INSANITY IS FREEDOM COMFORMITY IS DEATH

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*Michael Prime "Cellular Radar"(Mycophile,1996)
*Morphogenesis "Formative Causation" (Mycophile,1997)
*Adam Bohman " Last Orders" (Mycophile,1997)

In spite of seeming stylistic and sound differences three abovepresented releases,appeared on British label Mycophile of Michael Prime,have many common features.
Ecologist,Michael Prime had been interested in different sound sources of organic and environmental origin.In 12 years he constructed simple radio,got an idea of modulation
of sound frequencies ,transformed in extraordinary sound effects -electro-magnetic waves and spacious signals,really psychodelic by its nature.In the beginning of 80es he,during investigation of technology of tape manipulation, remaining more experiments then full of value creations,created a little home record studio,simultaneously developing own interest to the studio technologies during joint work with Barry Anderson in his in his electromusical laboratory.According to words of M.Prime,"a dream to play improvised music,interest to the development and using of various new instruments-extraordinary stringeds,water machine and manipulations with transformation of electrical fields'sound,organic and environmental sources brought him together with lectures "New music:Vebern" And its chief Roger Sutherland,permitted Michael and other musicians to join to the works of some progressive composers and at first to the organics of sound transformation of Bernard Parmegiani,Edgar Varese,KH Stockhausen and Musica Electronica Viva."His lectures had united by that time many of us,-remembered M.Prime.We all had been from different musical worlds:Roger from Scratch Orchestra of Cornilius Cardew ,Clive Hall-from jazz,Adam Bohman-from free improvisation (he attended the concerts of Xenakis and Alvin Lucer),and in the eve of inclusion in future group began own experiments with prepared and modified instruments. The participant Morphogenesis Clive Graham,worked with Steve Stapelton, got acquainted with the others during the concert La Monte Young.Roger Sutherland:"I think we're mainly interested in music as a means of enlarging perception."Ron Briefel,as Prime also worked in West Square Electronic Music Studio with Barry Anderson,was first who offered to create "alive" electronic improvisations.Thus in 1985 Morphogenesis was born.And the first played by them piece was version of "Imaginary Landscape 4" by John Cage.
Michael Prime :"I think there's always been a prejudice in group against using purely electronic sound.We prefer to use acoustic sound because of its richer harmonic content" (EST,1992)
The most radical element of Morphogenesis' music was using its ambient sound as integral aspect of some performances.Recording own sessions and concerts in the tradition of alive sound,they partly used the ethics of abstract expressionism ,various combinations of acoustic and electronic spaces on crossing ways of ambient and musique concrete,resonances of hollow and harsch row sound blocks,developing during the compositions itself,as continuation of improvisation school's traditions of AMM and Musica Electronica Viva.In the stream of musical-technological evolution and collective dialogue of individuals,where each nevertheless leads own part in the generation of sound,musicians of Morphogenesis used various combinations of water,glass,metal and synthetic forms,mixing it with orthodoxy instruments (as piano,guitar,percussion,stringed,violin) but in some special sound.Add here and individual tactic of filtraton,mixing circle modulations and operations with processors."Who think that industrial market place is just for those hyperactive noise bands?The should become avid collectors of works of Morphogenesis"(Vital Weekly,#67)And the fact is that "Formative Causation" is forth official release of this group,presenting the material,typical for Morphogenesis of1986.Earlier in 1994 according to personal solicitation of Jim O'Rourke,played with Prime some sessions,was released their second work "Solarisation";in 1997 Clive Graham on own label realized "Charivari Music".
"Last Orders",appeared on Mycophile,was first solo work of Adam Bohman,created with using of preparated violin,goblets,toy telephone,self made stringed and records of animals' voices.
All eight compositions were dedicated to… vine,what is dreamed on the background of amply presented due to design melancholic provincial scenes.Record of 1995-1997-composition "Days of Sand and Shovels" is represented from the fest City Lit.
"I suppose it relates to Zen and Cage and the idea of being aware of the sounds around you.I've looked for ways of interacting with the environment by using things like radio microphones and the use of the bioactivity translator which is the machine that measures the voltage potential of any living organism and translates it into sound.So in one performance I might hook up myself,which is the way of playing your own thought processes,or I might hook up a plant.Plants are more sensitive than me,they certainly seem to be more histrionic.If you think violent thoughts,you can hear the change in the plant's behaviour"(M.Prime,"EST",1992)
"Cellular Kadar"of M.Prime was the result of last three years' individual searches and penetration in hidden natural worlds,-headline,well known by of the same name track from compilation "Testament"(American label RRR)And if the work in Morphogenesis was for him rather both electronic and improvising ,in solo work he tried to concentrate no "ecological sound"-natural reverberation of various spaces with usage of digital-systems."My process of composition is asking to the function of consciousness in constructing identity from the sorting of these impressions"(ND,#20)
The nature for Prime,inspite of using of different organic sources and technological processes in unite complex of perceptions and convictions,got during life and activity in the limits of urban world,parallel to the alliance of feed-bask systems,analogue processors with classical tape technics,previously continues to be a source of the most complicated structures and bonds.
"His bio-activity translator measures the fluctuating electrical fields produced by living things and translates them into audible signals" (Phil England,"The Wire",1997)
Investigations of Harold Burr (1940) proved that the plants take part in electromagnetic power,controlling the solar cyclity."The plants set a certain rhythm in our environment,-convicts composer,explaining own interests,-and if someone new appears in this world (enters the room,smokes),this rhythm is able to change…"Created in childhood radio had got him an idea of various signals,which ,created by mankind itself,reflected by magnetic fields and ionosphere ,changed own inner nature in dependence on circumstances."First created by men radio-signals were a manipulation through earth' organic systems:you are actually able to hear by such means the systems of planets",-says M.Prime.
First composition "Finis terra",opening "Cellular Radar",is developing this conclusions.Recorded on one of the Sicilian isles ,surrounded by powerful upwards directed walls,similar to sound mirror of filled by sound waves,"it must create new resonances in the mind of listener…In future I'd like to produce a special installations ,where the sound of each level would be displayed from micro- up to cosmic interact."
Finally to the portray of M.Prime you ought to mention his creative contacts with Jim O'Rourke,his work with Organum and participants on their three albums;lastly great interest of musician to films by Tarkovsky.
"Soviet electronic music seems to have been almost exclusively synthesizer music,created on a unique and bizarre machine from patterns etched on glass plates,which may explain his remarks about 'chemical"origins"(ND,#20,1997)
Own understanding of independent environment through the creative activity Michael Prime tried to express in essay "Towards a New Ecology of Sound" (1992,October),sent for us by author .

Igor Vaganov

References:EST(1992),Vital Weekly(1995),The Wire(1997),ND(1997)

Contact:Mycophile Records,30 Petten Grove,Orpington,Kent BR5 4PU,UK

"But there's a lot of feeling in our music,I think,a lot of angst and existential gloom.Some pieces have a rather catastrophic feeling,like the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust."
(Roger Sutherland,Morphogenesis,1992)