Some time ago I published this new, brief excerpt of the final version of the audiovisual concert I C::ntr::l Nature. See the video below.

---

The performance is based on the self-designed software C::NTR::L, developed in the Pure Data graphical environment and available for download here. Performance was recorded live at roBOT Festival September 2009 in Bologna, Italy, camera by Carlotta Piccinini - Visual_Lab.

---

I C::ntr::l Nature v. 3 excerpts – augmented bass guitar improvisation 2009 from Marco Donnarumma aka TheSAD on Vimeo.

Berlin. Wonderful as always.

---

I visited again the city 3 weeks ago to play the  audiovisual concert ‘I C::ntr::l Nature’ -  selected for the day program of Netaudio Festival.

I went there together with Joanna M. Stacewicz for few days and we had the chance to live one of the (probably) last days of full warm sun before the winter.

---

---

---

Our expectations about Netaudio Festival were pretty high… probably too high. Wait… i’m not talking about the organization but about the musical offer.
The event was really well organized and it was clear the amount of efforts the staff had to face in order to make everything work. I want to thank all the staff for making this happen. People were great and we all had nice times, but the only thing that i found unsatisfactory was the line-up policy of the event.

Probably i just wasn’t considering the complete  spectrum of a “netaudio-only” event. The line-up was almost completely dedicated to dance live acts (or dj sets), dancy electronica, dancy idm, dancy dubstep, techno, and some live pop bands.

---

Don’t misunderstand me… i like to dance, but i largely prefer to discover new sounds, new approaches to music, innovative reflections of sounds and technology.

---

This actually made me think a lot about Netaudio scene and how I relate myself to it. Why do i listen to free music? Because it’s free – free as in beer? Because i don’t want to spend my money for music?
No, i don’t think so. Probably i listen to free music ’cause i seek for an added value that can somehow guarantee a different approach to music composition, and hearing experience.
Probably i would like to see a Netaudio festival dedicated to music free as in freedom. The freedom to create music and sounds that are going beyond my everyday perception of techno-glitch, pop-kraut-rock, hip-top raggae dance-hall. Music is much more than this, music is not only something to have fun with, but i believe it is a relevant aspect of our everyday learning process, so that it doesn’t have to be undervalued.

---

Anyway, excluding my personal complains, I happily performed the 3rd version of the audiovisual concert for augmented bass guitar and butterfly and introduced the free software C::NTR::L. Thanks Georg – from Pure Data mailing list – for dropping by!

---

---

---

We had the pleasure to meet many old friends after quite a time. The almighty Dr.Nojoke was there (thanks for hosting us and being our light in Berlin!) – he played a really interesting live set under the moniker Trioon together with the common friend Servando Barreiro and JLab -  and the omnipresent Visual Berlin collective  was contributing to the event with quality live visual shows by Flux, Fred, Oigovisiones, E-Gruppe, Pixelnoizz, Yagama.

---

---

We had also the chance to get to know Fernando Fonseca (Public Spaces) who played one of the most interesting acts in whole the festival. A weird coincidence made me play exactly before his set, thus we met and found out many common ideas. Finally we had also the time to go out for dinner altogether and release our minds from too high thoughts hanging around Kreuzberg for 40′ looking for a place where to eat.
Actually i’m forgetting about another interesting project developed by Netaudio organization: The Berlin Wall of Sound. People were invited to record field sounds around the Berlin Wall to create a Berlin Wall sound map. The map was physically available as touch screen installation inside the main room of the venue ( http://www.netaudioberlin.de/berlin-wall-of-sound/ ).

---

---

All in all i’m glad to have participated and contributed to this event. All critics and doubts expressed in this article don’t have to be perceived as a provocation, not at all. I only try to stimulate constructive discussions and thoughts, since this is what we are here for…
Should i sit all the day long mesmerizing myself thinking how beautiful is life?

Nahh… that’s not for me. Please, feel free to write few lines about your idea of free music and whatever could be related to it. I definitely wish to know your opinion and keep on the conversation.

