Scott Gibbons (born March 2, 1969) is an American-born composer and performer of
electroacoustic music. His work is notable for its rigorous use of single and unexpected objects as sole instrumentation (for example ''Unheard : Sonic arrangements from the microcosmos'', which uses only sounds recorded at the molecular level using the prototype of a new type of microphone; and music for the 120th anniversary of the
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Locally nicknamed "'' ...
which incorporated sounds of the tower itself). Gibbons has also created many works for large-scale spectacle with
Groupe F to accompany fireworks, which embraces the sound of
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
as a part of the musical arrangement.
Critical response
"Gibbons' tendency to understatement is extraordinary. What he shows us seems to be... not the event itself, but the trail." - The Wire
"It's not really possible to say how it sounds, only that it does. Knowing what it sounds like is a particular kind of knowledge that only seems to be useful, or even exist, at the time of hearing itself." - Nicholas Ridout, Performance Research
"Scott Gibbons' music... feels as if it is happening inside your own head." - The Guardian
[Lyn Gardner, 'Tragedia Endogonidia' The Guardian May 15, 2004]
Lilith
Lilith is an American
dark ambient music group formed by Scott Gibbons in 1986. Early self-released albums contained little or no text to suggest authorship or titles, and were rooted in homemade audio devices and modified consumer electronics. By the early 1990s, Lilith's music had developed in a sombre minimalist direction, with growing research into extended compositions focused around very low frequencies. On signing with the
Sub Rosa label, the name Lilith was taken after Earth's
hypothetical moon to reflect that the music often suggested more than it revealed.
Most of their works use single sound sources for instrumentation; for example rocks on "Stone" (Sub Rosa: 1992). Unlike other artists working in similar directions, Lilith would perform in concert, and released two albums which were recorded live.
Members were:
*Scott Gibbons (sound)
*Rachel Wilson (sound)
*Brien Rullman (video)
Selected works
* ''Genesi: from the museum of sleep'' by
Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio (1999) - music and sound for director
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
's landmark piece for theatre.
* ''Il Combattimento'' by
Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio (2000) - with the Roberto Gini Ensemble.
* ''Scribble'' by
Golan Levin
Golan ( he, גּוֹלָן ''Gōlān''; ar, جولان ' or ') is the name of a biblical town later known from the works of Josephus (first century CE) and Eusebius (''Onomasticon'', early 4th century CE). Archaeologists localize the biblical ci ...
, Scott Gibbons and Gregory Shakar (2000) - a performance on Levin's AVES gestural audio-video synthesis software.
* ''Subterranean Sky'' (2001) with sculptor George DeMerle.
* ''Dialtones'' by
Golan Levin
Golan ( he, גּוֹלָן ''Gōlān''; ar, جولان ' or ') is the name of a biblical town later known from the works of Josephus (first century CE) and Eusebius (''Onomasticon'', early 4th century CE). Archaeologists localize the biblical ci ...
, Scott Gibbons and Gregory Shakar (2002) - a performance for more than 200 cell phones.
* ''Tragedia Endogonidia'' by
Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio (2002–04) - music and sound for a series of eleven episodes, eleven video documents, an atlas room and numerous outgrowths.
* ''Feu d'Artifice'' by Scott Gibbons and
Groupe F (2003) - music arranged and performed using only captured sound and samples of
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
.
* ''The Cryonic Chants'' by Scott Gibbons and Chiara Guidi (2005) - a vocal concert on a text which was
formulaically created by a goat.
* ''Flame Tornado'' (2005) with Kevin Binkert - music arranged and performed using only captured sound and samples of Binkert's flame vortex device.
* ''Hey Girl'' directed by
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
(2006).
* Music for the inauguration of the
Berardo Collection Museum
The Berardo Collection Museum (in Portuguese: Museu Colecção Berardo) was a museum of modern art, modern and contemporary art in Santa Maria de Belém, Belém, a district of Lisbon, Portugal. It was replaced by the Conteporary Art Museum - Cen ...
with multimedia and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
by
Groupe F (2007)
* ''La Face Cachée du Soleil'' by
Groupe F (2007) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
with music by Laurent Dehors, Scott Gibbons and Eric Travers.
* ''Grandes Eaux'' by
Groupe F (2007) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
.
* ''Night Must Fall'' with Chiara Guidi (2008)
* ''Madrigale Appena Narrabile'' with Chiara Guidi (2008)
* Music for the launch of
Microsoft Vista
Windows Vista is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. It was the direct successor to Windows XP, which was released five years before, at the time being the longest time span between successive releases of ...
with multimedia and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
by
Groupe F (2008)
* ''La Flamme de mes Rêves (Lux Populi ep. 1)'' by
Groupe F (2008) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
.
