Interview with Morton Subotnick

The composer and performer Morton Subotnick is one of the pioneers in the development of electronic music and multi-media performance and an innovator in works involving instruments and other media, including interactive computer music systems. Most of his music calls for a computer part, or live electronic processing; his oeuvre utilizes many of the important technological breakthroughs in the history of the genre. In the early 1960’s, Subotnik, along with Pauline Oliveros and Ramon Sender, formed the San Francisco Tape Music Center. He was also one of the founding members of California Institute Of The Arts, where he taught for many years. Morton Subotnick collaborates with video artist Lillevan (ex-Rechenzentrum) for a light and sound duet. Featuring musical resources from Subotnick’s analog recordings and his newest electronic patches and techniques, all music was performed spontaneously on a hybrid Buchla 200e/Ableton Live “instrument” and accompanied with live video animation by Lillevan.

Produced by A4 as a part of a project of international cooperation Re-Imagine Europe, co-financed by the program of EU Creative Europe and supported using public funding by Slovak Arts Council and Bratislava Autonomous Region.

The video was created also by volunteers, as part of a project supported by the European Solidarity Corps program.

Photo Courtesy of the organisation