STEIM (STudio for Electro Instrumental Music) was a center for research and development of new musical instruments in the electronic performing arts, located in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. Beginning in the 1970's, STEIM became known as a pioneering center for

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electro ...

, where the specific context of electronic music was always strongly related to the physical and direct actions of a musician. In this tradition, STEIM supported artists in residence such as composers and performers, but also multimedia and video artists, helping them to develop setups which allowed for bespoke improvisation and performance with individually designed technology.

Background

STEIM existed since 1969. It was founded by Misha Mengelberg,

Louis Andriessen Louis Joseph Andriessen (; 6 June 1939 – 1 July 2021) was a Dutch composer, pianist and academic teacher. Considered the most influential Dutch composer of his generation, he was a central proponent of The Hague school of composition. Althoug ...

, Peter Schat,

Dick Raaymakers Dick Raaijmakers (Maastricht, 1 September 1930 – The Hague, 4 September 2013), also known as Dick Raaymakers or Kid Baltan, was a Dutch composer, theater maker and theorist. He is considered a pioneer in the field of electronic music and tape mu ...

Jan van Vlijmen Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

, Reinbert de Leeuw, and Konrad Boehmer. This group of Dutch composers had fought for the reformation of Amsterdam's feudal music structures; they insisted on Bruno Maderna's appointment as musical director of the Concertgebouw Orchestra and enforced the first public fundings for experimental and improvised electronic music in the Netherlands. They were offered a budget for their collective multimedia opera "Reconstruction" which was premiered in the

Holland Festival The Holland Festival () is the oldest and largest performing arts festival in the Netherlands. It takes place every June in Amsterdam. It comprises theatre, music, opera and modern dance. In recent years, multimedia, visual arts, film and ...

in 1969. The technology used in this opera was then taken to Amsterdam's Prinseneiland which was STEIM's first location. Soon, in 1971, the studio moved to the

Groenburgwal The Groenburgwal () is a canal in Amsterdam that connects the Raamgracht with the Amstel. The Groenburgwal is parallel to the Kloveniersburgwal and the Zwanenburgwal, in the shadow of the tower of the Zuiderkerk. History The area between the ...

in the city center, where there was more space for workshops and concerts. Since 1986, STEIM was located at the

Achtergracht The Achtergracht () is a short canal in Amsterdam, located between Frederiksplein and the Amstel, parallel to the Prinsengracht. The Achtergracht is located in the eastern part of the Grachtengordel (canal belt). History The original Achtergra ...

in the city center's southern area in a building containing including three studios, a concert hall, hard and software workshops, offices, and a guesthouse for artists in residence. STEIM officially ceased to exist as an organization at the end of 2020 due primarily to cuts within the Dutch national cultural funding system.

Selected STEIM instruments

Hardware

* Black Box System (Zwarte Dozen), by Rob van de Poel (1972) * Eemnes Machines, by Victor Wentink (1975–79) * Crackle Box (

Kraakdoos A kraakdoos or cracklebox is a custom-made instrument, in the form of a noise-making electronic device. It is a small box with six metal contacts on top, which generate various unusual sounds and tones when pressed by the performer's fingers. Th ...

), Crackle Synth, by Michel Waisvisz, Geert Hamelberg, Peter Beyls and Nico Bes (1975) * The Hands, by

Michel Waisvisz Michel Waisvisz ( ; 8 July 1949, Leiden – 18 June 2008, Amsterdam) was a Dutch composer, performer and inventor of experimental electronic musical instruments. He was the artistic director of STEIM in Amsterdam from 1981, where he collaborate ...

(since 1984). One of the world's first gestural MIDI controllers. Two wooden frames for the hands with switches, potentiometers, tilt sensors, and ultrasound. * Hyperstring Project, by

Jon Rose Jonathan Anthony Rose (born 19 February 1951) is an Australian violinist, cellist, composer, and multimedia artist. Rose's work is centered in the experimental music known as free improvisation, where he has created large environmental multimedi ...

