The Text of Light group was formed in 2001 with the idea to perform improvised music to the films of Stan Brakhage and other members of the American Cinema avante garde of the 1950s-60s (Brakhage's film 'Text of Light' was the premiere performance and namesake of the group). The original premise was to improvise (not 'illustrate') to films
from the American Avante-Garde (50s-60s etc), an under-known period of American filmic poetics. Members of the group include Lee Ranaldo and Alan Licht (gtrs/devices), Christian Marclay and DJ Olive (turntables), William Hooker (drums/perc), Ulrich Krieger (sax/electronics), and most recently Tim Barnes (drums/perc).Various combinations of these players attend 'Text' gigs, depending on individual schedules, so the group takes on various permutations---sometimes all members participate, sometimes not.
To date the group has performed with the following films: Brakhage's Text of Light, Dog Star Man, Anticipation of the Night, Songs; Harry Smith's Mahagonny outtakes, Oz-The Approach to the Emerald City, and Late Superimpositions. The group has headlined the Victoriaville Music Festival, Canada (2002); Three Rivers Film Festival, Pittsburgh; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; and have done 2 tours of Europe to date, as well as performing in New York City and other USA club and cinema venues.
NEWS: New
article from canadian magazine Musicworksspring
2009
OPAX Records releasedCosmic Debris,
Vol.I - MY CAT IS
AN ALIEN /TEXT OF LIGHT split
LP.It's coming out on A
Silent Place the
CD-reissue during March 2007
Final Muzik releasedUn
Pranzo Favoloso (A Fabulous Lunch)
live
in Pordenone
ROOM40 released Rotterdam.1
- Live in Rotterdam January 28 2005
----------------------------------------------~∞~------------------------------------------------- ARTFORUM reviews ToL's
evening at Whitney Museum last 01/12/2007
----------------------------------------------~∞~------------------------------------------------- Editons
MK2 released
Noisea film by
Oliver Assayas Dirter UK released Metal
Box (3x CD box set)
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