THIRD EYE ORCHESTRA
“…a thrilling 75-minute display that combined individual virtuosity in a cohesive and fun-filled framework.”
– Irwin Block / Avant Music News
LIVE AT ROULETTE 2022: RODINIA
Third Eye Orchestra 15th Anniversary Concert
With Shelley Hirsch (voice), Sarah Bernstein (violin), Dafna Naphtali (voice & electronics), Sarah Manning (altosax), Tomas Ullrich (cello), Ursel Schlicht (piano), Denman Maroney (piano), Jason Hwang (violin), Michael Lytle (clarinet/bassclarinet), Nick Didkovsky (guitar), Briggan Krauss (altosax, baritone sax), Michael Schumacher (keyboard), Stephanie Griffin (viola), Ned Rothenberg (clarinet, bassclarinet), Chris McIntyre (trombone), Gordon Beeferman (organ), Brian Landrus (bass sax), Shoko Nagai (moog bass), Satoshi Takeishi (drums). Hans Tammen - composition, binary conducting. Originally presented and live streamed by Roulette Intermedium on Dec 11, 2022. Rodinia is made possible, in part, by a Wave Farm sponsored Composer Commission from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
LIVE AT ROULETTE 2017: CLEPSYDRA
Live at Roulette 2017. With Shelley Hirsch (voice), Dafna Naphtali (live
sound processing, voice), Sarah Bernstein (vio), David Soldier (vio),
Jason Hwang (vla), Tomas Ullrich (cello), Ned Rothenberg (cl, bcl),
Michael Lytle (cl, bcl), Briggan Krauss (as, baritone sax), Josh Sinton
(contra bass clarinet, baritone sax), Ursel Schlicht (p), Gordon
Beeferman (organ), Shoko Nagai (moog), Nick Didkovsky (g), Satoshi
Takeishi (perc), Hans Tammen (composition, binary conducting). Video
recording by Carlton Bright and Amanda Shaperson, audio recording by
Brendan Reilly & Sarah Peterson at Roulette.
Clepsydra was supported by New Music USA, made possible by annual program support and/or endowment gifts from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, Helen F. Whitaker Fund, Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Carl Jacobs Foundation, and New York State Council on the Arts.
CLEPSYDRA is a score produced from electronic sample and hold procedures. Read more about the details in “Background on Clepsydra” here.
Clepsydra was supported by New Music USA, made possible by annual program support and/or endowment gifts from New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, Helen F. Whitaker Fund, Aaron Copland Fund for Music, Carl Jacobs Foundation, and New York State Council on the Arts.
CLEPSYDRA is a score produced from electronic sample and hold procedures. Read more about the details in “Background on Clepsydra” here.
LIVE AT THE SUGARCUBE 2014: ABIOGENESIS
Live at the SUGARCUBE, South Street
Seaport District, curated by 100mRecords. With Shelley Hirsch (voice),
Matthew Ostrowski (electronics), Mari Kimura (vio), Sarah Bernstein
(vio), Jason Hwang (vla), Tomas Ullrich (cello), Ned Rothenberg (cl,
bcl), Michael Lytle (cl, bcl, contra bass clarinet), Briggan Krauss (as,
baritone sax), Chris McIntyre (trombone), Shoko Nagai (kb/moog), Josh
Sinton (baritone sax, bassclarinet, contrabassclarinet), Satoshi
Takeishi (perc), Hans Tammen (composition, conducting, concept). Special thanks to Django Voris and PJ Norman / 100mRecords!
CD Third Eye Orchestra 2006: Antecedent/Consequent
Innova 225, recorded 2006 at Roulette, New York, released 2008 on Innova, the label of the American Composers Forum. Total Time: 79:34 Minutes. With Mari Kimura (vio), Mark Feldman (vio), Stephanie Griffin (vla), Tomas Ulrich (cel), Briggan Kraus (as, bari), Marty Ehrlich (bcl, fl), Robert Dick (fl, cbfl), Detlef Landeck (tb), Dafna Naphtali (voice, live sound processing), Ursel Schlicht (p/kb), Deman Maroney (p/kb), Stomu Takeishi (b), Satoshi Takeishi (perc), Hans Tammen – concept, realtime arrangement.
