Villads Bugge Bang & Kwinten Mordijck

The Danish circus artist Villads Bugge Bang and the Belgian musician Kwinten Mordijck worked together from 19 till 30 September in Reims (FR). This is their logbook.

Introduction

Villads = playfullness, new ways of doing things, surprising, hide things, expectations, fascinations, extreme energy versus beauty. Here is a 7 min. half set/half impro of rhythm, dance & object manipulation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHdkRYgNK5M. Mostly just for you to see how I’m working sometimes, and maybe there is different elements/concepts that you find interesting and could see us working with.

Kwinten = sax, synths, guitar, live & recorded music, cassettes cassettes, church organ, gaming music. https://kwintenmordijck.com/en

Together: going against the music, searching for contrasts.

Themes: expectations, wildness/stillness, surprise

Concept ideas:

Andy Kaufman (Man on the moon movie) sketch, where he cries and starts to “loop” his crying, so it becomes music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXFsbWEdYew&ab_channel=parakatanka

Villads: I think there is a great potential in exploring how to make non intended music actions into musical pieces. It could fx. just be setting up music gear – preparing for the next song or speech, where you hear the sound of a pluggin in the cable, taking 3 steps back to the microphone – and looping that. Maybe making layers on top of that. So that the physical everyday actions become the basic layer of the song that is coming up.

Going against the music

Composing music for people walking

Find the rhythm/melody in the different walks
Live composing music for the audience, walking on stage. When they cross a line, the music starts.
Filming people in Reims.
Make different dramatical music for Villads doing a routine/choreography – Where the music changes the focus of the expectations of actions.

IDEA-LIST:

Filming walking people – contrast music. Is there a live version of this? Villads/audience
Filming everyday movements – contrast music
Villads is funny, Kwinten’s music not → how to join these worlds
Create music from some object, together
Make music with “turning amp on and setting up before the concert”
Adaptive music (like in gaming) vs performance

September 19

Some links we shared:

Videos in the city:

Walking people
Normal situations
Toystore

September 20

Working on the videos

Interesting to see what different moods in music do to same video
Without narrative or it being a real film, it stays an exercise for Kwinten

Villads improvising on Kwinten’s music.

Interesting:

Repetition of movement → until Villads is exhausted (real? or acted?)
Little fast finger movements on ‘90ies’. Maybe we film a zoomed in version? (maybe starts from boredom, and turns into dreamy universe).
Villads being scared of the music → makes the music an extra persona / character
Villads making fun of very serious music of Kwinten (by clapping on the wrong beats and laughing about it). Strange feeling for Kwinten, haha.
Villads taking the grand feeling of the music (intro ‘Primal’) and making it about him ⇒ When cello comes in, he should recognise his mistake and gently give focus to the music (could be funny) (video img_0036 7:25)
- Elvis turns around – about to perform Hound Dog. But the wrong track goes on, and he stays with the disappointment / chock for a good time.
- Playing with expectation – is there an intro before something, or costume/object that tells the audience what is going to happen.
- Does the intro of a song always tell you what kind of song it will be?
Looking for which feelings & elements each song contains and finding all the different physical reactions to that → choose a song that Villads want do dig deeper into
See music, hear dance. (how does a movement sound?) music starts from movement, movement starts from music.
Physical actions could be to dance, showing an atmosphere, to go totally against the music, working with tension, going against the drop, or make a drop physically without the music.
Working with chaos / stillness both physically and with music , not necessarily at the same time.
Duration – if I do something funny, and stay with it for a long time, it might turn into something different – making the funniness slowly disappear and turn into something else (example the tongue-movement on “ouverture”)
Musical tension vs physical / performative tension.
Catching the music – grabbing different notes. Try to put it into a situation fx. right before I need to start juggling the music chocks (see dirt pattern, video 0035).
Sudden stop on hard music, going over in laughter.
Silence / music – surprise – when does the music stop & come on?

September 21

What to go deeper into:

Repetition of movement until exhausted (later when Villads has the energy)
Looking for more ways to make the music an extra persona / character
- yesterday we found one: Villads being scared of the music, made the music some kind of dangerous persona?
Catching music
Duration: starting with something funny, keep going, what does it become (in combination with different kinds of music)
Trying to make the beat disappear and come back again.
Keeping the beat in the body even though the beat disappears
Continuing tongue movement gives a weird vibe with the music and also with looking people straight in the eyes ⇒lights should give more focus
3 movements: The tung, the going to the side, and jumping on one leg.

