Fotòfono.
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Fotòfono is a small studio dedicated to intermedia research and performance. Sound and light are the main subjects of such exploration. The tools are acoustic and electronic instruments, microphones, mixing boards, computers, old slide and film projectors, tv monitors, video projectors and all the various layers of debris, cables and random leftovers.... A lot of stuff found around is repurposed here to find a new life despite (or rather, as an indirect consequence of) the fast paced cycles of consumption surrounding us.

To be fair, the sound standard at Fotòfono is nothing close to pristine. One studio wall sustains a wooden stairwell, and the whole building sits right next to the elevated subway. But we have come to like it that way - many hours of inspired sessions were recorded here, and various projects (including the collective EA, the NY Phonographers, Ting Ting Jahe, Share and a few great Sigoggling events) have found at the Fotòfono a welcoming Brooklyn home.

Besides the closed doors recording sessions, sometimes public events are hosted as well.
Below is a partial list of such gatherings, some images and a few downloadable recordings from the archives.






Past Fotòfono sessions and events:


March 7, 2009

unframed record release party.
with:

Kenta Nagai
Tommy Birchett
Ian Epps
Lary 7
Richard Garet and Brendan Murray

www.unframedrecordings.net

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March 1, 2009

Michael Thieke (clarinet) and Jack Wright (saxes)
Audrey Chen (voice, cello, electronics) and Andrew Lafkas (double bass)
Bryan Eubanks (electronics), Kai Fagaschinski (clarinet) and Jonathan Zorn (double bass)

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January 24, 2009

duo:
Alessandro Bosetti (voice/electronics)
Jonathan Zorn (supercollider)

solo:
Kenta Nagai (electric guitar and voice)

trio:
Alessandro Bosetti
Jonathan Zorn
Kenta Nagai

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November 2, 2008
Share @ Fotòfono (open doors event)

Open audio visual jam, and live set by Boris Hauf and Michael Hartman.

Share: website.
Keiko Uenishi has shot a lot of pictures of the event. You can see them all here. Thanks Keiko!

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October 12, 2008
The last event in the second Three days festival (open doors event)

Trio - Tandem Electrics (Richard Kamerman/Reed Evan Rosenberg) & Bonnie Jones: electronics
Duo - Bryan Eubanks: electronics & Jonathan Zorn: supercollider
Solo - Kenta Nagai: guitar

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September 7, 2008
Works in Progress (open doors event)

Heather Dewey-Hagborg - surround sound installation/performance
Thomas Dexter - NOISEFILM, a film/sound performance involving light, drawing, and computation
Maria Chavez/Daniel Kötter - turntables/video and slide projections

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July 19, 2008
More electroacoustic improvisations (open doors event)

quintet:
Andrew Lafkas
Barry Weisblat
Ricardo Arias
Shawn Meehan
Tucker Dulin

duo:
Ben Owen - electronics
Margarida Garcia - double bass

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July 16, 2008
Turntables and other instruments (open doors event)

Solos and combination sets with:
Bradley Eros
Maria Chavez
Radio Ruido
Ben Owen
dj Olive
Kenta Nagai
dj Sniff
Twisty Cat

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July 12, 2008
The last event in the Three concerts festival, organized by the label Rasbliutto (open doors event)

solo - Vic Rawlings: surface electronics, amplified cello
trio - Andrew Lafkas: doublebass, Margarida Garcia: doublebass and mpld: images, light, sound.
duo - Steve Flato: open circuit electronics & Richard Kamerman: electronics, motors, objects
duo - Gust Burns: electronics & Gregory Reynolds: alto saxophone

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May 12, 2008
Sigogglin at Fotòfono (open doors event)

Will Guthrie (percussion, electronics)
Will Guthrie, Howie Stelzer and Newton Armstrong (tapes, electronics, percussion)
Andrew Lafkas and Barry Weisblat (acoustic bass and electronics)

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March 24, 2008 (open doors event)

Christian Kesten - voice, video, performance
Alessandro Bosetti - "29", video/performance
Andrew Lafkas/mpld (Gill Arno) - acoustic bass, amplified slide projectors

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March 9, 2008

recording session with:
Andrew Lafkas - acoustic bass
Ben Owen - oscillators
Bryan Eubanks - electronics
Gill Arno - amplified slide projectors, laptop