CD Third Eye Orchestra 2006: Antecedent/Consequent
Innova 225, recorded 2006 at Roulette, New York, released 2008 on Innova, the label of the American Composers Forum. Total Time: 79:34 Minutes. With Mari Kimura (vio), Mark Feldman (vio), Stephanie Griffin (vla), Tomas Ulrich (cel), Briggan Kraus (as, bari), Marty Ehrlich (bcl, fl), Robert Dick (fl, cbfl), Detlef Landeck (tb), Dafna Naphtali (voice, live sound processing), Ursel Schlicht (p/kb), Deman Maroney (p/kb), Stomu Takeishi (b), Satoshi Takeishi (perc), Hans Tammen – concept, realtime arrangement.
Photo by Kurt Ralske
On Soundcloud
“...wonderful performance in its exploitation of the wide sound pallet available and in its attention to detail.”
Mike Chamberlain, AllAboutJazz
PRESSTEXT
Hans
Tammen likes to set sounds in motion, and then sitting back to watch the
movements unfold. Borrowing from Charles Ives’ polytonality, Steve
Coleman’s rhythmic complexity, Karlheinz Stockhausen’s organization of
sounds and Earle Brown’s approach to form, the music of the Third Eye
Orchestra is continuously shifting, with different layers floating into
the foreground while others disappear.
He received composer commissions for the Third Eye Orchestra from New Music USA, the American Composers Forum, underwritten by the Jerome Fondation, and the New York State Council On The Arts (NYSCA). The CD was produced with funds from the New York State Music Funds, travel support for the orchestra’s performance at 2015’s FIMAV/Victoriaville Festival provided by Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant.
The core ensemble in New York City consists of live sound processing of string quartet, wind/brass quartet, two pianos/keyboards, guitar, Moog bass, percussion, voice, plus the occasional guest. The ensemble released a CD of a 2006 Roulette performance as “Antecedent / Consequent” (see here) on the Innova label. All About Jazz called the music “nothing short of breathtaking”, and “a masterpiece of musical evocation”.
He received composer commissions for the Third Eye Orchestra from New Music USA, the American Composers Forum, underwritten by the Jerome Fondation, and the New York State Council On The Arts (NYSCA). The CD was produced with funds from the New York State Music Funds, travel support for the orchestra’s performance at 2015’s FIMAV/Victoriaville Festival provided by Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant.
The core ensemble in New York City consists of live sound processing of string quartet, wind/brass quartet, two pianos/keyboards, guitar, Moog bass, percussion, voice, plus the occasional guest. The ensemble released a CD of a 2006 Roulette performance as “Antecedent / Consequent” (see here) on the Innova label. All About Jazz called the music “nothing short of breathtaking”, and “a masterpiece of musical evocation”.
“Everything about Third Eye Orchestra… indicates mastery and control”
Howard Mandel / CD Liner Notes
Irwin Block / Avant Music News
VICTORIAVILLE, Que. – With its first gig outside of New York City, Hans Tammen’s Third Eye Orchestra on Saturday took this town’s annual Festival de Musique Actuelle to that higher creative level. After an evening that featured three rock-oriented shows – from surf, to quasi subversive to mini metal – the cream of New York avant scene delivered the musical goods in a thrilling 75-minute display that combined individual virtuosity in a cohesive and fun-filled framework.
