Y.E.R.M.O. vs Paul Alias

Y.E.R.M.O.

Plonger dans un grand lac d'eau verte, avoir un peu froid, sentir la saveur vitale, se sentir vivre un instant de grâce, intime, microscopique. Fusionner une fraction de seconde avec les éléments, frissonner, être présent, entier, dans cette toute petite part de l'existence, à chaque fois unique, ne plus rien savoir des circonstances, ne plus rien savoir, être là. Remonter à la surface, déjà inspiré, vivant, prendre conscience dès ce moment de ce qu'on est en train de vivre...
Ne rien en dire à personne en remontant sur le bateau, revenir à la vie sociale, matérielle, vivre un tas de choses de toutes sortes, jusqu'à la prochaine trêve...
Et un jour, se souvenir, tenter, dans un espace solitaire, de ranimer cet instant intense, de le ressentir, de le prolonger, de le transposer au degré du quotidien...

Y.E.R.M.O. est un projet récent de Yannick Franck. Installé à Liège, il poursuit depuis plusieurs années une démarche parallèle dans les domaines visuel et sonore. Participant au projet interdisciplinaire IDIOSYNCRASIA avec Ph. Maggi depuis 1999, ils sont également les fondateurs du collectif idiosyncratics.

Y.E.R.M.O. est principalement consacré au textures et ambiances sonores. Privilégiant la multiplicité des sources et des procédés, Y.E.R.M.O. en explore les différentes facettes et dimensions afin de créer des paysages expressifs / méditatifs. Dans un ensemble relativement minimal, ces soundscapes se déploient en notes suspendues souvent monochromes et libèrent progressivement leurs harmoniques. Cette recherche d'évanescence est quelque fois agrémentée d'interventions plus bruitistes, dévoilant des aspects plus solides. Evitant contingences et conventions narratives, Y.E.R.M.O. définit ces espaces sonores résolument abstraits.

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vs

Paul Alias

En décembre 2003, Yves de Mey (alias Eavesdropper, www.knobsounds.com, un artiste de musique électronique, reçoit d'étranges e-mails auxquels sont joints des fichiers MP3. L'expéditeur de ces e-mails se présente lui-même comme étant P. Alias. Eavesdropper, intrigué par les fichiers sonores ainsi reçus, demande à Alias si ils peuvent collaborer. En même temps, Yves, avec le centre d'art TOR (www.kunstencentrumtor.be) et l'agence multimedia électronique Glamor Is Undead (www.glamorisundead.com font quelques recherches sur ce Paul Alias. Ils décident alors de mettre sur pied un projet à partir des travaux de Paul Alias. Après plusieurs e-mails, Paul Alias accepte finalement. "NO COM" (un nom proposé par Paul Alias) sera mené par Eavesdropper. Cela implique d'autres artistes électroniques et ensembles ils travaillent à la fois en live et via le net sur les fichiers sonores que Paul Alias avait envoyé. Alias est inflexible, ce projet sera le dernier avant de totalement disparaître dans l'obscurité.

the whole story

Born in Waterschei, Paul Alias (real name: Paul Van Ostaijen) is one of the least known composers of contemporary electronic music in Belgium. His life is shrouded in mystery. We know that he studied composition at the Brussels Conservatory with André Laporte and then moved on to the Institute for Psycho-Acoustics and Electronic Music in Ghent with his favourite Belgian composer Karel Goeyvaerts (http://www.klassiekemuziekgids.net/componisten/goeyvaerts.htm, http://www.classical-composers.org/cgi-bin/ccd.cgi?comp=goeyvaer) as teacher. In 1979 he went to Köln where he worked with Karl-Heinz Stockhausen (http://www.stockhausen.org/). Stockhausen introduced him to the VCS3 (nicknamed the Putney) a monosynth that was created by the Electronic Music Studios http://www.ems-synthi.demon.co.uk in 1969 in Britain, in close colloboration with Stockhausen himself. This unique synthesizer totally captivated Paul because of its sheer range of sound possibilities and its option to randomly create electronic music. In 1980 Paul changed his name into Paul Alias, not only because his real name reminded everyone of a well-known Belgian poet of the first half of the twentieth century but also because he considered this as his first step towards total anonymity. The Putney enabled him to deconstruct the individuality of contemporary music. He wanted to create abstract, non-melodic music designed to be heard in airports, elevators or hotel lounges. From 1984 up to 1989 Alias allegedly worked for Belgian public radio as a sound engineer. Some of his former colleagues insist that they heard several of his compositions on the intercom system. Famous Belgian composer Luc Brewaeys who also worked during that period for public radio described him as "A radical. Paul never seemed to be present although no one complained about his work. I think I once met him in the elevator but he vehemently denied being Paul Alias. We used to joke about Paul. He was invisible but we could always hear him whenever the intercom system got jammed. Perhaps he was one of the first true audio-hackers in Belgium." In later interviews Brewaeys failed to acknowledge the existence of Paul Alias. He stated that "It's all a big myth, really."

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Paul Alias disappeared for good. Relatives still living in Waterschei, Paul's home town, said that he wanted to erase his existence together with the Cold War. Apparently he was obsessed by secrecy and used to read John Le Carré-novels excessively. Several of his compositions are dedicated to famous spies like Anthony Blunt or Guy Burgess. He told his niece, Ria Van Ostaeyen, that "from now on the only thing you will ever hear from me is a particular noise on your television set. I can't tell you where or when but you will hear it's me." Apparently Paul left some scraps of paper when he took off and Miss Van Ostaeyen was so kind as to help us identify the names of some of his compositions: "Putney's Lament" (1980); "This certainly doesn't help (aka The Berlin Tunnel) (1983); "The Gladio Suite" (1984); "No News, No Noise, Nothing in Particular" (an intercom project from 1986 up to 1987) and "Blunt Observations" (1989). She told us Paul insisted that all these compositions have been broadcast on national radio. Up till now we have found no evidence to proof this.

In december 2003 Yves de Mey (aka Eavesdropper, www.knobsounds.com ), an electronic music artist, received weird e-mails attached to MP3-files. The sender of these e-mails made himself known as P. Alias. Eavesdropper was intrigued by the sound files he received and asked Alias if they could collaborate. At the same time Yves, together with Art Centre TOR (www.kunstencentrumtor.be) and electronic multimedia agency Glamor Is Undead (www.glamorisundead.com ) did some research on Paul Alias. They decided to do a project on the work of Paul Alias. After several e-mails Paul finally gave in. "NO COM" (a name Alias came up with) will be led by Eavesdropper. It concerns several other electronic artists and together they will work both live and on the net on the sound files Paul Alias has sent. Alias is adamant that this will be his final work before totally disappearing into obscurity.

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