. Extending a Violin Bow with Sensors. (since 1985) * STEIM Sensor-Lab. Portable Mini-Computer which translates analogue Sensor data into MIDI Code. (1989) * The Web, by Michel Waisvisz (1990) * The Sweatstick, by Ray Edgar (1990) * The Lady's Glove, by

Laetitia Sonami Laetitia Sonami (born 1957 in France), is a sound artist, performer, and composer of interactive electronic music who has been based in the San Francisco Bay area since 1978. She is known for her electronic compositions and performances with the � ...

(1991) *

Nic Collins Nicolas Collins (born March 26, 1954 in New York City) is a composer of mostly electronic music, a sound artist and writer. He received his BA and MA from Wesleyan University, and his PhD from the University of East Anglia. Upon graduating from ...

: Midi Concertina (1992) * Chromasone, by Walter Fabeck (1994) * Mutantrumpet, by

Ben Neill Ben Neill (b. November 14, 1957) is an American composer, trumpeter, producer, and educator. He is the inventor of the "Mutantrumpet", a hybrid electro-acoustic instrument. Early life, family and education Neill was born in Winston-Salem, Nort ...

(2008) * Stone with Nails, by Reyes Oteo (2009)

Software

* Lick Machine, by Frank Baldé (1989-1995). MIDI Macro-Controlling Software * LiSa, by Michel Waisvisz and Frank Baldé. Realtime software instrument for live sampling and realtime audio manipulation (since 1995)
LiSa info
* Big Eye, by Tom Demeyer. Video to MIDI converter (1995-2001) * Image/ine, by Steina Vasulka and Tom Demeyer. Software instrument for realtime video manipulation (1996-2001) * MIDI Joy, by Frank Baldé. Mapping game controllers to MIDI Code (1997-2002) * JunXion, by Michel Waisvisz and Frank Baldé. Mapping game controllers, audio, video and sensor data to MIDI and OSC (since 2003
junXion info

STEIM touch philosophy

As a headline for most of STEIM's instrumental developments it can apply that "Touch is crucial in communicating with the new electronic performance art technologies". As in traditional musical instruments, it is believed here that also in contemporary developments the physical touch of a musician contains essential aesthetic factors. These qualities tend to get lost in the non-realtime use of studio technology, in which the process of music production gets rather rational but bodily involved. The Touch philosophy — which can be considered as STEIM's interpretation of the widely used term

interactivity Across the many fields concerned with interactivity, including information science, computer science, human-computer interaction, communication, and industrial design, there is little agreement over the meaning of the term "interactivity", but mo ...

— theoretically subsumes several stages of STEIM's developments, from the analogue touchable "Crackle" surfaces in the 1970s to today's experimental Gestural MIDI Interfaces.

Structure and people

STEIM was a foundation whose primary financial support came from the Dutch ministry of Culture. It invited international artists in residence of all different musical and artistic styles and scenes. Aside from offering support in theoretic and practical development of contemporary musical instruments, STEIM also hosted in-house concerts, exhibitions and workshops. The work in progress of supported artists was presented during open studio events.

Artistic/managing directors

* Peter Schat, 1971-1973 *

, 1981-2008 * Dick Rijken, 2009-2020

Artistic guest directors

* George E. Lewis;

Joel Ryan Joel or Yoel is a name meaning "Yahweh Is God" and may refer to: * Joel (given name), origin of the name including a list of people with the first name. * Joel (surname), a surname * Joel (footballer, born 1904), Joel de Oliveira Monteiro, Brazili ...

;

Clarence Barlow Clarence Barlow (also Klarenz, born 27 December 1945) is a composer of classical and electroacoustic works. Career Barlow was one of the founders of Initiative Musik und Informatik Köln. In 1988 he was the director of music at the Internatio ...

, 1985 - ca. 1990 *

Nicolas Collins Nicolas Collins (born March 26, 1954 in New York City) is a composer of mostly electronic music, a sound artist and writer. He received his BA and MA from Wesleyan University, and his PhD from the University of East Anglia. Upon graduating from ...