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February 11, 2008
Sigogglin at Fotòfono (open doors event)

solo:
Andrea Neumann: inside piano, mixing desk
duo:
Andrea Neumann: inside piano, mixing desk
Tucker Dulin: trombone
solo:
Stephane Rives: soprano saxophone
quartet:
Stephane Rives: soprano saxophone
Jack Wright: soprano saxophone
Bryan Eubanks: electronics
Andrew Lafkas: bass

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February 10, 2008

recording session with:
Byron Westbrook - electronics
Gill Arno - amplified slide projectors, laptop

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January 22, 2008

recording session with:
Andy Graydon - laptop
Ben Owen - laptop
Gill Arno - amplified slide projectors, laptop
Richard Garet - Laptop
Zimoun - laptop

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January 5, 2008

recording session with:
Ben Owen
Bryan Eubanks
Gill Arno


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December 23, 2007

recording session with:
Audrey Chen - cello, voice
Katt Hernandez - violin
Gill Arno - amplified slide projectors, laptop

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December 22, 2007

recording session with:
Andy Graydon - laptop
Ben Owen - laptop
Gill Arno - amplified slide projectors, laptop
Richard Garet - Laptop
Zimoun - laptop

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December 15 2007

recording session with:
Ben Owen - oscillators, bowed objects
Gill Arno - amplified slide projectors, laptop
Jack Wright - saxes

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September 25th and October 04 2007

recording session with:
Ben Owen
Gill Arno
Katie Gately
Patrick Mc Ginley

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May 1st, 2007

recording session with:
Ben Owen - oscillators, laptop
Gill Arno - amplified slide projectors, laptop
Hitoshi Kojo - piano soundboard, objects

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February 18th, 2007

recording session with:
Ben Owen
Gill Arno
Tommy Birchett

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December 10th, 2006. Fotòfono 3 (open doors event)
winds measure presents:

EA - Balancing act with controlled dynamics
CD release party
with:

André Gonçalves
Andy Graydon
Ben Owen
Gill Arno
Richard Garet
and
David Velez
Brooke Gillespie (aka The Holy Experiment)

download:
Closing improvised collaboration (with all the participants) 33min14sec, 45.7 MB

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October 28th, 2006. Fotòfono 2 (open doors event)
NY Phonographers meeting II

part 1:
Stephan Moore
Richard Garet
Michelle Nagai
Ben Owen
Simon Keep
Gill Arno

part 2:
Andy Graydon
Sawako
Jacob Kirkegaard
Mike Hallenbeck

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June 25th, 2006

EA recording session with:
Andy Graydon
Ben Owen
Gill Arno
Ian Epps
Richard Garet
Shimpei Takeda

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June 17th, 2006. Fotòfono 1 (open doors event)

Ben Owen
Bruce Tovsky
Chihiro Wada
Gill Arno
Sawako
Takefumi Naoshima

download:
Chihiro Wada solo set (excerpt) 19min14sec, 26.5 MB
Sawako solo set 18min39sec, 25.7 MB
Closing improvised collaboration (with: Ben Owen, Bruce Tovsky, Gill Arno, Sawako and Takefumi Naoshima) 34min22sec, 47.2MB

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May 26th, 2006

recording session with:
Ben Owen
Gill Arno
Joda Clément

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February 20th, 2006

recording session with:
Ting Ting Jahe (Ben Owen, Ben Scott and Tommy Birchett)
Gill Arno

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February 9th, 2006

EA recording session with:
Andy Graydon
Gill Arno
Richard Garet
Jeremy Slater a.k.a. ( )
Adam Kendall

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November 14, 2005

recording session with:
Ben Owen
Esther Bourdages
Gill Arno
Olivier Borzeix
Siew-Wai Kok

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October 22, 2005

recording session with:
Andy Hayleck
Ben Owen
Derek Morton
Gill Arno
Scott Allison

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May 5th, 2005

EA recording session with:
André Gonçalves
Andy Graydon
Ben Owen
Gil Sansón
Gill Arno
Richard Garet

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April 27, 2005

recording session with:
Gil Sansón
Gill Arno
Richard Garet

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All the recordings have been selected, edited and/or mastered by Gill Arno. The individual artists have kindly agreed to have the recordings posted on this page, and retain all individual copyrights. Many thanks to each of the performers for taking part to the sessions, and one big thank you to Ben Owen, Bryan Eubanks and Andrew Lafkas, without whom some great sessions and events would have never happened. Also, thank you for the photos to: Chihiro Wada, Elsa Vieira, Jeremy Slater, Mike Hallenbeck, Richard Garet, Sawako, Billy Gomberg.