SLAMCD531 Han-earl Park, Bruce Coates & Franziska Schroeder – io 0.0.1 beta++

An extraordinary meeting between human and machine improvisers. Featuring the machine musician io 0.0.1 beta++ with guitarist Han-earl Park and saxophonists Bruce Coates and Franziska Schroeder.

Constructed by Han-earl Park, io 0.0.1 beta++ is a modern-day musical automaton. It is not an instrument to be played but a non-human artificial musician that performs alongside its human counterparts. Seemingly jerry-rigged, constructed from ad-hoc components including plumbing, kitchenware, speakers and missile switches, io 0.0.1 beta++ celebrates the material and corporeal.

io 0.0.1 beta++: electronics
Han-earl Park: guitar
Bruce Coates: alto and sopranino saxophones
Franziska Schroeder: soprano saxophone

“This device is an automaton, a musical robot if you will, built by Mr Park; it’s not just another computer programme that plays random sounds or builds an “interactive” space for other laptop musicians, but actually occupies physical space and performs on the stage alongside its human counterparts. Shades of Pierre Bastien…The multi-media artist Sara Roberts from California writes the liner notes and she does a much better job than I possibly could in articulating the cultural resonances of this man-meets-automaton event.” – Ed Pinsent, The Sound Projector

“On the initial “Pioneer: Variance” and “Pioneer: Dance” contrasting alto and soprano saxophone trills and squeaks are put into bolder relief as the otherworldly flutters, oscillated tones and flanged rotations of the machine are kept in a straight line by Park’s legato picking. The thoughtful pauses audible in the guitar playing confirms Park’s human-ness, especially when compared to the grainy whistles and juddering vibrations that arise from io 0. 0. 1 beta++…the machine further demonstrates its versatility on the 59-second “4G”, with metallic muted trombone-like snores and even raises the question as to whether io 0. 0. 1 beta++ or extended saxophone techniques are creating the air pops and abrasive tongue flutters on subsequent tracks. In the main crackling reductionist resonations are attributed to its properties, while any legato or lyrical intermezzos are, more likely than not, propelled from the instruments and imaginations of full-fledged Homo sapiens.” – Ken Waxman, JazzWord

“Both saxists work well together, cautiously bending their notes around one another while Han-earl also plays fragmented sounds on his guitar. Io also adds its own diverse yet fractured sounds to the blend. On “Pioneer: Dance” Mr. Coates plays slightly twisted alto sax while io adds similar textural sounds. If I didn’t know better, I would think that this was a successful session of European improv by a quartet of gifted yet thoughtful players who take their time to explore similar textures and terrain together. I am not so sure that machines will ever take the place of human improvisers in the future, however this disc shows that someone is working in the right direction. – Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

All music by Han-earl Park, Bruce Coates and Franziska Schroeder
Tracks 1–5, 7 and 8 recorded May 25, and track 9 recorded May 26 2010 at the Ó Riada Hall, UCC School of Music, Cork
Track 6 recorded August 19 2010 at C-ALTO Labs, Cork
Recorded and mixed by Han-earl Park

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