---

---

---

For those of you who hang around Berlin, I’ll be participating to the almighty Netaudio Festival – day program – with a showcase of my audiovisual performance for augmented bass guitar ‘I C::ntr::l Nature’ (check the project here) entirely made and performed with PureData.
I’ll be performing on Friday from 14.15 to 14.45h and for the remaining 30 minutes I’ll be explaining the functionality of ‘C::NTR::L’, the free software I developed for the performance . The software allows you to transform your standard musical instrument in an augmented audiovisual controller, it’s published under GPL license so free to be used and modified. If you’re interested you’re very welcome to drop by.
The festival will take place from 8th to 11th October at the wellknown Maria am Ostbahnhof (Mao).

I was really glad to get to know about my selection since Netaudio festival is the bulwark of free CC-licensed music, so it represents kind of _must_ for me.
Here you are the statement of this Berliner edition – via Netaudio website:

From the 8th to the 11th of October 2009, Netaudio Berlin will be gathering the international netaudio community for a four-day music and conference festival in Berlin, under the title “East meets West”. 2009 will mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Iron Curtain. We recall pictures of hands reaching out to pull people from both sides up onto the Berlin wall. The event will take place at Maria, a venue situated immediately on the former Berlin ‘death strip’ once dividing the city and the world into eastern and western hemispheres.

In recent years a netaudio landscape has emerged in the countries of Eastern Europe. Speakers, artists and netlabel managers from Eastern and Western Europe as well as from the USA are invited to find out more about the needs and possibilities, challenges and chances of netaudio under the various cultural frameworks and to discuss new opportunities for networking and collaboration across borders and cultures.

---

The line-up of the festival is generously eterogeneous, providing a day program including:

• Netaudio Fair
• Showcases
• Lectures
• Workshops
• Discussions
• Films

… and a night program too broad to be described in this article. Plenty of artists and genres – electronic, drum’n'bass, dubstep, hip hop, techno. Be sure to check the full program here. The live visuals will be curated by my dear friends Visual Berlin, don’t miss it!

Thanks Bologna!
I had definitely great days in there. The roBOT festival – organized by Shape Association – took place at Palazzo Re Enzo – Bologna – one of the most beautiful ancient building in Bologna and probably in whole Italy.

---

---

Look at the ‘Sala del Podestà’ picture below to get a glimpse about the rest of the building. Something awesome.
The festival is more clubbing oriented, but since this year they established a call for works located in the experimental audiovisual field.
That’s how i got to participate alongside with Ape5+Eraser, EricaIlCane, Saul Saguatti, Teatrino Elettrico and Pixelnoizz.
I could enjoy a warm and quiet atmosphere and nice chats with the technical staff (in the picture).
You know? one of the best thing that can happen to an artist going to perform somewhere is to get in touch with professional, friendly technicians who understand his needs… and that’s what has happened.

---

---

On Wednesday, the opening was reserved to Carl Craig and his SHAPE project. Highly acclaimed musical project connecting and blending techno and classical musical languages. On Thursday has started the experimental section of roBOT with the first three performances including me, Pixelnoizz and EricaIlCane.
I made a shorter performance, trying to understand how to relate with the space of the huge concert hall.  It hasn’t been easy to understand how to play in such a space, where the sound jump from one side of the roof to another, like playing in a big Gothic church.
EricaIlCane and his crew has showed ‘Piove, Governo Ladro’ an evocative imagery, sometimes more decorative sometimes more dreamy. Playing inside of a semi-transparent box they have spread some interesting noise with four audio channels surrounding the installation.

---

---

In between on Friday i had the chance to get to know the american artist John Duncan. Incredibly he was holding an informal meeting with some young artists at the same place where i’ve been hosted (Nosadella.2 – residency for artists and curator).
So i participate to the meeting with him and Melissa Pasut and in the end we spent the night together with a lovely dinner and other friend Elisa DelPrete. It’s useless to say it has been an inspiring meeting.

---

---

Finally on Saturday I’ve met a lot of old friends and I’ve also met for the first time the Italian artists Ape5 and Eraser. They proposed their latest performance ‘Future sounds like Past Toys’ mixing the ethereal music of Eraser (heavy circuit bending on old toys) with a glitch visual imagery provided by Ape5.

