IOS exists already 18 years. Howdo you think your music has been evolving from the very beginnings sofar?
It has always been a process of learningfrom each other, experimentation with new tools and ideas, and changinginspiration. In some ways it hasn't changed, it still tends to be darkand disturbing even when it approaches beauty. It has changed in someways due to fluctuating line-up and the introduction of new technology.sampling and computers played a big part since 1991, and then after1993 it was a return to more organic means. the new material relieson new computer speed and interesting programs. In live performancethere is still a balanced combination of spontanaity and controlledstructure, using electronic sources (synthesis & computer manipulations)andelectro acoustics, always based on improvisation. In the early yearswe were doing specific structures even though they were always a bitopen ended.
What is the most inspiring for yourmusic these days?
New Technology mostly, the new computersare so fast, memory so large and the programs are very creative. Also,listening to other artists has always been a source of inspiration.In the past I have been inspired by the music of Throbbing Gristle,The Hafler Trio, Nurse With Wound, Brian Eno, Cabaret Voltaire, andThis Heat. Currrent artists that I respect and find inspirational includeOval, Microstoria, Plux Quba, Autechre, Zipperspy, Fennez, Ryoji Ikeda.
You said the main impulse for startingIOS were the last two TG performances you have seen. What was specialabout them?
TG besides producing a sort of new formof music at the time had an interesting mixture of charisma and sophistication.Live they were very professional, working with new ideas and technology.They created a unique sound and were able to project their ideas andtheir personalities very well.
Whom do you collaborate now? Whichprojects do you see as the most close to IOS?
Recently I have done live collaborationswith TV Pow, Jason Soliday, and Kevin Drumm, using the laptop computer.As IOS I have been performing and recording solo for the last two years.But i have recently started working with Kurt Griesch (IOS member withwhom I did the first MORT AUX VAUCHES cd on Staalplaat, and the Finde Siécle lp on Korm Plastics) on a new record for the Die Statdt labelin Germany. I really am enjoying working with Kevin Drumm and we arepreparing to tour together as IOS in Europe in June of this year. Mylast collaboration was in 1997 with Thomas Dimuzio. We did five performancesin the San Francisco area, and edited them down and released them asa cd called HZ on the Sonoris label in France. This collaboration wasprobably the closest thing to IOS I have done with another artist, Thomas'live processing made this collaboration fairly unique and a little psychedelic.
What period of your work do you seeas the most creative and inspiring one?
I would say the period between 1992and 1994. At this time I was getting comfortable with sampling and sequencingtechnology, and started incorporating location recordings and also fmsynthesis into my work. During this time I did the Probe cd with JimO'Rourke and also the Water Seeks It's Own Level, Distraction, and Rulesof The Game cds. These last two are among my favourites, not only dothey have all the elements of IOS but are my best decomposition worksutilizing music samples and grooves. In edition I was workin on somenew projects outside of IOS including Fixated (cd on Complacency), andGroovy (cd on Extreme). Also with IOS as a group we were again exploringimprovisation and using a more of an organic approach (using real objectsand devices as opposed to sampling and sequencing.) We also were startingto perform live quite frequently during this period.
Your music is often described asambient, post-industrial, electro-accustic, noise, power electronicsetc., how would you describe your music in your own worrds? What doyou say to these labels?
People sometimes need a frame of referenceand these labels are suitable enough as a starting point. My hope isthat my music can transcend any label applied to it. My current descriptionof what i do is: Dan Burke working with electronic synthesis, computercomposition & manipulation, musical reference, and close microphonesearching hands.
Referencing external & enhancing internal locations, manipulatingsemi-recognizable elements in structures of a re-arranged language oferror. Destroyed music, broken sound, disturbed ambience, and the questfor the sublime.
What is the basic IOS concept oris your work based purely on sound, no words, no manifestos, no socio-politicalconceptions?
All external psychological and socialreferences have disappeared from my output since about 1995. now itis all about structure and feeling. My desire is to create unique soundand structures with an aesthetic coherence that enables the listener(and myself) to transcend the moment and in the best case scenario touchsomething profound in their imagination.
I have seen your live performancein Erlangen few years ago. IOS were playing consisting from two personsusing various equipment including guitar, radios, effects etc. Whatkind of equipment do you use now?
In live performance I will again beusing the mixer as my main instrument. sound sources will be digitalrecordings (locations, synthesis, and computer generated sources), laptopcomputer, contact microphone with various objects, and some processingeffects. When Kevin and i tour in June we will be using only laptopcomputers.