How can the music indicate rules to follow, and then break it?

Chasing grandmother
Visualizing the music in the room
Juggling with music
Attempt how to make music out of nothing/slowly introducing notes as an element and finally developing it into a “song”.
Who reacts to who? There’s a version where it’s very insync, which is like a wauw version, but there’s also a version where Villads reacts to the music and is always late, which is also interesting.
In the video from yesterday we had another vibe with the same idea.
- Today the sounds Villads wants to catch are very clear. It’s very readeable and obvious for the audience what sounds he tries to catch. Especially if it starts from silence.
- Yesterday Villads caught more subtle sounds in the music which made the audience more aware of that layer in the music. Villads helped the audience to better listen. This is a road Kwinten still wants to investigate. “Deep listening experience”

Possible narrative/meaning to work from:

Villads’ character wants to make a happy performance, but the music is not what he expected. This forces him to react.

“Elvis” – ready to rock, but other music starts. Forces Villads to feel something he doesn’t want to feel. Works best if there’s an energetic moment before it (drumrolls, but better?)
Villads starts a movement, the repetitive music forces him to keep doing this for way too long. Sometimes a beat comes up, gives him new inspiration, seems to stay, but goes away.
Being scared of the music also could fit this narrative
Maybe in the end it does come together? How?

How to Interpret the music.

Expectation / Emotions / Energy / TENSION

Doing many things at the same time.

September 22

Ideas of what to do:

Work on “drum roll” “elvis” thing.
Catching grandmother. Would work better with more space in between notes.

Circus for Villads =

making casual objects/actions interesting
- Ants and cookie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkQhAs08XHA&ab_channel=GreenLightStockFootage
- Tigers, rhythmic ears: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsH2OF89994
- Gorilla, keeping an eye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdIKJ1UTAPk

suspension / tension
- how with music

Villads finds suspension/tension video: maybe filming himself sneezing.

Something “dangerous” is about to happen.

Micro as a volume control for music melody

? or trigger / soundsource ?

See video Villads.

WHATSAPP messages

[16:24, 22-09-2022] Kwinten: Hey Villads, very happy you don’t have corona. Now you just need to rest to make sure you get better. I’ve been a bit stuck all day. I find it difficult to find something we are both enthusiastic about. I feel that there’s a big difference in what we like about music. I’ve developed a specific taste both in music and in how the music (i make) should relate to / be used in performances or other media. And of course you have your own taste and I don’t see an overlap (yet?). We’ve touched some interesting points, but when we dig deeper into an interesting point, I feel like it gets less interesting to me, because with your own creative world, ideas and energy (which are great!) you move it away from what I found interesting about it. For example catching sounds was something really subtle I liked, while you like it more when it’s clear and obvious and synchronized. We also keep coming back to the same. For me it’s not very interesting to research how different moods of music make a video something different. This is something I do all the time in my work. I didn’t mind going with the flow and I especially don’t want to stop your creative flow, you have crazy ideas, but I can’t really relate to them. I would like to do something that I can be enthousiastic about. That we both can be enthousiastic about. I’ve been thinking all day what this could be, looking at our notes, all the video’s we shared, but I’m a bit stuck.

I also feel like sometimes the communication (both in a foreign language) isn’t going very well, so you can totally correct me if I’ve misunderstood things. I thought maybe writing this down could help. Let’s talk more later after you’ve rested some more.

[16:25, 22-09-2022] Kwinten: Of course this is not like a big problem. Just something we have to think about

[18:44, 22-09-2022] Villads Bugge Bang: Hey Kwinten, thanks for writing this so clearly! I understand you.

I feel like I’ve already learned new things about how to work with music & live performance, by working with you. And I think our collaboration worked well, fx. when we worked on the tung dance sequence, where your idea was to stay with something, and repeat something “funny” that could transform into another feeling. I wouldn’t at least have been going that direction myself, without your inputs. – But could it be that I went away from your first idea for this?

Let me know if so. I think we should definitely try the more subtle version of catching the sounds, which we also talked about. I have been thinking of what this project is about today, and was reading this on the Circus without circus website:

“The overall aim is to facilitate cross-boundary research and to develop and explore cross-disciplinary working methods. The selected artists are invited to step out of their comfort zone, to let go of habits, give up control, and open up their artistic process in the encounter with another artist.”

