PROBES #16.2
Auxiliaries
Curated by Chris Cutler
The PROBES Auxiliaries collect materials related to each episode that try to give a broader – and more immediate – impression of the field. They are a scan, not a deep listening vehicle; an indication of what further investigation might uncover and, for that reason, most are edited snapshots of longer pieces.
We have tried to light the corners as well as the central arena, and to not privilege so-called serious over so-called popular genres. In this new auxiliary, we wonder how far you can go with banjos, mandolins, balalaikas, jew’s harps and ensembles of folk instruments. And it’s pretty far.
In PROBES #17, we trace how the gamelan collided with western notions of music and exotic percussion spread like a virus into every field.
In PROBES #15 we look at experimental uses of the more intractable folk instruments: bagpipes, hurdy gurdy and harmonica. Is nothing sacred?
Transcript
In PROBES #16, banjos, mandolins, balalaikas and the jew’s harp are made to do unaccustomed and groundbreaking things.