In this episode of MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews Ken Butler; musician, experimental musical instrument builder, and visual artist.
"I've Always Been Interested in Finding Connections Between Art and Music" - Ken Butler
Our guest today is Ken Butler. Ken is a musician, experimental musical instrument builder, and visual artist. He builds hybrid musical instruments and other artworks that explore the interaction and transformation of common and uncommon objects, altered images, sounds and silence. His work combines live music, instrument design, performance art, theater, sculpture, and other forms of visual art. He is internationally recognized as an innovator of experimental musical instruments created from diverse materials including tools, sports equipment, and household objects. Butler has performed with John Zorn, Laurie Anderson, David Van Tieghem, Butch Morris, The Soldier String Quartet, Matt Darriau's Paradox Trio, The Tonight Show Band, and The Master Gnawa musicians of Morocco. He has been featured in exhibitions and performances worldwide including The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, The Prada Foundation in Venice, The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, New Music America, Mass MoCA, and The Kitchen, The Brooklyn Museum, Lincoln Center and The Metropolitan Museum in New York City as well as in Canada, South America, Thailand, and Japan. His works are represented in public and private collections in Portland, Seattle, Vail, Los Angeles, Toronto, Montreal, Washington, Paris, Tel Aviv, and New York City including the permanent collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. .
Topics discussed:
Ken's beginnings and interest in art and music, how he began building hybrid musical instruments from everyday objects, his sources of inspiration his experiences as a music educator, his experiences recording for Tzaddik Records, performing with John Zorn and the Gnawa Masters of Morocco, his experience as a guest on The Tonight Show, the Downtown Music Scene of the 80s and 90s, the future of experimental music, and his experience as a cancer survivor.
Music on this episode:
"Building a Desert Blizzards"
“Axioms”
“Par Twelve”
All music composed and performed by Ken Butler, from the album “Voices of Anxious Objects.”