More than 170 live performances,can you remember any really bizarre one?
Well, bizzare in one way was our performance(jim and I) at the Kunst museum in Bern Switzerland, because it wasa funded event where we were well paid, put up in a very fancy hotel,and performed from inside the museum where we were surrounded by paintingsby Picasso, and it was broadcast to a potential listening audience ofabout 3 million people. Some memorable performances were in Denver withCrash Worship where we performed Discipline with them. Their performancesare always a bit bizarre, people getting naked, lots of fire and liquids,people suspended from the ceiling, etc. Another memorable night waswith the Haters in Chicago where we collected a lot of junk from thealley behind the club to use as decoration and destruction materialfor the Haters. By the time they finished their "performance"there was a five foot pile of debris in front of the stage. The ownerof the club was dumbfounded.
How would you describe IOS currentlive shows? Is it purely a free-form improvisation or some parts havebeen prepared?
At this time i am doing improvisationwithout any preconception of the structure the performance will take.But I try to be familar with my source material so that I have a clearidea of where and how things will go once set into motion. The presentaionis based on sound and does not include any multimedia production. Iprefer that the audience be able to sit down, relax, and shut theireyes.
You were released on many labelsso far, which one do you consider as the most suitable for you?
All of them have been good and suitable.I would say Solielmoon has been the most professional in terms of communication,promotion, and accounting.
You have founded your label Complacencyin 1986. How are you satisfied with the process connected with the label?How many titles have you released so far?
At this time the label is no longeractive. It was satisfying to be able to release our own material thein the way we wanted. We put out a few IOS cds, and also a few cds byCheer-Accident (IOS member Thymme jones' project). We also releasedCDs by Organum, Jim O'Rourke & Eddie Prévost, and the Oblivion Ensemble.The distribution was ok but after a time i decided I did not want tobe involved with music "business". I prefer to leave thatin other hands and at this time I am more enthusiastic about live performancethan new releases. So i have made much of my back catalogue and newlive recordings and compositions available for free as mp3 downloadsthrough the website www.illusionofsafety.com.
This is your fourth European tour,what is the difference between the previous ones and this one?
The first tour in 1992 was based arounda backing tape that was synched to video. I was at the mixer addingelectro accoustic sounds and Jim O'Rourke was on stage with preparedguitar and objects. The second tour was in 1995 with myself and Kurtdoing the electro-acoustic improv approach utilizing guitars, shortwave, prepared tapes, and various objects. In 1997 for the third tourthere were 20 performances given. The first seven were myself with MarkKlein. Just prior to this tour Mark and I had completed the recordingsfor the Of & The cd. So these shows were similar to that dark ambientwork we had just completed. For the rest of the tour I performed solousing the same approach only less dense. This tour coming up in April2001 will be solo and I will be improvising again using the mixer asmy main instrament. When i perform it is based on sound and not withany other visual or multimedia elements. I perfer if members of theaudience are able to sit down and get comfortable and to close theireyes and try to lose themseves in the music.
You're coming to Eastern Europe forthe first time. What are your expectations?
I have heard good things about the creativeenergy there and interest in different kinds of cultural events andam curious to meet people there and looking forward to seeing Praguefor the first time.
When have you released your lastCD? When do you plan a new CD? What kind of material it will contain?
"The Nature Of Sand" on Manifoldrecords released in 2000. This was a live collaboration of IOS withVoice of Eye and also with Life Garden recorded on our U.S. tour in1995. The second "Mort Aux Vauches" released by Staalplaatin 2000, was recorded by myself solo at the end of the 1997 tour ofEurope. On the IOS website there is a link to our downloads at MP3.com.At that site are about 40 full length IOS track spanning our history.There ar 9 new unreleased track up there that are taken from my liveperformances in 2000. I have recently completed 3 new Cds. One is acollection of new and older material that will be a limited editionof 200 that I will only sell at live performances. That one includesa live improvisation with Theresa Marin Nakra, a violinist I met a fewminutes before the show, and is a sparse somewhat musical set. The secondCD also contains a few new studio compositions but is primarily livetracks from 2000, 1997 & 1995. This one is all very quiet and minimal,a nice follow up to the "Of & The" ambient CD. This onebeing a little less dark & dense. The last one is fairly harsh andvery computer sounding, lots of edits and heavy proccessing, it is called"Dolce Far Niente, and has a raw synthetic and digital sound (butalso has probably the prettiest subtle passage I have ever done, butits short). I am seeking labels for these. Kurt and I are working ona 10" vinyl release on Die Stadt. These recordings are very unusualand minimal. I have Tracks coming out on a Die Stadt 7" limitededition for the performance in Bremen this coming tour. These tracksare also heavy computer decomposition being a bit musical in nature.There is a 5" record coming out on Pain Art records in conjunctionwith my performance in Dresden for this coming tour. Also heavy computercut up and a bit nasty sounding. Finally I have completed a new computercomposition for No Type (www.notype.com), an internet "label"of MP3 albums. This track is called "Graintext", it is in6 parts, and is another cut and paste work but in a longer linear fashion.It takes some time going form part to part, incorporating deep ambientpassages that draw the listener in with harsh noise, loops, and rhythms.