I think we could see this project as scientists, that works with new methods and explores why something works and why something doesn’t. Of course it’s great if we can be enthusiastic about it, but maybe we need to open up for each other’s world & methodes, and be lost for some time and be open for new & great things that we can’t imagine, could appear in the meeting of our different mindset?

Fx. when you talk about your “ specific taste both in music and in how the music (i make) should relate to / be used in performances or other media.”- I’m not totally sure what that is – so it would be great if you could maybe introduce more of your thoughts / methods of that? And I would love to do that as well with my work & experienced background.

Not totally sure how to do it. Might need some preparation. Maybe we should just be better at trying each other’s ideas one after each other? Or having a day each where we decided what to do?

[18:45, 22-09-2022] Villads Bugge Bang: and sorry for the late answer, had to rest. which was great. See you soon 🙂

September 23

Villads: direct communication with audience

Kwinten: more experience-oriented

HOW TO COMBINE?

The tongue dance worked a little bit this way

Villads: wants the world to talk more to each other

In “The woman who fed the dogs” Kwinten uses music (in combination with light a.o.) to make the people feel that it’s okay to listen to this horrible woman (the wife of Marc Dutroux), that this is not real. If she would communicate as directly as Villads usually does, people would leave the room.

With laughter you can really open up people and slowly talk more about serious or darker stuff. This is in a way another approach to present these darker stuff. (“The woman who fed the dogs” is a little bit too dark though…)

Direct communication / versus inwards

Empty stage

Just music is the circus.
Moving object maybe.

September 24

Feedback / mic / juggle

Different resonant frequency per speaker to have different notes/tones to make music with (beat/melody). We had two normal speakers and a sub to play with and each a microphone. Was nice.
- distance could be interesting as a performance factor
- you can change the notes of the speaker with different EQ
Different fx on different microphones. A resonator with a different chord/note on each microphone and then juggling with it, makes a nice melody.
- cables get messed up. nice!
- with more programming in ableton live there can be more melodies/possibilities
- maybe we can also loop it? make it into a track?

Other idea to work tomorrow:

Villads choosing music from Kwinten to work on and vice versa.
Villads trying not to communicate as directly, with help from music.

September 25

Translation of our different mediums.

Do it without the music/physical

Kwintens 1st task: The Prelude

I choose to make two layers:
- long open chord (an organ) to have the feeling of opening, of expectation and of wonder in a way. This layer builds up towards the next act. This next act doesn’t come, which is quite funny and interesting. The ending of the chords should enhance this feeling even more.
- short open flute like notes that sort of translate the tempo and rhythm of Villads movements. It would be more interesting to follow Villads even more. Write down his structure, where he repeats movements. This would be even easier when really working on the video, to almost be in sync, but we agreed to do a translation and not a soundtrack for the video. So to exactly make it in sync would get us to far from the “task”.
- Possible next step
  - Maybe try working with the idea of a prelude to the prelude, where you introduce a bit of the sounds to come in a big open space, and then after a break the sounds/music comes together more focused.
    - this break moment is more clear in Villads live-version.

Villads 1st task: Do (Delightfull over here: https://kwintenmordijck.com/en/projects/ich-bau-dir-ein-schloss).

Keep the same music, but have different scenes/stages. In the same song.

Play with not following all the layers in the music.
Choosing maybe just one layer.
Be free in the rhythm.

Go through what we have been doing this week.

Going outside, making videos of people walking.
Villads editing some videos + Kwinten making different kinds of music on the same video → interesting exercise but maybe not more than that.
Trying it the other way around: Villads improvising on Kwinten’s music.

→ Some interesting things were found, maybe could go back to some of those:

Repetition until exhaustment
Tongue dance
Finger movement?
The idea that Villads has to react to the music, instead of the music working with him. “Elvis” – ready to rock, but other music starts. Forces Villads to feel something he doesn’t want to feel.
Catching music: there was a moment in the improv where Villads catched some subtle high notes in the music, which was interesting. When expanding on that idea (“catching grandmother”), we slowly moved away from the subtleties into more clear notes and actions.
This caused us to talk more about what we think about what music should/could do in a performance. Or what kind of performances we want to make.
- Villads likes a more direct way of communicating with the audience.
- Kwinten uses music more in a feeling/experiencing way. Less direct communication.
- Difficult to find some common language or starting point.

