Hugh Davies, RIP

[David Ayers]

From Sound 323 mailing:

"Hugh Davies RIP 1943-2005

Sad news: Hugh Davies died on the 1st January, 2005. Born in 1943, Hugh was a pioneer of live electronic music, an inventor of musical instruments, a composer, educator, and renowned researcher into the history of electronic music. An assistant to Karlheinz Stockhausen from 1964 to 1966, he participated in the recording of Stockhausen's Mikrophonie I in 1965. Other recordings included wonderful LPs by Music Improvisation Company and Gentle Fire, and his solo albums for FMP and Grob. Anybody involved in live electronics, electronic improvisation, hardware hacking, or, come to that, anybody who needs a table in order to be able to perform, owes a debt to Hugh. He will be sadly missed."

[sidewinder]

Didn't he do some work with Evan Parker and the SME in the late 1960s?

[Cyril]

Some more info:

Hugh Davies - electronics

Born: April 23, 1943 in Exmouth, Devon, U.K.

Died: January 1, 2005 in London, U.K.

Hugh Seymour Davies, one of Britain's most brilliant and resourceful free improvisers, died on New Year's Day, 2005, at the age of 61.

He had been ill for some time and passed away at North London Hospice.

Hugh Davies died in London from cancer on the 1st January, 2005. Hugh was a pioneer of live electronic music, an inventor of musical instruments, a composer, educator, and renowned researcher into the history of electronic music. An assistant to Karlheinz Stockhausen from 1964 to 1966, he participated in the recording of Stockhausen's Mikrophonie I in 1965. Other recordings included wonderful LPs by Music Improvisation

Company and Gentle Fire, and his solo albums for FMP and Grob. Anybody involved in live electronics, electronic improvisation, hardware hacking, or, come to that, anybody who needs a table in order to be able to perform, owes a debt to Hugh.

Hugh Davies is a composer primarily concerned with 20th century instruments and sound sources. He is an inventor of instruments, a performer (principally specialising in presentations with his own instruments) and researcher.

In 1967 he founded the Electronic Music Studio at Goldsmiths' College, University of London. He directed the studio until 1986 and was Research Consultant there from 1986 to '91. He also holds positions in other institutions' music departments. Between 1986 and 1993 he was also a part-time consultant on electronic instruments to the Music Department of the Gemeentemuseum in the Hague, Holland. Since 1999 he has been a part-time Researcher in Sonic Art at the Centre for Electronic Arts of Middlesex University, London.

As a composer, apart from more or less traditionally notated music for conventional instruments, he has concentrated primarily on electronic music (live and on tape) and music theatre, as well as - since 1967 - works for his invented amplified instruments, playing them not only in his own solo concerts but also in group improvisations with musicians from many other countries. Since 1971 he has specialised in presenting concerts of composed and improvised music performed entirely on invented instruments and found objects, both as a soloist and in ensembles.

His sound sculptures and installations involve the participation of the exhibition visitors, often with a degree of remote control that partly limits the performance possibilities; other features include tactile elements and interactions between the participating members of the public.

Davies has published extensively. A book - with accompanying CD - of his creative writings, including environmental music projects and sound documentation, is planned for later this year.

[7/4]

Sad, 61 is too young these days. Like any good King Crimson fan I had to check out the Music Improvisation Company disc on ECM, my intro to Mr. Davies.

[Guest ariceffron]

what did he do w/ crimson

[7/4]

what did he do w/ crimson

The Music Improvisation Company : The Music Improvisation Company

* 1970 ECM 1005 ST

1. Third Stream Boogaloo

2. Dragon Path

3. Packaged Eel

4. Untitled No.I

5. Untitled No.II

6. Tuck

7. Wolfgang Van Gangbang

Derek Bailey Electric Guitar

Evan Parker Soprano Saxophone

Hugh Davies Live Electronics

Jamie Muir Percussion

Christine Jeffrey Voice

Edited January 15, 2005 by 7/4