World premiere performance Thomas Ankersmit

Sonic Acts is proud to announce the world premiere of the electronic music performance Homage to Dick Raaijmakers by sound artist and composer Thomas Ankersmit during the opening of Sonic Acts Academy at Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam on 26 February. For this work, commissioned by Sonic Acts, Ankersmit delves into the ideas and instruments of a Dutch titan of electronic music: Dick Raaijmakers (1930–2013). A work of contemporary music in its own right, Ankersmit’s homage re-evaluates Raaijmakers’ concepts of sound, composition and spatial experience in a technologically more advanced era. Ankersmit mainly uses similar means as Raaijmakers: tone and noise generators, modulators, filters, mixers, amplifiers and speakers. However, instead of Raaijmakers’ usual method of editing with magnetic tape, Ankersmit uses computer software. Sonic Acts’ Arie Altena spoke with Ankersmit in 2013 when he performed in the Minoritenkirche at the 2013 Kontraste Festival in Krems, Austria. They discussed, the spatial qualities of sound, Ankersmit’s use of the Serge, an analogue modular synthesizer to make live electronic music, the exploration of human perception of music, and the importance of an intimate bond with one’s instrument. The interview, Research Series #23 , is now online. At the same 2013 Kontraste Festival, Arie Altena also interviewed another pioneer of electronic music: Morton Subotnick. This interview took place immediately after Subotnick performed his groundbreaking electronic composition Silver Apples of the Moon from 1967 with live visuals by Lillevan. The interview, Research Series #22, can be found here. Tickets for the Sonic Acts opening at Stedelijk Museum can be bought here.