* Music for the Opening Ceremony of the World
Expo 2008
Expo 2008 was an international exposition held in the year 2008 from 14 June (Saturday) to 14 September (Sunday) in Zaragoza, Spain, with the theme of "Water and Sustainable Development". The exposition was placed in a meander of the river Ebro. ...
in Zaragoza with
Groupe F (2008)
* ''des Paysages'' by
Groupe F (2007) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
.
* ''Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradiso'' directed by
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
(2008) - trilogy freely inspired by the
Divine Comedy
The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...
of
Dante Alighieri
Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
, with original music by Scott Gibbons with
the Hilliard Ensemble
The Hilliard Ensemble was a British male vocal quartet originally devoted to the performance of early music. The group was named after the Elizabethan miniaturist painter Nicholas Hilliard. Founded in 1974, the group disbanded in 2014.
Although ...
* Music for the 120th anniversary of the
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.
Locally nicknamed "'' ...
with multimedia and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
by
Groupe F (2009)
* ''J. Sul concetto di volto nel Figlio di Dio'' directed by
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
(2010).
* ''Teatro Anatomico Infantile'' with Chiara Guidi (2009)
* ''l'ultima volta che vidi mio padre'' with Chiara Guidi (2009)
* ''Les Noces Royales de Louis XIV'' by
Groupe F (2010) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
.
* ''L'Autre Monde'' by
Groupe F (2010) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
.
* ''Coups de Foudre'' by
Groupe F (2010) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
.
* Music for the inauguration of the
Centre Pompidou-Metz
The Centre Pompidou-Metz is a museum of Modern art, modern and contemporary art located in Metz, capital of Lorraine (region), Lorraine, France. It is a branch of Centre Georges Pompidou, Pompidou arts centre of Paris, and features semi-permanent ...
with multimedia and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
by
Groupe F (2010)
* Music for the inauguration of the Mediterrania Saïdia with multimedia and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
by
Groupe F (2010)
* ''Encounter'' with Firaz Ghazzaz (2011)
* ''Augustinian Melody'' with Chiara Guidi (2011)
* ''Folk.'' directed by
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
(2012).
* ''The Four Seasons Restaurant'' directed by
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
(2013).
* ''Ulysse au Pays des Merveilles'' by
Groupe F (2013) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
.
* ''The Breath of the Volcano'' by
Groupe F (2013) - with
Richard Nunns
Richard Anthony Nunns (7 December 1945 – 7 June 2021) was a Māori traditional instrumentalist of Pākehā heritage. He was particularly known for playing taonga pūoro and his collaboration with fellow Māori instrumentalist Hirini Melbourn ...
& Paddy Free
* ''Go Down, Moses'' directed by
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
(2014).
* ''Unheard : Sonic arrangements from the microcosmos'' with
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
(2014)
* ''A Fleur de Peaux'' by
Groupe F (2014) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
.
* ''Le Magicien d'Eau'' by
Groupe F (2014) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
.
* ''Le Sacre du Printemps'' by
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
(2014) - with
Teodor Currentzis
Teodor Currentzis ( el, Θεόδωρος Κουρεντζής ; born 24 February 1972) is a Greek-Russian conductor, musician and actor.
Biography
Currentzis was born in Athens, and at age 4 began to take piano lessons. At age 7, he began vio ...
* ''The Four Seasons Restaurant'' directed by
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
(2014).
* ''Oedipus the Tyrant' directed by
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
(2015).
* ''Orestea (una commedia organica?)'' by
Socìetas Raffaello Sanzio (2015) - directed by
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
.
* ''Skin of Fire'' by
Groupe F (2015) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
with music and field recordings by Scott Gibbons.
* ''Des Mondes Magiques'' by
Groupe F (2015) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
.
* ''
The Minister's Black Veil
"The Minister's Black Veil" is a short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It was first published in the 1836 edition of ''The Token and Atlantic Souvenir'', edited by Samuel Goodrich. It later appeared in ''Twice-Told Tales'', a collection of ...
'' directed by
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
(2016) - with
Willem Dafoe
Willem James Dafoe (; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Willem Dafoe, various accolades, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, in addition to receiving nominations for ...
* ''Feux Gaulois'' by
Groupe F (2016) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
.
* ''Feux Romains'' by
Groupe F (2017) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
.
* ''Suspended Time'' by
Groupe F (2017) - commissioned for the 50th anniversary of
Sgt Pepper's
''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released on 26May 1967, ''Sgt. Pepper'' is regarded by musicologists as an early concept album that advanced the roles of sound compos ...
by the City of
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...
* ''Democracy In America'' directed by
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
(2017).
