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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 Rasbliutto Records' Sigoggling events, the collective EA, the NY Phonographers and Ting Ting Jahe) have found at the Fotòfono a welcoming Brooklyn home.

Besides the closed doors recording sessions, sometimes public events are hosted as well. Below you can find a partial list of gatherings and a selection of images and downloadable recordings from the archives.

Next event at Fotòfono will be on July the 12. Please check out this link for more info.
And check back soon for more information on the coming events, on July the 16th and the 19th.



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
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
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, without whom many of the sessions would have never happened. Thank you also to Jim Bell for recording the Sigogglin at Fotòfono on May 12, 2008. Finally, thank you for the photos to: Chihiro Wada, Elsa Vieira, Jeremy Slater, Mike Hallenbeck, Richard Garet, Sawako.