Celebrating his 10th year as the group’s conceptual father, composer, and director, Tammen flashed lettered cue cards, leaping, Zorn-style, into sections of the 15-member band and gesticulating enthusiastically to charge up his crew. From sections that resembled classical contemporary, to avant jazz, blues, rock and electronica, this ensemble swung with life-affirming collective energy and solo contributions that served the director’s overall objective – creating a unique, immediate, visceral and engaging musical experience. Most impressive were Shelley Hirsch, injecting an operatic element with avant vocalizing, a mesmerizing string section, Denman Maroney with his Cecil-Tayloresque pianism, Robert Dick’s brilliant flute microtones, and the powerful rhythm team of drummer Satoshi Takeishi and electric bassist Stomu Takeishi, central to driving the ensemble forward.
Original review here.
Celebrating his 10th year as the group’s conceptual father, composer, and director, Tammen flashed lettered cue cards, leaping, Zorn-style, into sections of the 15-member band and gesticulating enthusiastically to charge up his crew. From sections that resembled classical contemporary, to avant jazz, blues, rock and electronica, this ensemble swung with life-affirming collective energy and solo contributions that served the director’s overall objective – creating a unique, immediate, visceral and engaging musical experience. Most impressive were Shelley Hirsch, injecting an operatic element with avant vocalizing, a mesmerizing string section, Denman Maroney with his Cecil-Tayloresque pianism, Robert Dick’s brilliant flute microtones, and the powerful rhythm team of drummer Satoshi Takeishi and electric bassist Stomu Takeishi, central to driving the ensemble forward.
Original review here.
Photo Victoriaville by Martin Morrissette
Roulette 2017
All photos from video stills. Video by Carlton Bright and Amanda Shaperson
Third Eye Orchestra? Dark Circuits Orchestra?
Open form compositions have also been written for and performed with minimal music or jazz ensembles. The all-electronic version is called the Dark Circuits Orchestra.
NYC Third Eye Orchestra Performers since 2006
Live Sound Processing & Voice: Dafna Naphtali
Voice: Shelley Hirsch
Violins: Mari Kimura, Jason Hwang, David Soldier, Sarah Bernstein, Mark Feldman, Rebecca Cherry
Viola: Stephanie Griffin, Jason Hwang
Cello: Tomas Ullrich, Ha-Yang Kim, Alex Waterman
Reeds: Briggan Kraus, Ned Rothenberg, Michael Lytle, Josh Sinton, Marty Ehrlich, Ferdinand Rexforth, Eddy Rollin, Brian Landrus
Flutes: Robert Dick, Marty Ehrlich
Trombone: Detlef Landeck, Chris McIntyre
Trumpet: Herb Robertson
Voice: Shelley Hirsch
Violins: Mari Kimura, Jason Hwang, David Soldier, Sarah Bernstein, Mark Feldman, Rebecca Cherry
Viola: Stephanie Griffin, Jason Hwang
Cello: Tomas Ullrich, Ha-Yang Kim, Alex Waterman
Reeds: Briggan Kraus, Ned Rothenberg, Michael Lytle, Josh Sinton, Marty Ehrlich, Ferdinand Rexforth, Eddy Rollin, Brian Landrus
Flutes: Robert Dick, Marty Ehrlich
Trombone: Detlef Landeck, Chris McIntyre
Trumpet: Herb Robertson
Piano/Keyboard: Ursel Schlicht, Denman Maroney, Shoko Nagai, Michael Schumacher
Organ: Gordon Beeferman
Guitar: Nick Didkovsky
Accordion: Andrea Parkins
Electronics: Matthew Ostrowski
Theremin/Gongs: David Simons
Bass: Stomu Takeishi, Jonas Tauber
Moog Bass: Shoko Nagai
Percussion: Satoshi Takeishi, Andrew Drury
Organ: Gordon Beeferman
Guitar: Nick Didkovsky
Accordion: Andrea Parkins
Electronics: Matthew Ostrowski
Theremin/Gongs: David Simons
Bass: Stomu Takeishi, Jonas Tauber
Moog Bass: Shoko Nagai
Percussion: Satoshi Takeishi, Andrew Drury