- Alva Noto
Infobox musical artist
Name = Alva Noto
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Img_capt = Carsten Nicolai as "Noto", playing live at MUTEK2004
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Birth_name =Carsten Nicolai
Alias =
Born =1965 inKarl-Marx-Stadt ,Germany
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Instrument =
Genre =electronica , glitch
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Years_active =
Label =Mille Plateaux ,Raster-Noton , Line
Associated_acts = Noto, Signal,Cyclo.
URL = [http://www.alvanoto.com/ www.alvanoto.com]
Notable_instruments =Alva Noto is a stage name of sound artist Carsten Nicolai who uses art and music as complemenary tools to create
microscopic views ofcreative process es. Another alias he uses is Noto. He is a member of the music groups Signal (with Frank Bretschneider, AKA Komet and Olaf Bender, AKA Byetone) and Cyclo. (withRyoji Ikeda ).Nicolai was born in
Karl-Marx-Stadt ,East Germany . He has created music from overlooked sounds – the noises of modems and telephones for example.Carsten Nicolai also works as a visual artist. Using the principles of
Cymatics he visualizes sound. Nicolai’s practice is formed by a convergence of sound, painting and sculpture that results in installations exploring the idea of creativity filtered through modularized systems and codes. His music features prominently in his art. Nicolai’s work exposes the limitations, and potential beauty and creativity, possible within strict logical systems.Nicolai plays with the rules of physicality. Sound is changed and evolved into time and space and transformed by looping
oscillator s and tone generators. Through these processes the essence of pureelectricity is made audible. He works withoutsequencer s, but mathematically edits his work to give his compositions precise rhythmic structures. Clicks and glitches are not used asornamental additions to the compositions but make up the essential elements of the work and these sound sources are applied to the rhythmic groove of Hip-Hop andR&B . The sounds of electronic information transmission such asfax tones,modem sounds andtelephone pops and clicks are sampled and organised into loops to which Nicolai adds longer electronic tones in the background and foreground as the piece progresses.Fact|date=June 2007elected Discography
olo Albums
* alva noto - "prototypes" -
2000 (Mille Plateaux ). CD contains 10 tracks, all "Untitled."
* alva noto - "transall cycle : transall approaches with the problematics of speed, the vision of utopia and the dissolution of our ideas into fragments."
** alva noto - "transform" -2001 (Mille Plateaux ). CD or dual 12" LP, contains 10 tracks, all names start with "m"+track #. Re-released in 2008.
** alva noto - "transrapid" -2005 (Raster-Noton ). CD contains 4 tracks.
** alva noto - "transvision " -2005 (Raster-Noton ). CD contains 4 tracks.
** alva noto - "transspray " -2006 (Raster-Noton ). CD contains 8 tracks.
* alva noto - "for" - June2006 (Line (a Division of 12k)). CD release contains 9 tracks. A collection of unreleased tracks created over the past 4 years.
* alva noto - "xerrox Vol.1 " -2007 (Raster-Noton ). CD or dual 12" LP.
* aleph-1 - "aleph-1" -2007 (iDeal Recordings). CD or dual 12" LP, both contain 8 tracks.
* alva noto - "unitxt " -2008 (Raster-Noton ). CD or dual 12" LP.Albums together with "Scanner" (
Robin Rimbaud )* alva noto + scanner - "
uniform " -2001 (SFMOMA). CD Contains 1 track, "uniform." (Uniform) was performed and recorded byCarsten Nicolai andRobin Rimbaud (Scanner) for the exhibition of ""010101: Art In Technological Times"", at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) onMarch 3, 2001 .Albums together with
Ryuichi Sakamoto * alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto - "
Vrioon " - December2002 (Raster-Noton ). CD and 12" LP release. Contains 6 tracks
* alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto - "Insen " - March2005 (Raster-Noton ). CD and 12" LP release. Contains 7 tracks. Features piano work by Ryuichi Sakamoto.
* alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto - "Revep " - May2006 (Raster-Noton ). CD release. Contains 3 tracks.
* alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto - "Insen Live " - October2006 (Raster-Noton ). DVD release. Contains 15 tracks. Contains video footage from the 'Insen' tour. Recordings for the DVD took place at Casa da Musica, Porto, Portugal, on June 11th 2006 and at Sonar festival 2006, Barcelona, Spain, on June 15th 2006 inDolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound . Contains live tracks from the 2005 Insen album, as well as previously unreleased tracks such as 'Xerox' and 'Barco.' The DVD isregion free and is inNTSC format.
* alva noto + ryuichi sakamoto & ensemble modern - "Utp_ " - September2008 (Raster-Noton ). DVD/CD release. The DVD isregion free and is inNTSC format.Albums with "Opiate" (Thomas Knak), together as "Opto"
* "
Opto Files " -2001 (Raster-Noton ). Limited CD release. Number 6 in the raster.static series. CD Comes in a silver anti-static bag with green card insert.
* "" -June2004 (HOBBY INDUSTRIES). CD Contains 10 tracks, all titled with times of the day. The collaboration was created in a 48 hour period and was inspired by the restored recording from a found cassette in a forest in Eastern Germany.Compilation appearances
*"Odradek" on "
...It Just Is " (2005)Remixes
*ryuichi sakamoto "insensatez" (alva noto remodel)
*björk "innocence" (alva noto unitxt remodel twelve inch remix)
*byetone "paper star" (alva noto unitxt radiomix)
*modwheelmood "twc" (alva noto remodel)
*spyros polychronnopoulos "wiesbaden (already happened tomorrow) schwarzer bock mix"
*ludovico einaudi "diveni-re-model"Live Performances
Nicolai has performed and created installations in many of the world's most prestigious spaces including The
Guggenheim NYC, MOMA SF, MOMA Oxford, NTT Tokyo,Tate Modern and Venice Biennal Italy. As a member (and co-founder) of the Raster-Noton label he was responsible for the acclaimed CD series '20 to 2000' that went on to win the Golden Nica prize at Prix Ars Electronica2000 .*
Sonar Music Festival , 2004
*Opening performance for "010101: Art In Technological Times" at theSan Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) on March 3, 2001.
*netmage 2006
* [ BBmix Festival] 2008, 31th October, play "Xerrox"External links
*http://www.discogs.com/artist/Alva+Noto
* [http://www.carstennicolai.com/ Carsten Nicolai website]
* [http://www.alvanoto.com/ Alva Noto (aka Carsten Nicolai) website]
* [http://www.raster-noton.net/ Raster-Noton website]
* [http://www.eigen-art.com/Kuenstlerseiten/KuenstlerseiteCN/index_CN_EN.html EIGEN + ART Gallery: Carsten Nicolai]
* [http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/carsten_nicolai.htm Saatchi Gallery: Carsten Nicolai]
* [http://www.kultureflash.net/archive/141/priview.html KultureFlash interview (11/2005)]
* [http://www.pingmag.jp/2005/05/01/carsten-nicolai-creating-space-between-things/ PingMag interview (05/2005)]
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