Saturday, July 19, 2008

The Wide Wonderful World of David Byrne


By Allen Bacon
Editor
The Daily Bosco

I was getting caught up recently on one of my all time favorites David Byrne. If you think he hasn't been up to much because he hasn't released an album of new material since 2004 (his opera Grown Backwards)....you couldn't be more wrong.

That's because the world of the former Talking Heads front man transcends much more than music. It's an exploration of art in a wide variety of media.

First of all there is his latest art installation Playing the Building.

This is a sound installation in the Battery Maritime building in New York City. The infrastructure, the physcial plant of the building is turned into a giant musical instrument. Musical devises such as an old organ are hooked up to various components of the building such as the pipes, columns and rafters. The devices don't create the music...they are just a method of accessing the music from the building. The result is extremely fascinating and wonderful.

Playing the building runs until August 24 in the Battery Maritime Building 10 South Street, New York City.

Then there is David Byrne's internet radio station. Byrne has handpicked the music mainly World music and the result is wonderful. It's on a two hour loop and is accessed through his website.

For more inormation on what David Byrne's up to including another art exhibit in Spain, a discography going back to his Talking Heads days log on to www.davidbyrne.com

No comments: