Prepared turntables are made using objects attached to album surfaces which, at various RPM, tap an amplified wire suspended over the decks. The resulting signals are mixed and modified by effects pedals. The result is a polyrhythmic and powerful electronic music made without midi or sequencers.
Part musical instrument, part performance art installation, these turntables / instruments juxtaposed with acoustic piano compositions reflects the combination of two different mindsets. Peter Vukmirovic Stevens creates original piano compositions to create a blending of atmospheres for this most unusual duet. This, combined with Stevens’ transformation of a second piano part into a crunching electric guitar sound creates music which is equally fitting for the concert hall, the art museum, or alternative space.
BILE NOIRE (as referenced in the works of Baudelaire) is a term from ancient folk medicine — it is the 4th “humour,” the source of all melancholy. The album starts with a melancholic atmosphere and builds with intensity, like Ravel’s Bolero, to a climactic finale.
Peter Vukmirovic Stevensis a musically diversified composer, pianist and visual artist. His distinct musical works from solo piano to symphony orchestra are heard in concert halls across the U.S., Europe, the Caucuses and Japan. His compositions are performed by renowned musicians, including by New York’s All-Star Orchestra musicians violinist Mikhail Shmidt and violist Mara Gearman.
Strotter Inst.holds a unique place in music. He is the premier performer of prepared turntables transformed into percussion instruments. He performs equally with rock, noise and classical musicians, including vocalist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Grammy-winning violinist Maja S.K. Ratkje. Strotter Inst. features continually at electronic and experimental music festivals around the world.
Produced and mixed by Peter Vukmirovic Stevens and Strotter Inst.
Cover image and design: Sean Waple
Mastering by Peter Vukmirovic Stevens and Adi Flück at Central Dubs, Bern, Switzerland
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BILE NOIRE brings together piano and electronic music in an innovative and unparalleled combination. Strotter Inst. creates multi-layers of music and rhythms using of modified turntables as percussion instruments, while concert music composer Peter Vukmirovic Stevens creates original piano compositions to create a blending of atmospheres for this most unusual duet.
