René Mogensen CD:

This is Not a Product

now available,

January, 2004

This cd is not for sale, but persons especially interested in sound art can obtain it by contacting René Mogensen while the supply lasts. Although there is no pricetag on the cd, a voluntary donation to me of between 5-15 euros (or dollars) will be much appreciated to cover expenses such as postage, production costs, etc.

Request a cd by email while supply lasts. ([email protected])

Track 1. Economics 102 is a sound study with reference to some basic economic concepts that seem prevalent in western society today. We are indoctrinated by advertising campaigns to sustain an urge to buy more and more, and consumption is often offered as a general solution both to personal obstacles as well as to issues at national levels. We are trained to seek to achieve some ideal optimum productivity, while we are taught to minimize expense, in order to maximize immediate monetary profits. Buttons can be pressed however, both at the personal and societal levels, such that we can shape our lives with priorities focused on humanity rather than economic ideals.

Track 2. News Clips Study No.1 is constructed of sound clips from news broadcasts that were aired during September-October 2001 concerning the infamous September 11th disaster and subsequent US and allies' invasion of Afghanistan. Many broadcast news media function as propaganda tools to some extent, increasingly so during times of armed conflicts. The attitudes projected onto the listeners by the statements made in these news media are often very effectively absorbed by the listeners. Deconstructions of news broadcasts can be very didactic by way of illuminating the meanings that are we are fed with on a daily basis. The syntatic meanings of the words in the sound work are honed by distilling the statements down to fragments with simple contents, in concept the same approach as newsbroadcasts. When put in this sound art context however, the contents of the fragments are presented in a way that promotes a more multilayered interpretation, and thereby function as a catalyst for reflection. The work includes sound samples from the Synthi-100 at the Institute for Psychoacoustics and Electronic Music in Gent, Belgium.

Tracks 4.-7. Four Synthetic Mating Chants In each of the four movements of the work, various strands of sound materials (generated on a Synthi-100 analogue synthesizer) are layered in time. The dynamic nature of the synthesizer sound source provides fluid lines of persistent variation. Changes in the sound layers, as directed by the composer, help unite the layers to enable effective audience perception of the structural development in each movement. The achieved textures provide, at least in part, the contexts for the referential contents of the work. Two speakers are used in a traditional stereo setup. These speakers play very distinct parts, as the two sides of a dualistic ritual. The gulfs between the sides are sometimes bridged through sound.

Track 9. Terror og Penge is constructed in part from sound clips from news broadcasts that were aired during September-October 2001 reg. September 11th disaster and invasion of Afghanistan. Deconstructions of news broadcasts illuminate the meanings we are fed with on a daily basis. Statements are distilled to fragments with simple contents. When put in this art radio context however, a more multilayered interpretation is encouraged, and the fragmentation becomes a catalyst for reflection.

The tracks on This is Not a Product includes me on vocals, saxophone, EMS Synthi-100, other electronics and more, as well as short clips of the voices Anders Elberling and Tim Hinman of DR, and various sound bites from the DR archives, used by permission.