2009. HiTEC (Histrionic Thought Experiment Cooperative) "Systems Management"
review of
tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE & HiTEC's
HiTEC (Histrionic Thought Experiment Cooperative) "Systems Management"
by tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - August 11, 2009
{Before we even get to the review, I hereby provide links to every movie & audio file I can think of connected to HiTEC online. I highly recommend all of them:
2008.09.14 "HiTEC021-16mm": https://youtu.be/e0thj_1lWlA
2008 "Piano Illiterature - Volume 3": https://archive.org/details/PianoIlliterature-Volume3
2009.01.09 "HiTEC 051 Pt 1": https://youtu.be/tMpa9VMyWmU
2009.01.09 "HiTEC 051 premier @ the New Hazlett Theater": https://youtu.be/wo2apKl_CCY
2009.04.26 "HiTE Club PREMIER": https://youtu.be/XU6AnSa4v0s
2009.06.12 "Stanley Cup Final: 2009": https://youtu.be/dsncOO-sql0
2009.06.28 "HiTE Club 2": https://youtu.be/jjPUzn3md3c
2009.08.07 "HiTEC @ the VAF: Day 1": https://youtu.be/VlInVCCK4Ro
2009.08.08 "HiTEC @ the VAF: Day 2": https://youtu.be/YT06HpEcNj0
2009.08.09 "HiTEC @ the VAF: Day 3": https://youtu.be/YT06HpEcNj0
2009.08.23 "HiTEC Club 3": https://youtu.be/aT0FHGllolM
2009.09.27 "HiTE Club FINAL": https://youtu.be/eqBXLTzZhAs
2009.10 "Avicenna's Floating Maori": https://youtu.be/gPOFMfbtRmc
2009.11 "Robotic": http://youtu.be/DkZjJ1ePIos
2010.03.13 "HiTEC 072 - FINAL GIG Excerpt": https://youtu.be/o2jILMegKug
2010.03.13 "Sheepdog" (Kerrith Livengood): https://youtu.be/9oYIc09Zxk4
2008-2010 "Infinite Monkey Theorem": https://youtu.be/bBCrl5L8stQ
2008-2010 "Piano Illiterature - Volume 4": https://archive.org/details/PianoIlliterature-Volume4
2010 "Radio 2010": https://archive.org/details/Radio2010
Ok, this is my latest bk, my 12th (the 11th remains to be published), &, uh, YES, I'm going to give it a GREAT REVIEW - after all, if I didn't think it was GREAT, I wdn't've put it together. Just as an object one is very unlikely to find its equal (in terms of specialness of form) for this fabulously low price of $15.
A belt encircles the bk, holding it shut. The belt's removed, the bk opens & a gatefold unfolds from both ends to show a 13 foot wide span of 25 paper dolls of the main Systems Managers who've been involved in this DIY chamber orchestra. Stuck to a tab in the inside front cover there's a CD from HiTEC. Sonically, anyone who appreciates 20th-21st century experimental classical music shd appreciate this (unless their tastes lean entirely toward the stuffy through-notated academic composers). On a tab in the inside back cover, there's a DVD from HiTEC's 1st public performance at Pittsburgh's wonderful New Hazlett Theater. This footage was shot w/ 8 cameras & is edited as only an experimental film & video maker such as myself (w/ 34 yrs experience) can do. When I say METICULOUS & IMAGINATIVE & FAST-MOVING & FULL OF IDEAS I mean it.
The bk's printed in color, has full-color illustrations, & is divided into 6 parts: 3 parts history interspersed w/ 1 part philosophy, a complete explanation of the "Systems Management" piece that HiTEC performs, & a list of 27 of the Systems Managers.
There is NOTHING ELSE OUT THERE LIKE THIS - in just about every respect. Encyclopedia Destructica has done their usual marvelous dedicated job. When I proposed the paper dolls to them, wch have to be hand-cut, I gave them the option of rejecting something so labor-intensive - BUT THEY LIKED THE IDEA & WERE WILLING TO DO THE WORK. My kind of people.
Here's an excerpt:
"HiTEC (Histrionic Thought Experiment Cooperative) is an independent experimental orchestra founded in July of 2008EV by MAD SCIENTIST / BOOED USICIAN / JACK-OFF-OF-ALL-TRADES / HEADITOR & EARCHIVIST / PROPONENT OF CLASSIFICATION-RESISTANT WHAT-HAVE-YOUS / SPLEENIUS: tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE as an attempt to create a Low Classical alternative to those who worship at the temple of the fictitious & propagandistic "Golden Age" that's often used to justify the "Divine Rights" of cash-flow.
"Somewhat like distant cousins to the lineage of Karlheinz Stockhausen's "Aus den Sieben Tagen" intuitive music compositions, FLUXUS prose scores, & the work in general of composer Franz Kamin, HiTEC currently navigates a CONCEPTUAL OBSTACLE COURSE called "Systems Management". Parts of this have been generated by cONVENIENCE, Opie, Nystrom, Livengood, & Haney - all, of course, fleshed out by the considerable talents & quick-wittedness of all the Systems Managers during our COPIOUS REHEARSALS.
"Unlike most (M)USICAL projects, the playing of this group revolves around THINKING about particular things while playing in a very open-ended way RATHER THAN necessarily playing specified physical actions.
"For example:
"30. "Brain-In-A-Vat" (Descartes / tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE): Decide that you're a brain-in-a-vat instead of a brain-in-a-skull & that yr perceptions of what's happening in the current Systems Management session are programmed perceptions rather than 'real' ones. Adapt yr Management to what you then think is the most likely 'reality'."
A library w/o this bk is incomplete. A music collection w/o this CD is incomplete. A movie collection w/o this DVD is incomplete. A paper doll collection w/o these paper dolls is incomplete. In short, get a copy of this IF IT'S THE LAST THONG YOU EVER UNDO.
Here's the front cover of the book without the partial wrapping slip-case.
Here's the back cover of the book without the partial wrapping.
Here's the front cover of the book opened to show the CD & the 1st half of the folded paper dolls showing the Systems Managers. Johan Nystrom was the original member other than tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE, the founder.
Here's the back cover of the book opened to show the DVD & the backs of the paper dolls with stills from every HiTEC session up to the time of the designing of the book. Rick Gribenas is the other original member shown on the right. Rick had to drop out after the 1st rehearsal because of health problems & other pressing issues.
Here's a close-up of the middle of the paper dolls unfolded from the ends of the book.
Here're all the paper dolls unfolded showing all HiTEC Systems Managers who stayed with the group long enough to perform publicly.
Here's the outside of the program for HiTEC's 1st performance at the New Hazlett Theater on January 9, 2009. Unfortunately neither David Bernabo or Hyla Willis were able to participate in this. Stuart Anderson's promising sounding "robotic zither" was never built.
This is a title still from the movie, an 8 camera shoot, that came with the book that's of the 1st performance.
Each Systems Manager was asked to make a self-description loosely based on the Myers-Briggs personality test. They were asked to pick 4 of the MB description sentences that they thought were appropriate for themselves & to add 2 additional sentences of their own.
"Birds" was one of tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE's Systems. Johan then proposed a System in which the birds could get sick & then get healed:
Kerrith Livengood contributed the "Sheepdog" System. Note that there's a link to a movie of a realization of it at the final HiTEC performance above.
"Brain-In-A-Vat" was one of the more 'classic' of the Thought Experiments.
Ben Opie created a series of unnumbered Systems that could be performed at any time independent of the spinning of the Wheel-Of-Fortune.
- April 14, 2016 notes from tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE
idioideo at verizon dot net
to the tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE Anti-Neoism page
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