Reviews



MP3

Convolution      

1. a rolled up or coiled condition. 2. a rolling or coiling together.
3. a turn of anything coiled; whorl; sinuosity. 4. anat. one of the sinuous folds or ridges of the surface of the brain. 5. an operation performed on two signals which involves multiplying one signal by a delayed version of another signal, integrating or averaging the product, and repeating the process for different delays.

Convolution is Mark Cunningham and Silvia Mestres. Convolution is all of the above expressed in sound and images. An intuitional process: Convolutionism. Convolution has been in motion since 2001. Mark has been going since 1975 with Mars (No New York), Don King, Raeo, and countless collaborations. Silvia has been collaborating with Mark since 1990 both musically and visually: providing the live and CD scenography and images of several years of his solo shows and now of Convolution. The sounds come from trumpet, guitar, voice, samples and chaos.

Press Comments

…like Herb Alpert waking up in a spaceship… When he improvises, alternating between long, sonorous proclamations and agitated tonguing and smears, Cunningham sounds close to Don Cherry… Mestres´ interpretation of a song called "La Frontera del cuerpo" underlines Convolution's quiet power. Wire 225

Convolution's noirer-than-noir trumpet, voice and effects thing is loaded with subtle menace. Cunningham and partner Silvia Mestres are on to something darkly magical. Time Out New York magazine. July 5th, 2001

...deeply distorted guitar, breathy vocals, trumpet, synth. Sounds like: balloon animals mid-contortion, Latin Jazz, rainy island nights locked inside of a haunted house, and the hot & cold soundtrack to an ever-morphing poetry book. CEC-Philadelpia newsletter July 8th 2001

Subterranean whirls: The art of Convolution is situated somewhere amidst the least predictable ambient, jazz and rock.. With a happily milesdavisesque trumpet attack and several distortions, the duo transported us to new territories where heaven and hell get confused: at the bottom of fast and stimulant whirls. La Vanguardia. Friday, October 19th 2001

Listening to the cds of Convolution the records of Jane and Jeff Hudson came to my mind for a moment. There are some similarities. The Hudsons also released some music on the Lust/Unlust label in the beginning of the 80s, just like Mars. But what is more important, both use a simple and effective musical concept: songs with minimal electronic rhythms, the dark voice of a female singer and, in the case of Convolution, ethereal and echoing sound outbursts of the trumpet in the centre. Vital weekly 309.

"Mark Cunningham uses the trumpet to caress the audience into a sonic landscape lush with heady atmospheres full of lusty intrigue. Seductively urges the listener to relax into a full body aural massage. Perfect music for mid summer's night dreams." Lydia Lunch

"Sounds like Etant Donnes playing the exotic sounds of Martin Denny". Yves Botz, Dust Breeders

Releases:

- A volume of the El Europeo Collection dedicated to the Experimentaclub project in Madrid. Participants received a quote on which to inspire their piece. Convolution illustrates Paracelsus from The Occult Botanical. 2001.

- Convolution CD "1 to 5" edited by Sublingual Records in Boston. Visit his interesting selection at "http:// www.sublingual.com. The Convolution CD "1 to 5" can be ordered there.

- Smoke; is a limited edition published and produced by us in spooky sound studio with remixes by X-Marx, Jakob Draminsky Hojmark, Xabi Erkizia and MC.

- Convolution goes west, edited by Spooky Sound with the best versions of the songs performed on the US tour, summer 2001.

CD Rough Cuts edited at Spooky Sound.



Contact with our label Spookysound

Concerts

June 08 and 09th , 2001, Bera de Vidasoa, Navarra. North of Spain. ERTZ festival
October 16th 2001, Barcelona. Sidecar
March 22nd 2002, Bordeaux, France. "TNT"
March 23rd 2002, Paris, France. "BATOFAR"
March 30th 2002, Marseille, France. "MONTEVIDEO"
17th October , 2002, Barcelona. LEM Festival, Caixaforum
17th May, 2003, Barcelona. Anti-war Benefit
26th August, 2003, New York. "ISSUE"
30th August, 2003, Boston. "Bean" at Zeitgeist Gallery
3rd October, 2003, Madrid. Experimentaclub Festival
7th May, 2004, Vic, Barcelona. Digital Nights Festival at Jazz Cava
16th Dec. 2004, Barcelona. Sal a la Sopa. Hospital Santa Creu's Chapel
20th Aug. 2005, New York. Issue Gallery
10th Dec. 2005, Lausanne. Le Bourg Cinema
7th April 2006, Livernon. MUSICAUSSE ET CAMPAGN'ART présente le Festival international de musiques transversales TRASPORTI MARITTIMI
June 9th 2006, Barcelona. Mostra Sonora i Visual, Convent de Sant Agusti

Italian tour 2003
20th Dec. Interzona, Verona
21th Dec. Nexus, Terni
22nd Dec. La Taverna del Maltese, Bari
24th Dec. Fabrik, Catania
25th Dec. Blue Dhalia, Marina di Gioiosa Jonica
27th Dec. Festival Transporti Marittimi, Porto Cesareo
28th Dec. INIT, Roma
30th Dec. Teatro Comunale Casalpusterlengo, Lodi

Convolution USA Tour 2001

July 7 New York, Tonic. With Alan Licht, Arto Lindsay and Ikue Mori.
July 8 Philadelphia, Community Education Center. With Fursaka and Murcury Djing.
July 9 Washington DC, The Metro Cafe.
July 10 Richmond (Virginia), Hole in the Wall. With Plasmodium.
July 12 Atlanta (Georgia), Eyedrum. With Roger Ruzow and John Bowman.
July 13 Knoxville (Tenessee), The Pilot Light. With The Mexican Soap Opera.
July 14 Nashville (Tenessee), Ruby Green Gallery.
July 15 Memphis (Tenessee), Map Room.
July 16 Louisville (Kentuky), Artswatch. With Keenan Lawler.
July 17 Columbus (Ohio), The Mad Lab. Mark Gunderson Evolution Control Committee
July 18 Newport (Kentuky), Southgate House. With Neato Torpedo.
July 19 Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), Millvale Industrial Theater. With Roger Dannenberg.
July 20 Toronto (Canada), Arraymusic Studio.
July 21 Detroit (Michigan), Gold Dollar. With Aaron Dilloway.
July 22 Chicago (Illinois), Empty Bottle. With Larval and Lozenge
Aug 12 Boston (Massachusetts), Middle East. With Brokeback.