The Baschet brothers developed their sound sculptures and experimental instruments when musique concrète was emerging in the early 1950s, using tape recording technology. The Baschets’ first patent in 1958 included the possibility of adding a contact microphone which could be connected to a tape loop to create echo effects. We are revisiting this idea, inviting you to explore the procedure with the Baschet Multitimbral Kit and a series of radio-cassettes with tape loops. Notes can be played and re-recorded, the speed and pitch of the loops can be varied, etc., allowing you to play with the recursive logic characteristic of early experimental minimalism.
As well as playing and experimenting with sound, the activity includes a short introduction to the work of the Baschets, how the Multitimbral Kit works, and a demonstration of how a standard cassette can be converted into one which allows the user to record and play six-second loops. Visitors can bring their own cassette tapes to modify if they wish.
This activity forms part of the display “A Space for a Time: Divergent Listening” and the temporary exhibition “Listening with Your Hands: Obsolete Media, Ephemeral Messages”.
Curated by Martí Ruiz i Carulla (Sound Art Laboratory, Faculty of Fine Art, University of Barcelona - tallerbaschet.cat)