Answer Machine Tape, 1987

About

Answer Machine Tape, 1987 is a 48-minute multimedia piano work by Philip Venables, performed by pianist Zubin Kanga with live video and live electronics. Created in collaboration with dramatist Ted Huffman and programmer Simon Hendry, the piece extends the piano with sensor technology (the Keyscanner), allowing keystrokes to trigger and shape text and visual elements in real time. The work draws on archival recordings connected to the artist David Wojnarowicz and his circle in the days surrounding the death of Peter Hujar, fusing documentary source material with a live, text-driven musical performance. The result is an intimate, technologically augmented concert experience in which musical gestures, projected words, and images interlock. Presented by hcmf//, this performance marked the UK Premiere.