Are you active also in other artisticterritory?
Photography and graphic design. I haveused many of my photographs and designed most of my cd covers. Kurtis using some of my photos for releases on his label Perdition Plastics(Mimeo, Ralph Waholsky.)
Who designed your internet websitewww.illusionofsafety.com?
Trevor Paslin of Noisegate.
Any last words for our readers?
See our website for a full history ofthe project and links to 100s of MP3 downloads illusionofsafety.com
Peace.
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Generated by Tom Saivon - Dan Burkeinteraction 29-03-01
CONTACT
bzurke@ync.net
TOURS
20/04/01 c.u.b.a.: Muenster, Germany
22/04/01 WORM: Rotterdam Netherlan
24/04/01 RHIZ: Wien, Austria
25/04/01 Papirna: Prague, Czech Republic
26/04/01 ms Stubnitz: Rostock, Germany
27/04/01 Hörbar: Hamburg, Germany
28/04/01 Lagerhaus: Bremen, Germany w/ (Asmus Tietchens & ThomasKöner
29/04/01 AZ CONNI: Dresden, Germany (w/Sudden Infant)
June 2001 Dan Burke & Kevin Drumm laptop duo/dates tba (check website/current)
Fall 2001
Denmark, Norway, Sweden
DISCOGRAPHY
Available releases from: Soleilmoon,Manifold, Staalplaat
CD:
Historical
1991: Staalplaat (initial edition of 500 in leather pouch with .22 caliberbullet in center)
1992 Staalplaat (re-release regular jewel box)
8-track recordings, & sequences by Burke, Enderle, Klein, O'Rourke,Jones & Block.
re-release available
Inside Agitator
1992: Complacency
Studio 24 track compositions based on sampled sequences & directto DAT improvisations
recorded in 10,000sq ft. warehouse: Burke, Klein, Enderle, Jones, Block,O'Rourke
Graphic design: Burke
out of print - CDR available
Cancer
1992: Tesco (edition of 1000 in large oversize full color
sleeve, graphic design: Klein & Burke)
2, 4, 8 Track, & direct to DAT recordings: Burke, Jones, O'Rourke,Enderle, Klein, Block
out of print - CDR available
Probe
1993: Staalplaat
(initial release of 500 in wooden case with Itialian coin & sealedwith toy money)
Burke & O'Rourke: Samples, sequences, field recordings, & sounds.
Out of print - CDR available
Fifteen/Finite Material Context
1993: Functional (Tesco sub-label)
A re-release of the IOS cassette Fifteen and solo trax from the cassetteFinite Material
Context.
Burke, Jones, Sorensen, Klein, Enderle, Block.
Graphics: Cover photo & CD image: Burke, inside: group members
available
Water Seeks Its Own Level
1994: Silent
Burke: composition, DX-7, samples, Field recordings, Photos
(DX-7 source tapes: Jim O'Rourke)
out of print - CDR available
Distraction
1994: Odd Size (Digipack)
Burke: Decomposition & visual presentation (w/ Block & O'Rourkeon Helen Your Brain)
out of print - CDR available
Rules Of The Game
1995 em13n (3" CD)
Burke: audio & visual collage
out of print - CDR available
Horror Vacuii
1995 split Cd w/Randy Greif: Old Europa Cafe (cover photos by Mary Wagner)
Burke & Jones
out of print
From Nothing To Less
1995 Complacency
Burke & Jones, compiled rehearsals and performances from 1993 eastcoast U.S. tour.
sound sources: no sampling or sequencing.
available
Guru Means Slayer Of Darkness
track: "Cracks Appear" by Burke & Jones: electronics &objects.
