räumlichkeiten, um den Wirkungsverlauf zu kontrollieren. Damalige wie heutige Psychonauten (Konsumenten von psychedelischen Drogen) kennen im Besonderen folgenden Ausspruch des Amerikaners: “Acid is not for every brain - only the healthy, happy, wholesome, handsome, hopeful, humorous, high-velocity should seek these experiences. This elitism is totally self-determined. Unless you are self-confident, self-directed, self-selected, please abstain.“, wodurch ihr Handeln zum Elitismus aufsteigt. Diese Hommage von Ur + Craig Hilton an Tiomothy Leary dürfte jeglichen Drogenbeauftragten nicht zusagen btw. gefallen, aber hingegen echte Untergrundfetischisten ansprechen, die szenetypische Thematiken schätzen!
Musikalisch erwartet den geneigten Hörerkreis auf diesem Opus eine psychedelische bzw. rauschende Symbiose aus den Stilen Industrial, Noise, (Dark) Ambient und Drone, welche durch rituelle bzw. okkulte Momente “Spickung” bzw. Akzentuierung findet. Vornehmlich “werkelten” die Erschaffer mit stringent fließenden Strukturen, wodurch die drei überlangen Tondokumente (Minimum knapp 17 Minuten) auf “I will be the light” einen hohen berauschenden Charakter aufweisen, der zwischen rollender Bedrohlichkeit & hypnotischer Schönheit schwingt. Zur Auflockerung der Klangwelten fügten die Protagonisten Ton- wie Sprachsamples ein, die diese CD-R sehr organisch klingen lassen. Wer extrem abwechslungsreiche Releases in den vorher aufgezählten Genres schätzt, sollte diese zu vernehmende feine Melange des Trios aus Italien & Amerika unbedingt antesten.
Auf die Nennung eines konkreten Anspieltipps verzichtet meine Person, da alle Tracks auf “I will be the light” nur in einem Komplettdurchlauf einen tieferen Sinn bzw. ein Hörerlebnis ergeben.
CRAIG HILTON – The Smoking Mirror
Young Girls Records
A typical example of unexpected “wow” after slicing open an innocuous packet of CDRs. Three tracks from a composer who was totally and shamefully unknown to me before today, working in the frightening fringes of electroacoustic authenticity. The 35-minute “He Who Walks Among Us” is a puzzlingly haunting amassment of ringing shades - from string-like to metallic, a sort of “Glenn Branca meets Mirror at David Jackman’s house” - and organic percussiveness following Martian harmonic laws, moving in succession along paths leading to an undesired wisdom permeated of unworldly non-comprehension, overawing gloom and disheartening remorselessness, highlighted by droning undulations that literally grip the stomach pit during selected – and magnificent - sections of the piece. “Possessor Of The Earth And Sky” introduces further explorations in the macrocosm of unforgiving scouring, echoing squeals and clashing upper partials intersected in archaic blessedness, roaring inscrutabilities determining the abatement of the lucidity rate until a chaotic underworld full of chipmunk-voiced fiends and giant buzzing flies annihilates our defences. “Is An Enemy Of Both Sides” seals and stamps the program with a subterranean chorale of out-of-tune corpses trying to understand the right direction to end, at the very least, in a purgatory where grimacing faces of drunk necromancers testify to the impossibility of arriving at the required levels of psychological balance. Should you feel gone astray in these opulently gothic soundscapes, no worry: the worst is yet to come. Don’t try this at home if you’re depressed, it is pretty heavy – and, to a degree, absolutely brilliant.
CRAIG HILTON – Craig Hilton
Self-release
As it happens, discretion does not pay in terms of artistic recognition until the decision is taken to let someone know that you exist and do something positive, possibly not implying the standard level of overconfident egotism hiding a desperate superficiality. Craig Hilton, a composer who shows an undeniable ability but is probably too humble for his own good, is a man whose art I felt respect for since the first instants. He sent me a few of his releases a considerable while ago, as usual approached with culpable delay on my behalf, and one struggles to determine which is the best. This unassumingly packaged CDR – an entirely white sleeve, except for the titles - contains three splendidly diverse samples of this artist’s talents, each generating that sort of inner fluctuation and existential uncertainty that will never be experienced by listening to Mozart, and that is the fundamental spur to keep living selflessly.
The magnificent opening track - “Guzheng Improvisation 4” - bestirs the previously sheltered idealization of a stable mesmerism through a congruous exploration of the natural reverberation of a room; the instrument gets outrageously animated, ominously dissonant resonances alternated with turbulent contemplations of unreachable galaxies, echoes of a past reality ricocheting all around the place in an unprejudiced exhibition of open-minded creative acumen bathing in orchestral instantaneousness in one of the most absorbing music pieces heard in a long time. “Untitled Collaboration” also features Ur and, although decisively altering the scene’s characteristics, once again denotes an originality that’s there to admire. The palette in this case excludes sources of blissful entertainment almost completely, as the artists privilege vocal maledictions underscored by wavering drones and electronic morphing à la Roland Kayn, a palpable tension emerging to transform the soundscape in a paralysing demonstration of inadaptability, any sense of redemption cancelled by the awareness of a toxic incontrovertibility. “Untitled Piece For Strings” is a worthy conclusion, a wrapping layering of semi-static chords that, more than strings, seem to be born from a huge harmonium. The processing work is subtle yet effective, its foremost quality an intrinsic slow oscillation that sounds like a slight detuning, the very reason of further moments of cruel emotion.