→ “Tongue dance” was a little bit going in this direction.

We decided to do more small tasks:
- Experimenting with feedback / juggling microphones (with different tones)

One of the things was to play with feedback of the speakers, which created music and could challenge a physical way of playing music, if the speakers were placed very far from each other, so that we had to almost run to hit the rhythm of the music.

Translating each other’s work in our own language.
To research more?
- Suspense:
  - Did a little bit with it with beat on tongue dance
  - Elements in suspension music: steady drums, volume rising, tones rising, rest to chaos, pitch, loops, drops, double time
  - How long can you hold the tension before the drop, drops.
  - How do you create an expectation for the audience, where they want to see the next thing/final thing – but you let them wait..? or give them something else.
  - How can we break the audience’s expectations of when a song/act ends? How many times can we end things.
- Can circus be less big?
- Beethoven wants to play the last note (the root note).
- Chord pressions (kwinten). To go to the sixth instead of 1.
- Suspense can also be not going where you are expecting.

Villads wants the audience to find the rules of the games he is playing and then change it up so they don’t get bored.

⇒ in music there are also rules and expectations that you can then surprisingly change up.

September 26

Little walkthrough with Vasil.

catching – tongue – catching – garbage

There can be a moment you should hear villads breathing (no music then?)
All objects sound?
?Rollen- beat – start filtered?

Development in Catching grandmother

When the sounds enter the room I try out if i’m Starting with either Just watching it- noncelence throwing it away.
When the beat comes and at fx. 1:06 im to late catching it, but it drops (maybe change the music in it, so theres not too may drops in it).
Walking on the notes.

Transition to Tung dance: throwing up the music, and catch it in the the bag.

Tung

Catching the sound in the bag, should maybe just be once.

Is good when the music dies out

How can I move between the objects ?

Maybe have the sheets stand with the mic on it.
Around when the beats comes, I’ll be with my self discovering the sounds.

September 27

9:30 warm up

10:00 Show microphone juggling

– maybe continue working on it – find an entrance and outro?

Wishes:

To have a moment and show a few juggling/magic things with Vasil

Options:

Big object
Make sounds, mic it.
Kwinten accompany it.
Find different scenes/atmopheres.

Object:

Bird.
Shaking the sound.
Nice when the sound is very small.
Silence.
Waving wind swing it.
Thinking of it as juggling.
Decided the pictures.

Getting the right mic

Juggling

Whishes:

Why and when is the music.

Write down which movements where I would like to stop.

Movement stop: The tung.
Maybe the leg.

September 28

STRUCTURE of the presentation:

Microphone juggle

Villads wants the white microphone, we juggle with the melody, juggle back and Villads ends with the white microphone.

Catching

Villads starts speech.

What is the speech? Just the names? Something else? Something Danish?

Music starts – “Catching grandmother”.

Villads hears the sound, is looking/searching for it, tries to catch it.

First catch on the beat.

After that Villads is with himself, tries to follow the music in the space, without being too aware of the audience. Working with maybe not catching it? or maybe have a few places where I’m catching it, and having the music a bit more clear.

Walking on the notes.

Dancing with it, trying to avoid the music, make paths for the music – in the air, through the clothes.

Also trying to “hear” a more subtle sound: the organ chords coming in?

Buildup to catching it on the end of the long note + music stops.

Maybe having a last flying note in silence, like the beginning and then it ends in the plastic bag.

Tongue dance

Villads caught the sound and throws it in the bag → Music (“Rollen”) starts filtered?

Whole routine with the sound in the body.

Choose three movements on which Villads stays stuck. On transitioning music to “Ouverture”. ?3 times? → decide lengths a little bit. Nice to get an exhausting moment?

?do we do something with garbagecan already (I think it’s more surprising later?)

?Fade out of music? Villads forgot a little bit about the sound?

task: Finding more exact moments of when music is fading in and out.

Catching

Catching starts again.

Shorter this time.

Villads catches the sound → music stops.

Garbage

Villads throws sound in garbage → aaaaaah sound.

Villads goes looking in the garbage → heavy surprising sound.

Villads goes away.

Dance of objects

Garbage and pupiter do little beat. Pupiter moves down.

Big metal plate starts to move → more poetic music starts (live or recorded?)

End.

Some catching sounds on tongue dance?

Spots on every object. And spot in front for tongue dance.