, 1992-1995; * Steina Vasulka, 1996-1997; *

Sally Jane Norman Sally may refer to: People *Sally (name), a list of notable people with the name Military *Sally (military), an attack by the defenders of a town or fortress under siege against a besieging force; see sally port *Sally, the Allied reporting nam ...

, 1998-2000; * Daniel Schorno; Netochka Nezvanova, 2001-2003 * Daniel Schorno, 2003-2004; *

Jan St. Werner Mouse on Mars is a German electronic music duo formed in 1993 by Jan St. Werner and Andi Toma. Their music is a blend of electronic genres including IDM, dub, krautrock, breakbeat and ambient, featuring heavy use of organic analog synth and c ...

, 2004-2006; *

Mazen Kerbaj Mazen Kerbaj (born Beirut, 1975) is a Lebanese jazz and free improvisation trumpeter and comic book artist. Early life and education Kerbaj grew up in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War, and began playing free jazz in local clubs following ...

; Atau Tanaka, 2006-2008; *

Tarek Atoui Tarek Atoui (born 1980) is a contemporary artist and composer who is currently living in Paris. Based on research in music history and traditional music practices, his work reflects the notion of instrument, and how it interacts with listening, ...

;

Tina Blaine Tina may refer to: People *Tina (given name), people and fictional characters with the given name ''Tina'' Places * Tina, Iran, a village in Khuzestan Province, Iran * Tina, Tunisia, a town in Sfax Governorate, Tunisia *Tina, Guadalcanal, Solomo ...

, 2008; * Takuro Mizuta Lippit; 2008-2013

Artistic residency

Kasia Glowicka Kasia Glowicka (born Katarzyna Głowicka, October 12, 1977), also known as Katarina Glowicka, is a Polish composer and lecturer of computer music at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels. Her body of musical work encompasses compositions for opera ...

(2011) *

Mark Trayle Mark Trayle, born Mark Evan Garrabrant (January 17, 1955 in San Jose, California – February 18, 2015 in Ventura, California) was a California-based musician and sound artist working in a variety of media including live electronic music, improvi ...

(2010) * Henry Vega (2009/10) * John Richards (2007) *

Marko Ciciliani Marko Ciciliani (born February 23, 1970) is a composer, audiovisual artist and performer. Life Marko Ciciliani was born in 1970 in Zagreb, Croatia. In 1971 his parents emigrated to Germany where he predominantly grew up in Karlsruhe. Start ...

(2006/2007) *

Benton C Bainbridge Benton C Bainbridge (born January 22, 1966) is an American media artist known for creating single channel video, interactive artworks, immersive installations and live visual performances with custom digital, analog and optical systems of his ow ...

(1999) * Peter Cusack (1996) *

Tom Cora Thomas Henry Corra (September 14, 1953 – April 9, 1998), better known as Tom Cora, was an American cellist and composer, best known for his improvisational performances in the field of experimental jazz and rock. He recorded with John Zorn, ...

(1992) *

Dominic Alldis Dominic Alldis (born 1962) is a jazz pianist, orchestral conductor, and arranger. He is also a business speaker and founder of Music & Management. Early life Alldis was born into a family of classical musicians. His mother was a violinist and ...

(1988)

References

External links

*
crackle.org
— Archive Site of Michel Waisvisz’ works *Spekle, Roland and Michel Waisvisz. �
STEIM — A Reconstruction
” ''STEIM Writings''.

Artist projects realised at STEIM

*Golden, Barbara. “Conversation with Laetitia Sonami.�

(April 2010). Montréal: CEC. *Nowitz, Alex. �
Voice and Live-Electronics using Remotes as Gestural Controllers
” ''eContact! 10.4 — Temps réel, improvisation et interactivité en électroacoustique / Live-electronics — Improvisation — Interactivity in Electroacoustics'' (October 2008). Montréal: CEC. *Scott, Richard. �
Getting WiGi with It: Performing and Programming with an Infrared Gestural Instrument: A Case Study
” ''eContact! 12.3 — Instrument—Interface'' (June 2010). Montréal: CEC. {{Authority control Music organisations based in the Netherlands Inventors of musical instruments Dutch music