Review Of " I Will Be the Light "
Blow Up Magazine ( Italy )
january 2009
...la sigla genovese trama invece con Craig Hilton nel CD-R "I Will Be The Light". Tre brani di durata prossima ai venti minuti che convincono soprattutto nello sviluppo piacevolmente mutevole che alterna pathos scoperto, inquiete esplosioni, torbidi crepitii e taglienti scudisciate in "The Path Beneath", con "Essential Salt" che predilige una meno frastagliata attitudine ambient e "I Wll Be the Light" che procede in lenta ascesa seraficamente lustmordiana.
[Paolo Bertoni]
Review in Gothtronic :
Indirectly it was Maurizio Bianchi who brought Ur and Craig Hilton together. Craig just had collaborated with Bianchi for the PU 94 recordings when one of the Ur members had an interview with him. Ur and Craig even never met each other but Ur did send Craig a tape to manipulate and rework, telling him he was free to do whatever he wanted. The results of this distant collaboration I have in front of me called I will Be the Light, named after an article of LSD guru Timothy Leary. Timothy said that he wanted to be cremated, and that he wanted to get his ashes into space.
A sound of rattling static is starting “The Path Beneath”. Subliminal sounds rise from this electrified static and slowly you will get in more mellow atmospheres with shifting sounds of manipulated voice. The music is full of static, drones and fluxing sounds that swift in the atmosphere like a colossal spaceship in the vast universe and is coming nearer very slow.
While listening I Will Be the Light you got sucked in the atmosphere very easily as the sounds are consumer friendly. The music slowly evolves and the lengthy tracks seems to be separated in chapters as the sounds continually changing from static to more recognisable sounds like bras and voice. In “Essential salt” space has been penetrated deeply with a spacious sound and a slow bras melody. Crystal tinkling and silent static adding some extra depth and psychedelia.
Maurizio Bianchi doesn’t seem very far away as influence to this work and the metal rattling and scraping has the subtlety of Organum. Ingredient to make sure you are dealing with a fascinating album with a symbiosis between noise and spacious ambient.
From Chain D.L.K. :
I think that Afe Records is becoming the new Amplexus, with the odd size, aesthetically pleasing packaging. I have reviewed two other albums from Ur and they specialize in noisy atmospheres, but I had not heard of Craig Hilton. Evidently, he has collaborated with the likes of Maurizio Bianchi and MSBR, and this shows through from the opening moments of the album. Where Ur is more restrained in their noisiness, “The Path Beneath” unloads from the very beginning, only then dropping the volume to draw the listener in. The music crackles like fire and noise bursts into the quiet, foreboding atmosphere like someone operating a grinding wheel in a cavernous factory building. Eventually, the noise builds to a deafening crescendo, only to end in spastic bursts of noise. The silence after these assaults makes you quite aware of what you have just listened to. “Essential Salt” follows a similar trajectory, with noise that the gives way to atmosphere. This track incorporates long periods of silence, but after the opening track, the listener is waiting to be assaulted by noise. However, we are met with a soothing wash of heavy drones with a bit of noise beneath the surface, rather than a outright blast of noise. Nicely done. The title of “I Will Be the Light” is taken from Timothy Leary’s description of wanting to have his remains shot into space and burn up in the atmosphere in a flash of light. This track slowly transitions from ambient noise to a more consuming wall of noise in such a way that you wonder when you began listening to a noise track and just as gradually transitions back to dark ambient soundscapes. This album uses moments of silence and quiet to draw in the listener and provide a sense of motion in the composition. Despite Ur’s self description that they are all about free improvisation, this album feels like a meticulously crafted composition. This album is limited to 100 copies and weighs in at about 57 minutes.
Review from Heathen Harvest 9/09 for " I Will Be the Light ":
UR is a name I have been keeping track of for a while. Gladly having both "Trieb" and "Triadic memories", I was happy to put my hands on their second album on AFE records, this time working together with Craig Hilton for three tracks. "I will be the light" is their work, growing from sporadic vibrations to epic and monuments of sound. With Hilton on their side, their sound is enhanced and make their album a slow and an even richer fist to the bowls than usually.
The improvisational group UR, with Federico Esposito, Mauro Sciaccaluga and Andrea Ferraris collaborated with Craig Hilton in two ways in this album, two ways that are distinct from each other and can be recognized throughout the album. Hilton can be heard playing alongside UR and adding his musical effort to theirs, while on other parts he literally played with their music, manipulating it to his liking. Both "The path beneath" and "Essential salt", who were manipulated by Hilton, are beautiful in the way they develop. The organic-sounding layers of low trumpet or trumpet like drones, as heard in "Essential Salt" are making the high pitched shrieks that accompany them sound even more majestic. A plague of locusts is literally being played over the low drones of the (Salty, if you will) ground. UR manage to sound ceremonial without the usual gimmicks of ritualistic music.
