Clip Mouth Unit (Jen Baker (trombone/voice) and Dafna Naphtali (voice/live-sound-processing/electronics) has created a unique set of open form compositions for their multi-faceted performance concept — merging electro-acoustics, multi-phonics, and extended techniques, integrated directly with scalar and rhythmic concepts, in a unique set of open form compositions for their multi-faceted performance concept merging electro-acoustics, multi-phonics, extended techniques, integrated directly with scalar and rhythmic concepts.
at NYC Electroacoustic Improv Summit 2016 (Youtube)
The duo performs/creates together since 2011, including presentations at ISIM (Int’l Society of Improvising Musicians Conference), Bucknell College, NYC Electroacoustic Improvisation Summit, and Penn State University. See this review by Eric Lyon of our set at EIS from the journal “Array” for the International Computer Music Association or ICMA.
“Clip Mouth Unit, a duo project of Dafna Naphtali and Jen Baker performed with a high-energy mix of Baker’s trombone interjections and Naphtali’s intense yet urbane vocal stylings, combined with varied and unpredictable computer- generated textures and live processing of the acoustic sound, all presented with a comic’s madcap sense of timing. Despite a wide range of surprising musical swerves, the performance never lost focus.”
BIOs of Jen / Dafna:
Jen Baker, trombonist/composer, has collaborated with artists all over the world in site-specific mixed media performance, concert halls, solo and chamber commissions. As an improviser she is featured on the soundtrack to Werner Herzog’s Oscar-nominated Encounters at the End of the World. She has performed internationally in festivals and has toured with Arijit Singh, Karole Armitage, and Mansour, and new music ensembles S.E.M., TILT brass, and the mobile ensemble Asphalt Orchestra (founding member). Her well received new book, Hooked on Multiphonics, is treatise on extended techniques for trombone for composers and trombonists to aid in understanding and executing the deep complexities of multiphonics.
Dafna Naphtali is a sound-artist, vocalist, electronic musician and guitarist. A performer and composer of experimental, contemporary classical and improvised music since the mid-90’s, she creates custom Max programs for live-sound-processing of voice and other instruments, as well as music for robots, multi-channel sound projects (“Audio Chandelier”) and her “Walkie Talkie Dreams” audio-augmented-reality soundwalks in NY and Germany. Dafna has received support from NYSCA, NYFA, Brooklyn Arts Council, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, American Composers Forum, Franklin Furnace for her projects. Her chapter “What if your instrument is invisible?” is in Musical Instruments for the 21st Century/Springer 2016.
Clip Mouth Unit scores are in the form of a “Deck Score” — set of cards/PostIts each with a different behavior or electroacoustic process outlining relationship between instruments and processing. Here is the score for our June 2015 gig at TransPecos ======================>
| A review by Eric Lyon of our set at EIS in the journal “Array” for the International Computer Music Association or ICMA.
“Clip Mouth Unit, a duo project of Dafna Naphtali and Jen Baker performed with a high-energy mix of Baker’s trombone interjections and Naphtali’s intense yet urbane vocal stylings, combined with varied and unpredictable computer- generated textures and live processing of the acoustic sound, all presented with a comic’s madcap sense of timing. Despite a wide range of surprising musical swerves, the performance never lost focus.” |
Other Past Concerts/Activities:
— Live on WKCR radio NY, with Nicola Hein (guitar) and Ramin Amir Arjomand (piano) (April 2018)
— Penn State University School of Music (Feb 2018)
— Bucknell College (Sept 2017),
— New York University Society for Women in Technology (SWiTCH) concerts (’17, ’15) see videos
— TransPecos – June 2015
— Panoply– duo performance 2013
— Firehouse Space– trio with Ras Moshe (saxophone)
— ISIM 2014 (Int’l Society of Improvising Musicians) presentation/performance
— presentation on Clip Mouth Unit on WTF is Experimental Music Series, Panoply Lab
— recording @ Harvestworks (unreleased)
— duos plus one: with Ras Moshe, with Andrew Drury, with Sarah Bernstein.
Rest of the SWiTCH concert: