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electric mutant expiorations

Us: Well, your show's called Electric Mutant Explorations. What does all this mean?

Rex: Electric Mutant explorations is called that because, for a start, electric mutant implies us. we're electric mutants in as far as within the environment that we've created with our electronic technology we necessarily become new 'creatures'. Good old Mcluhanite theory. Our electric technology as an extension of ourself and particularly as an extension of our consciousness forces a redefinition of what we are. This is something which has come out in as far as I've been working with the tape and with the musicians and with electronic distortion. With the distortion you get with a tape-recorder recording ordinary sounds, which don't sound natural; the distortion you get of a conversation recorded; it gives you a new dimension and it forces a re-assesment of yourself and adds a new dimension to it. Explorations refers to the fact that in working with this I found that I've had to wipe all my pre-conceptions about music, even the pre-conception given me by people like Cage and Stockhausen. Because it's outside me and it's outside what I'm doing, and it really is an exploration right from first principles. Right from zero.

Us: Can you briefly describe the format of the show. How is it put together? How long it it? Who takes part?

Rex: Well; in the show itself there's a tape that will be played of various sounds both live sounds, sounds of pieces of music, electronic sound. There are 7 musicians, consisting of 3 vocalists, a pianist, an electric trumpet, & an electric geetar and a putney synthesizer which is the same sort of thing as Arthur Brown uses and Curved Air and Emerson, Lake & Palmer and so on. The show lasts for about an hour.

Us: Is it music?

Rex: That depends on your definition of music. Music for me is experience in sounds and as far as I'm concerned it's not so much a matter of what's music as what is interesting music.

Us: How do you differentiate between music and noise?

Rex: Merely on how the person who is listening to it takes it. Even the sounds of a city can be music if you 're prepared to listen to it as such. Music exists around us all the time. Music's created in the ears of the beholder.

Us: Mm. Apart from this creative task is there anything that the audience will be doing in your show, or will they just be an audience. Is ther any participation, e.g. noise participation from them perhaps?

Rex: Well that I'm not sure about there's no set noise participation in the score, because of the limitations imposed in the theatre if the audience want to start doing all sorts of things, like throwing tomatoes or coming on stage and doing all sorts of stuff or what nave you, they're welcome!

Us: What are the visuals and how are they related to your music?

Rex: The visuals include a number of machines, and they are made by a group of people and all sorts of materials will be flown in, and screens and things like this.

Us: Is it going to be more than a light show?

Rex: Yeh! It is a sort of kinetic stage set if you like. But this will be played on by the light and be defined by the light.

Us: Well here's a question for the real people Mr Halliday, how would the man in the street or Joe Student, benefit from experiencing your performance?

Rex: Every way! That depends on the man in the street and Joe Student. If they're prepared just to listen to what happens, lust experience it... the people and the sounds... what they see and what they hear and what they experience of themselves during the thing, then I think they could learn a hell of a lot......

Us: What do you think of the state of the average students consciousness?

Rex: I think with most students - our generation- a hell of a lot of potential has developed, to move into something new, but unfortunately its not drawn out pretty much, and I think the state of most students consciousnesses is pretty crappy, including my own possibly.....including my own. There's a helluva lot for all of us to learn more about our conscioussness and we've got to learn it fast cos if we don't.........

Us: Do you think your show will help us to learn more about our conscioussness?

Rex: Certainly.... and if anyone is prepared it learn from it, yeh they will. Although that's the same of anything new, you know, you've got to have a certain willingness to learn and to accept the conventions that are set up, or the lack of conventions. Yeh, if they do that there's a lot to learn. From the experience, not from me.

Us: Does your music have any political significance?

Rex: Yes it does. It implies a break from politics until you get to know things much more.

Us: You're talking about knowing things, but you have said that music is a matter of feeling. I think politics is a matter of feeling Do you disagree?

Rex: I think politics is too often a matter of very remote ideas, ideas really removed from what you're doing. This music implies the necessity for revolution. Because of the re-assessment of man's consciousness.