"I will be the light" is a different matter entirely. Sounding powerful and dramatic from the first moment to the last. With metallic screams over a low melody that grows more and more intense as each second passes. It seems like the last track grows very emotional and while it begins very slowly and heavily. It will end with the feeling of spreading infinitely into space. Almost begging to be heard in complete darkness and at full volume, this third part of the album can charm you with the slow, whale-like breathing of its begining and the way it becomes a stellar overdrive sonic sun.
Thos who know UR already should not waste their time thinking whether to get this album or not. They know what to expect and actually this is even better than the expectations. Those who do not know UR will find this album a beautiful and interesting way to introduce this band. Since Craig Hilton has the last word on each of the three tracks of this album, I can safely say he has done a great job and showed how well he can manage other people's music (He might have done this in the past as well, but I am not familiar with other collaborations he might have had). A great album for a band you should put your eye on!
03 16 2001 Nozart Festival für Improvsierte Muziken w/ Kollegu Pischu ( Wanne ) , Harald Sack Ziegler ( Köln ) , Thomas Borgmann Trio ( Berlin ) , Franz Hautzinger ( Wien )
KOLN GERMANY
03 25 2001 Smålands Nation
LUND SWEDEN
03 27 2001 Panora
MALMO SWEDEN
09 Dec 2006, - With Caustic Castle and Chefkirk Kirk Adams Gallery
107 W. Hargett St. ( inside Father & Son Antiques building )
Raleigh, North Carolina
04 Jul 2007, Nightlight Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Craig Hilton & Crowmeat Bob w/In the Year of the Pig, Inspector 22 and the Bramble Ramblers, Yellow Crystal Star, and Black History Moth.
28 Sep 2007, - Recess @ Nightlight
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Another Company-style thing where we mix & match folks in improvised settings. Performing will be Chris Eubank ..o, David Morris on tuba, Christopher Thurston on double bass, Shannon Morrow and Jenks Miller on drums, Craig Hilton on laptop and/or guitar, Steve Burnett on electronics, myself on reeds/guitar and possibly others.
25 Oct 2007,- @KITA
C.Hilton , Derek Houlzer , Les Coulees Succulents" ///D.OpP + PenelopeX/// , Audiovisual System Feedback, BERLIN
26 Oct 2007, 08:00 PM - @Lichtblick Kino
w/ Marcelo Aguirre , Penelope X , Lars Feistkorn
BERLIN
02 Nov 2007, 08:00 PM - @ La Filature
C. Hilton + Yannick Franck BRUXELLES
01 Dec 2007, Electronica Viva @ Ringside
Durham, North Carolina
13 Mar 2008 - w/ Phon and Pulsoptional @ Local 506
15 Mar 2008 - Bynum General Store Bynum, North Carolina
12 Apr 2008, - Signalfest @
Nightlight
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
25 Apr 2008 @ Total Artspace
with Promute , Penelope X
BERLIN
26 Apr 2008 @ La Compilotheque
with Promute (US) and Patrick Thinsy ( BE )
BRUXELLES BE
28 Apr 2008 @ George Tavern
with Promute , Cementimental
LONDON
29 Apr 2008 @ Maggies Klinker Event
with Promute
LONDON
30 Apr 2008 @ The Loft
with Promute , Steve Beresford
LONDON
2 May 2008 Salon Bruit / Kastanienallee 77
with Promute ( US ) and Penelope X
BERLIN
9 May 2008 Artscenter
With Tomas Phillips , Promute
Carrboro NC
13 July 2008 Murphey School
Raleigh NC
7 March 2009 Bain Waterworks Fundraiser
With : Subscape Annex , Tomas Phillips , Benito Crawford,
Razorwire Safety Net
Raleigh NC
18 April 2009
Signalfest
With : Boyzone , Andrew Weathers and Andrew Marino ,
C. Hilton and Tomas Phillips , Jessica Rylan , Olivia Block
Bicameral Mind
Nightlight , Chapel Hill NC
01 October 2009
Sixth Annual New Music Festival at UNC Greensboro duet with Tomas Phillips
Other guest composers :
Allen Anderson
Todd Coleman
Tom Dempster
Mark Engebretson
Suzanne Farrin
Lance Hulme
Jakov Jakoulov
Thomas Licata
Elainie Lillios
Marcus Maroney
Paul Moravec
Kirk O'Riordan
Alejandro Rutty
30 October 2009
Marsh Woodwinds
Duo with Tomas Phillips for
guzheng and laptops
Thank you for visiting us with your involving sonic slabs. They both seem to loom and glide, delicate and weighty - each different within a general vibrant tendency. You are most welcome at our site.