1996 Manifold split CD (IOS, Hands To, Beequeen)
available
Mort Aux Vauches
1996 Staalplaat
Burke & Greisch. Live studio performance recorded for the VPRO radioAmsterdam,
using prepared guitars, tapes, & amplified objects
available
Of And The
1997 Soleilmoon (double CD)
Klein & Burke: ambience. Photos: Klein
available
Bad Karma
1998 Soleilmoon
Burke: Graphic design, & compositions (from 1990-1995). appearancesby Enderle, Jones,
Klein, and that other guy.
available
Mort Aux Vauches 2
1999 Staalplaat
Burke: Improvisational live recording for VPRO radio Amsterdam
available
The Nature Of Sand
2000 Manifold
live IOS collaborations with Voice Of Eye & members of Life Gardenfrom 1995,
recorded in Texas and Arizona
available
Vinyl:
More Violence and Geography LP
1988 Complacency/RRRecords
Graphic design: Burke/Klein
Dan Burke, Mark Klein, Mark Sorensen, Mitch Enderle, Chris Block
studio recordings from 1987-88
out of print - CDR available
IOS live/Holeist Split LP
1989 Complacency
Dan Burke, Mark Klein, Mitch Enderle, Jim O'Rourke
compilation of live excerpts from:
7.9.89 Chicago Laminating
7.17.89 Club Lower Links Chicago
7.22.89 Francis Ford studio Milwaukee
Holeist: studio recordings by Dan Burke, Eric Lunde, Jeph Jerman.
recorded in the comfort of Lunde's living room on 7.24.89.
out of print
The False Mirror/7 Years Later 7"
1993 State Of Flux (package design: John Collegio)
Dan Burke, Mark Klein, Jim O'Rourke, Mitch Enderle
limited edition version of 100 copies on clear vinyl, with optical sculpture,booklet, and
modified jacket with cracked mirror. Regular edition of 500 in regularoversize jacket.
out of print
The Banishing Ritual 7"
1994 Complacency
Music & Layout: Dan Burke, Ritual: Joe Methany
out of print
Fin De Siécle LP
1996 Korm Plastics
Dan Burke & Kurt Greisch: sample based composition
out of print
The Schmetterling E.P. 7" picturedisc
1996 Syntactic (limited edition of 111)
Dan Burke & Kurt Greisch live @Bach, Vienna, Austria 5.23.95
Picture disc butterfly collage: Burke, outer sleeve graphic: Greisch
out of print
Kapotte Muziek by Illusion Of Safety7"
1997 Korm Plastics
Original recordings from 5.22 & 5.24 1997 live collaborations ofIOS & Kapotte Muziek in Den Haag & Paris. Subsequently remixedby Dan Burke.
out of print
Complacency Cassettes:
1986 Its A Dead Dog
1986 Ecstatic Crisis
1987 Live Sound Of IOS Post Effects
1987 My Mind Is Killing Me
1987 Violence And Geography
1988 More Altitude Than Attitude
1988 Repairs
1989 In 70 Countries
1989 Finance And Ideology
1990 Finite Material Context
1990 Forced Cohesion
1991 RVE
Selected Compilations etc.:
IOS track "Devices To Be Used"(Burke, Klein, Enderle, Sorensen) on RRRecords 1987 LP "Testament"
IOS track "Every Tyrant A City" (Burke, O'Rourke, Block )on V-2 Organisation 1992 CD compilation "The Great New World InEnvironment and Acceleration"
IOS track "The Line Of Least Resistance" (Jones & Burke)1992 on Charnel House 1993 CD Arrhythmia 2
Live IOS track "Cancer" (Burke & Klein) recorded 3.12.92Toronto Canada. on Freedom In A Vacuum 1996 CD "A Blind Man's GalleryOf Mirrors"
IOS track "The Most Familiar Enemy" (Burke & Klein) onCold Spring Records 1996 CD "Seedmouth"
"UFO Crash At Roswell: An Audio Documentary" IOS Soundtrack:Narration by Donald R. Schmitt
1997 CD on Baraka Foundation
IOS Tracks "AciDiscipline" (Burke w/Elena, Vicky & Andrea)& "Weeping" (Burke w/Lorna on Jazzassin Recordings 1997CD & 7" vinyl compilation "We Hate You -A Small TributeTo Throbbing Gristle"
IOS track "Enhanced X-S Artifact" (Burke & Klein live:reworked computer composition:Burke) on klang galerie 1999 CD"Thirteen"