Reviews

BOX #15 - 28 July 2002 - Patrick King - Fugal Quease

Review by Scott Sinclair

Norris is a prolific inventor of home-made electro-acoustic instruments. This particular evening he treated the audience to a wide array of contact-microphoned goodies ? including a cylindrical trashcan; a chalkboard; a plastic purple octopus; and various other bits of metal junk. However, I don?t want to pontificate on the technical aspects of Norris? performance for two reasons. Firstly, I?m certain that of all those who witnessed the performance, only Michael would have any idea of exactly what electro-acoustic methods were being used to achieve his sounds (well, we hope). Secondly, it has always been my opinion that Michael?s sound art involves much more than technical virtuosity or intellectual chest-beating. What was really on show was not a circus of self-morphed toys with Michael as the ring leader, but a series of disciplined sound art pieces that naturally unravelled bringing together seamless elements of rhythm and dislocation; pain and humour; electronics and acoustics. These subdued references to intellectual technique and mathematics make Norris? performances pleasing on more levels than most can boast, and I feel that this Small Black Box appearance was the best example yet of his desire to push both himself and his art to its practical limits. We should all look forward to his future work.