Saiya Tre' und das Letzte Lachen

Saiya Tre'
- SpectraZone fictional character -

Das letzte Lachen

Translation: The Last Laugh (redux) 

Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator

Gallery Mail Room: East Village Memoirs

Unlike other letters, this one was a bit hard to follow 

Regardless, your thoughtful reflections were sincerely appreciated

Thank you Chris 

Ron or Ron Maubidea is one of those people you could always rely on for good conversation or a few bucks if he had any to spare

We knew him as the guy with the black sports car and video camera, that had his own Cable Show. He was also alot of different things to alot of people

When we met... he was arguing with me over a torn painting that was pulled from a dumpster on East 7th Street near a construction site

Each of use dove into it looking for street treasure and recyclables. If you remember, I wanted to sell mine at Metal's 24 hour Book Stand on Ave A

When he found out that I knew Metal and had many of the same friends, he lightened up on the large canvas

From then on we stayed good friends and occasionally hung out with the "all night crew" in his apartment

In the 1990’s... the neighborhood reached its peak in scumbags, drugs and undercover cops. The E Village was known for its late night bars and chill spots 

Thinking back to that time, it was more like a movie set with outlandish costumes and characters. There were nights I stayed up in Ron’s place because the street was too cold and dangerous to fall asleep safely

I watched him cutting out pictures from magazines for hours then turn them into big collages that covered the walls from one end to the other

There was also this friendly pet rat named Simon who he played with all the time. The darn thing knew its name and would run up each time Ron called

He (Simon) was never in a cage as I recall, and just ran around like it owned the place and was never far away

Friends stopped by his studio all hours of the night. 
It was like nobody ever slept and was a cool meeting place to hang out and catch up

We all brought food but mostly coffee and snacks. For some reason, the rat always got first choice of the hot food and I mean... "Simon" was always the first to eat 

He would even help Ron open the food bags then stand there waiting to be served. Simon was also like the host of the party, and would greet the people as they walked through the door just like a dog ;)

We lost touch when the neighborhood went to the front page of the news, after the Tompkins Square riots

Those days are over now and Life in the East Village has changed much and for the better

If you don’t remember me, I played the girl sitting on Jesse Ventura’s lap in the movie Demolition Man

I’m not writing this to see it on your blog... that's not what this means, but if you want to put it out that's ok. 
I did want to say hi and send you my best... thanks for standing with me when I needed a friend :)) 

Regards, CK

Cassandra Landau – Gallery Coordinator

Rose dans le Bosquet

The casual feminine and moments to remember...

Subtitle: Miel Français Sauvage

Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator

SAHARAWI: Yesterday (part 2)

 Interview and Content © Suzanne Horowitz 2011 

All Rights Reserved

Special acknowledgment to B Ingrid and Karen Young 

As a follow up to Part 1 of Yesterday Today and Tomorrow and in view of recent developments, the following paragraphs will cover the pre-release of several original compositions by Ron

The timeline is the early 1980’s when consumer priced synthesizers first hit the market. Also in that decade was the emergence of pop music, soft rock, the introduction of sampling, new wave/no wave, hip hop and rap 

Unlike his contemporaries, Ron’s musical inclinations were very different . . .

*At the time you began showing an interest in electronic music, were you still working as a Chef?

Yes… I was the Executive Chef at Stuart Steinberg's Library Restaurant   on Manhattan’s Westside when someone suggested that we start a band. As I recall, the kitchen always had music pumping and a few   of the staff played instruments… so we gave it a shot

*When did you get your first synthesizer? 

Probably around 1980 when they first arrived at Manny’s Music on 48^th Street. The technology was still in its infancy and many of the keyboards could only reproduce one note at a time

They were considered modular, voltage-controlled analog synthesizer systems or monophonic synthesizers. I wanted to get one for the bass guitar to expand its range of percussive sounds 

*In addition to playing the drums and other musical instruments, did you play the bass guitar as well? 