* Music for the inauguration of the
Louvre Abu Dhabi
The Louvre Abu Dhabi ( ar, اللوفر أبوظبي; french: Louvre Abou Dabi) is an art museum located on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It runs under an agreement between the UAE and France, signed in March 2007, that a ...
with multimedia and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
by
Groupe F (2017)
* ''Whist'' by AΦE (2017) - with
Jozef van Wissem
Jozef van Wissem (born 22 November 1962) is a Dutch minimalist composer and lute player based in Brooklyn. In 2013 Van Wissem won the Cannes Soundtrack Award for the score of ''Only Lovers Left Alive'' at the Cannes Film Festival.
Career
Jozef v ...
* ''Vital!'' by
Groupe F (2017) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
with music and field recordings by Scott Gibbons.
* ''Feux Sacrés'' by
Groupe F (2018) - theatre of fire, light and
pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics is the science and craft of creating such things as fireworks, safety matches, oxygen candles, explosive bolts and other fasteners, parts of automotive airbags, as well as gas-pressure blasting in mining, quarrying, and demolition. ...
.
* ''La Vita Nuova'' directed by
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
(2018).
* ''Tutto/Everything'' with
Romeo Castellucci
Romeo Castellucci (born August 4, 1960) is an Italian theatre director, playwright, artist and designer. Since the 1980s he has been one part of the European theatrical avant-garde.
Biography
Romeo Castellucci graduated with a degree in paintin ...
(2019)
Discography
* 1987: ''Nipple runs.'' (White Noise)
* 1988: ''Ripped nuns.'' (White Noise)
* 1990: ''The Taboos of the Lashing Creeper'' by ''Lilith'' (Ladd-Frith)
* 1991: ''Some Modes of Probability'' by Lilith (White Noise)
* 1991: ''Mantle'' by Lilith (White Noise)
* 1992: ''Stone'' by Lilith (
Sub Rosa
''Sub rosa'' (New Latin for "under the rose") denotes secrecy or confidentiality. The rose has an ancient history as a symbol of secrecy.
History
In Hellenistic and later Roman mythology, roses were associated with secrecy because Cupid ga ...
)
* 1994: ''Orgazio'' by Lilith (
Sub Rosa
''Sub rosa'' (New Latin for "under the rose") denotes secrecy or confidentiality. The rose has an ancient history as a symbol of secrecy.
History
In Hellenistic and later Roman mythology, roses were associated with secrecy because Cupid ga ...
)
* 1995: ''Redwing'' by Lilith (
Sub Rosa
''Sub rosa'' (New Latin for "under the rose") denotes secrecy or confidentiality. The rose has an ancient history as a symbol of secrecy.
History
In Hellenistic and later Roman mythology, roses were associated with secrecy because Cupid ga ...
)
* 1998: ''Orbitronik'' by Orbitronik (
World Domination Records
World Domination Recordings was an indie rock record label founded by bass player and music entrepreneur Dave Allen in Los Angeles. From roughly 1989 to 1996 it released records by artists including Low Pop Suicide, The Elastic Purejoy, Stanfo ...
)
* 1999: ''My Computer My Stereo'' by Orbitronik (Thousand)
* 1999: ''Unplugged'' by Orbitronik (Ladd-Frith)
* 1999: ''Field Notes'' by Lilith (
World Domination Records
World Domination Recordings was an indie rock record label founded by bass player and music entrepreneur Dave Allen in Los Angeles. From roughly 1989 to 1996 it released records by artists including Low Pop Suicide, The Elastic Purejoy, Stanfo ...
)
* 2002: ''Dialtones'' by Levin/Gibbons/Shakar (
Staalplaat Staalplaat is an independent record label that is located in Amsterdam with a separate store in Berlin. Founded in 1982, the company's mission was to create a sound forum for sound artists, who write and perform new and experimental music.
Staalpl ...
)
* 2002: ''Imagined Compositions for Water'' by Lilith (
Disques Hushush
Disques Hushush Inc. (also known as Disques Hushush or more simply as Hushush) is an independent record label created by Dimitri della Faille (aka recording artist Szkieve) in Montreal (Quebec), Canada in 1998. Hushush mainly releases experimental ...
)
* 2002: ''Strawberry'' by Strawberry (Taigkyo)
* 2007: ''Tragedia Summa'' by Scott Gibbons (Rarovideo)
* 2008: ''The Cryonic Chants'' by Scott Gibbons & Chiara Guidi (KML Recordings/Sonic Invaders)
References
External links
Scott Gibbonsofficial site
*
Allmusic.com's entry for Lilith
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibbons, Scott
1969 births
Living people
American electronic musicians