---

---

Then i repeated my performance ‘I C::ntr::l Nature’ - audiovisual improvisation for augmented electric bass guitar, butterfly and self-designed software C::NTR::L, Pure Data based - and i have to say it has been one of the best performance I’ve ever made since I’m traveling around with this project.
I was feeling this kind of emotive tension who often push a creative mind to get out his best.
The sound was finally as i wish it would have been and a lot of people showed up to attend to the concert.
I’m usually really critic towards my concerts but this time I’ve felt something too good around, maybe the presence of many friends, maybe the great location, maybe the proper astral plane connections… anyway the show was strong and impressive.

---

---

---

---

---

My friend Carlotta Piccinini from Visuallab has been so kind to shoot almost all the performance with an excellent camera, so be patient and expect a new video reel from the performance.

After the performances (including also Byetone who was performing at my same time, I would have loved to attend) everybody has moved to the Link for the last club night of the festival. Nice time in there supporting old good friends Vj Hash and Sapo during their vj set, and around 5am everybody has jumped in the car driving back home.

Once again Sunday has come and I’ve taken the last tour around the city, sitting in a park and enjoying the last rays of sun – because in Milan the rain was waiting for me.
I end the report with this picture: a public park in Bologna dedicated to the 11st September 2001.
I’ve the maximum respect for that event (and also a lot of doubts and anxiety), but could you tell me why in Italy we should dedicate a park to this date???
Sorry but i cannot agree with that.

---

---

Thanks to all the people from roBOT staff – Marcella, Federica and all the technical staff – and thanks also to all the people who showed up for my concert. It means a lot to me, especially here in Italy.

---

I’m really glad to share with you the live recording of my most recent audiovisual concert I C::ntr::l Nature at Pure Data Convention 2009, Sao Paulo, Brasil. The only sonic source is my bass guitar augmented by the self-designed software C::NTR::L v.1.3.

---

Many thanks to Henrique Iwao for his efforts during the convention and for being so patient to record and order (all?) the performances at Pd Con.

---

You can listen to the concert with the player below. If you want to download it for free check my download page.

---

TheSAD – I C::ntr::l Nature Live @ Pure Data Convention 23-07-09 by TheSAD

---

---

Besides you may be interested in visiting the unofficial archive of Pd Convention performances at this address http://sussurro.musica.ufrj.br/pdcon09/material.html.
All the material is kindly hosted by sussurro.musica.ufrj.br – Biblioteca Musical Digital do Laboratório de Música e Tecnologia da Escola de Música da UFRJ.

---

Next audiovisual concert coming up in Bologna, Italy.

---

On 19th October I will be performing the third version of the performance for augmented bass guitar and butterfly I C::ntr::l Nature during roBOT festival at Palazzo Re Enzo. This will be the italian premiere of the brand new version of the audiovisual performance (recently presented in Brasil at Pure Data Convention), so don’t miss it!
The festival provide an interesting lineup, featuring a pool of selected audiovisual artist from Italy and Europe including Saul Saguatti, Ericailcane, Pixelnoizz, Vj Hash, Ape5 and a party time hosted by some big names of the scene such as Tim Exile, Carl Craig and many others. I will be probably also making a friendly vj set during the club nights at the LINK, enjoying old friends vjs from the italian scene.

---

---

If you’re around.. get a chance to enjoy us.
more infos:

---

I C::ntr::l Nature project website: http://www.thesaddj.com/icontrolnature/

Festival:http://www.robotfestival.it/2009
tickets: http://www.robotfestival.it/2009/ingressi/

Online the pictures from the third international Pure data Convention in Sao Paulo, Brasil, where i performed the audiovisual piece ‘I C::ntr::l Nature’ and presented the free, open source software C::NTR::L – Pd-based.

---

Much thanks to Alexandre, Paloma, Cristiano, Palm, Cybelle and all the staff for the big efforts to make this happen. Great experience for all of us and relevant effort to enhance the free culture in Brasil.

---

Check the gallery here: ../pics

More infos: www.pdcon.org