Featured Artist:
Zbigniew Karkowski – Biography
Zbigniew Karkowski
Born in Kracow, Poland, in 1958, Zbigniew Karkowski is one of the most significative artists in the experimental, noise and isolationism genres.
Zbigniew Karkowski studied composition at the State College of Music in Gothenburg, Sweden, aesthetics of modern music at the University of Gothenburg’s Department of Musicology, and computer music at the Chalmers University of Technology. After the completion of his studies in Sweden, he also studied sonology for a year at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Den Haag, Netherlands. During these years, he attended many summer composition master courses where he studied studying with Pierre Boulez, Iannis Xenakis, Olivier Messiaen, and Georges Aperghis.
Zbigniew Karkowski has produced numerous works in the fields of both acoustic and electronic music music, and has written pieces for large orchestra, an opera and several chamber music pieces. Karkowski is also a founding member of the electroacoustic music performance trio “Sensorband.”
Based in Tokyo, Karkowski has a large collection of releases numbering more than 60 of mostly field recordings. He also records under the philosophy that all conventional rules and thought about music have to be destroyed, which is surprising considering he studied music under several different teachers in different countries. Karkowski also runs his own label called Sensorband.
He has worked with artists such as collaboration with Chris Watson, Francisco López, and The Hafler Trio.
Jean Laurendeau and the Ondes Martenot
A wonderful video of Jean Laurendeau showing the antecessor of the synthesizer, the Ondes Martenot.
Jimmy Page’s boathouse on sale
If you are a rich Led Zeppelin fan this is your opportunity to live in the very place where the band was born in 1968: The Boathouse, in Pangbourne, West Berkshire.
Jimmy Page bought the Boathouse in 1967 when he was still a member of The Yardbirds. A year later, he was introduced to Robert Plant and he later invited him to stay at the Boathouse to discuss his proposals to create a new band. It was also at this house where Led Zeppelin -The New Yardbirds at the time- rehearsed for their for their first gigs at The Marquee Club. It was also filmed at this location the part where Jimmy Page plays the hurdy-gurdy by the riverside in the movie “The Song RemainsThe Same”.
This is not the only famous house that the guitarist owned in England, he also lived at Boleskine House, the legendary hunting lodge in Loch Ness that used to be owned by the magician Alistair Crowley, the beautiful Towe House at London’s Holland Park built by Waterhouse that he bought from the actor Richard Harris, and Mill House in Windsor, which he bought from Michael Caine.