Alvin Lucier
"I use technology for acoustical testing a lot of the time, in much the same way an engineer might. I scan a frequency range with an oscillator, for example, and interface it with some other system ... I drive the system in such a way that the result is both unexpected and clear. I've always been interested in cause and effect when the effects are very surprising."
One of the most original pioneers of electronic music, Lucier has broken new ground in many areas of music composition and performance. These have included the notation of performers' physical gestures, the use of brain waves in live performance, the generation of visual imagery by sound in vibrating media, and the evocation of room acoustics for musical purposes.
From 1966 - 1976, he performed with Robert Ashley, David Behrman, and Gordon Mumma in the Sonic Arts Union. His work has been performed and his installations shown extensively in the United States, Europe and Asia, including the Abiko Festival (Tokyo), DAAD Kunstler Program (Berlin), at venues in Dehli, Madras, and Bombay ... In October 1994, Wesleyan University honored Lucier with a five-day festival, including collaborations with poet John Ashbery and theater designer Robert Wilson. His book, Chambers, written in collaboration with Douglas Simon, was published by the Wesleyan University Press ...
Lucier currently lives in Connecticut and teaches at Wesleyan University.
Available CDs
