Morton Subotnick
Morton Subotnick is one of the true pioneers of electronic music. Born in 1933 in Los Angeles, he first came to prominence as a co-founder of the San Francisco Tape Music Center, where he collaborated with and appeared alongside musicians like Ramon Sender, Terry Riley, Steve Reich and Pauline Oliveros. Throughout his career, Subotnik has worked extensively with both interactive electronics and multi-media.
Subotnick commissioned instrument designer Don Buchla in the early '60s to build what he and Buchla had conceived as a sort of electronic-music easel. The result of their work together is now considered to be one of the first analog synthesizers. It was with this unique modular voltage-controlled instrument with sequencing ability that Subotnick created "Silver Apples of the Moon," released in 1967 by Nonesuch.
Subotnick laid new ground in electronic music, breaking with academic avant-gardists by including entertaining sections with regular rhythms. The recording of "Silver Apples" brought Subotnick worldwide fame and has remained a treasured icon of electronic music for over 40 years. In 2010, the Library of Congress added "Silver Apples of the Moon" to the National Recording Registry.
Since then, Subotnick has had a stellar career as a recording and performing musician, multi-media artist, and composer for dance, as well as a teacher - among his many students are such noted musicians as Ingram Marshall and Rhys Chatham.
At the first Unsound Festival New York in 2010, Subotnick appeared in a special one-on-one interview context. In 2011, Subotnick performed at the festival live - in a revival of his classic work "Silver Apples of the Moon."
We are delighted that Subotnick will now do the same in Krakow, bringing with him his Buchla synth. This is a don't miss chance to see one of the key American innovators of electronic music performing a classic work live. Lillevan will provide visuals.
Subotnick will also be doing a special Q&A during the festival.