By no means was I an actual bass player… the instrument was used to write melodic lines for songs. It was primarily the potential sounds of the bass that were of interest

*What made the BC Rich Mockingbird different from other electric bass guitars from that period? 

Its circuitry was unique and highly advanced for the time. It had features like a built-in preamp, phase reversal, a (5) position rotary dial that changed the electronic configuration, a stereo output etc 

*Would you share the backstory on the title track (Saharawi) and how it came about? 

The Saharawi are a nomadic people that have lived in the Western Sahara Desert for hundreds of years. Their history... predates the arrival of Islam in the 8^th century AD. I first became aware of them through a PBS documentary called Blood in the Sand.  

*Were the Saharawi part of a research project? 

No… I was in the studio working on a mix when something very    dramatic appeared on a large monitor. There were bearded men   with dark complexions scrambling through the desert on camels. 

They wore turbans, scimitars and looked really pissed-off about something? In the middle of all that was a small film crew and what appeared to be a female journalist. After watching the program, I went back into the studio and recorded the piece.

*When you compose a piece of music, do your ideas usually start on paper and if not, how would you describe the process?  

Very little starts on paper unless there are specific words in mind. Generally, I just start playing and try to capture the moment while improvising. However, this time was different and no instruments were used except for a variety of electronic devices. 

The main processor, a Korg MS 50 synthesizer had no keyboard so essentially… all of the orchestral effects and tone bending had to be created by turning little knobs in Real Time.

The sound in my head resembled a Middle Eastern instrument called a Pungi. If you’ve ever heard the instrument used by snake charmers (a double reeded instrument with a grating harmony and squealing tone), you could visualize what I was hearing.

*Can you describe the quality in the documentary that impressed you enough to make a personal statement in musical terms? In other words, what was it about the film that inspired you?

First of all, the film was not like watching a similar event on the evening news. It was attempting to convey the other side’s view      of an evolving crisis the world knew little about at the time. 

What made the story so compelling was the fact that a female journalist had traveled to a country where women were still considered property and in many ways... less than human 

The area she was attempting to reach was an active war zone with very few rules and everyone was a potential target! In order to go into the desert to get that story, she first had to sign a waiver to the hosting country of Morocco relinquishing them of any liability in the event of her death.

I would have to say it was her fearless commitment to the state of Human Rights and that of a journalist, that truly inspired the piece.

Recording Notes and Update: 

The music for Saharawi, Transfigurations and Black Attack are presently being transferred from their original analog format to disk. Upon completion, they and other tracks will be uploaded to YouTube with a reference link in these articles. 

There are no plans for a video track at this time 

To be continued . . .

Substream: The Passover Seder

Subtitle: There is always room for one more... is the latest installemnt to the Substream collection of Automatist Digital Sculpture by Ron Maubidea. 

The image of the Passover Seder... is a typical reflection of his
deep love for Family Life and our modern Jewish heritage

Commentary by Suzanne Horowitz
Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator

Message Board

Re: Yesterday Today and Tomorrow Interview (Part 1)

It is funny when you think about it and funnier when you consider the question was never asked… a continuity faux pas perhaps? 

I’m guessing these oversights are not rare, especially when both parties are consumed in other matters.

The second installment of Yesterday (Part 2) is currently being edited. It will include the backstory on Saharawi and multiple images of the original technology used in the recording.

I wish to thank the following readers for their helpful comments and insightful contributions; George, Leonore, Denise, Robert and Joani, Danielle, Michael, Lois, Ophelia, Lynne, Harry, Sarah and Jeff.  

Residual thoughts . . .

Moolala Frozen Yogurt…

@Goidanke… post modern Gothica?

@Riccardo… for his great taste in Jazz

@Colleen… Jluberia is not an offshoot of Santeria

@Stephen Eastwood… Happy Birthday and many more!  

Charitable Scorn: The Queen

 Collection: Pop Art Portraits

Cassandra Landau - Gallery Coordinator