Tonalism at Big Sur, 2009.
Since 2007, the Los Angeles web radio collective dublab has presented a series of “Tonalism” events, all-night multimedia marathons jumbling together electronic music, visual projections, artwork and performance. On Friday at 6 pm, the latest of these happenings takes over the Music Gallery’s churchly setting (and fundraises for it) until dawn. As DJs spin ambient sounds and droning tones, locals on similar wavelengths — Isla Craig, Nilan Perera, Wallace Halladay — will make music throughout the venue. Imagine a slumber party thrown by John Cage. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or sleeping bags (it should probably also be noted that a previous edition of Tonalism began at 4:20 pm). And if you’re pessimistic about staying conscious for the full 12 hours, don’t worry: every attendee gets a free can of Red Bull. Dublab’s Mark “Frosty” McNeill answered a few questions about the event via email.
Tonalism events have taken place in various locations and with various lineups over the past few years. What originally inspired them — John Cage, La Monte Young, Terry Riley? Do you have any favourite memories from previous editions?
Tonalism was indeed originally inspired by the forward thinking minimalists of the 1960s. Folks like John Cage, LaMonte Young, Marion Zazeela, Yoko Ono, the Fluxus Collective, Morton Subotnick, Terry Riley and other sound and vision travellers were dedicated to exploring infinite paths through slowly unfurling sound. They created immersive environments for long-form happenings that were all about the moment and the moment and the moment. We are doing our part to create some beautiful future moments for folks to absorb, share and enjoy.
We have been fortunate to present Tonalism in some incredible locations including: an experimental, urban agriculture center in Los Angeles called Farmlab, a 100-year-old carousel on the Santa Monica pier, amidst the Redwood giants at Big Sur’s Henry Miller Library, in the wide-open university setting of Reed College in Portland and other great spots.
One of the most incredible Tonalism moments for me was watching White Rainbow fearlessly perform under heavy rainfall in Big Sur. As the night progressed light sprinkles became a downpour and when it came time for the final set of the event we were ready to call it quits but White Rainbow brushed off the danger of wet electrocution and flicked his cigarette butt into the mushy grass saying, “the rave must go on” and proceeded to play a mind-melting set of harmonic pulsations in the rain and fog. Jaws agape we listened in awe and though this was far from a rave we’re still raving about this experience.
Without spoiling anything, how are you planning to make use of the Music Gallery’s physical space? Did anyone from Dublab visit Toronto ahead of time?
The Music Gallery is such a gorgeous building. We are honoured to be given the opportunity to present Tonalism here. None of us have been to the Music Gallery before but we’ve seen photos and our visual projectionist Alex Pelly is scoping the space in advance to set the proper scene. Our plan is to highlight the beauty of the building as opposed to obscuring the space. We are working with the Music Gallery team to create a vibrant, immersive ambience. dublab’s Teebs will be painting live throughout the night as well as playing music. He’s one of my favorite artists and is sure to make fluid magic in paint and sound.
Similarly, how did the schedule of live performances come together?
Tonalism is a favorite happening amongst the dublab collective. Everyone gets thrilled by the opportunity to create custom sets for the event. We’re showcasing an amazing group of artists from the dublab collective. Some, such as Dntel, have been long established in the experimental sound world, Matthewdavid & Teebs are quickly rising stars and both Julia Holter and Suzanne Kraft are bubbling just below the surface of wide public consciousness but will soon be circulating worldwide. They will blow minds into bliss. Our projectionist for the evening, Alex Pelly, is another young talent and native Canadian who is artistically blossoming by the moment and will surely complete the high concept of Tonalism’s live music and art interaction. I am especially excited about the local talent represented in the line-up. This will be a true meeting of expressive minds.
Do you ever find that Tonalism nights have a hallucinogenic or mind-altering effect, as some people report during performances like Satie’s Vexations?
Tonalism offers a long-form approach to music absorption which is rare to experience in public settings. A 12-hour event allows the audience to collectively enjoy slowly shaped soundscapes. This pacing leads to transcendent moments for the patient and casual participant alike. You may find yourself rising on a wave of tones that momentarily blurs your awareness of the outside world. In the midst of a conversation with good friends you might suddenly find yourself floating around the Music Gallery ceiling on clouds of epic ambience.
What kind of music are you personally drawing on for the event? Will it all be on the drone side of things, or…
The overall music base of Tonalism is ambient/space/drone/dream but that’s not to say rhythm is absent. The music offerings at Tonalism are on a hypnotic wavelength and that can manifest thick then transform and float featherlike. I personally draw from a wide sphere of sound. I never plan out my sets in advance but I wouldn’t surprise myself by playing everything from psychedelic ambience to repetitive African handclaps to lush piano sweeps leading into layers of chimes and deep organ chords.
Does your approach differ at all when you’re doing a live event like this, as opposed to uploading a DJ mix online?
For sure. It’s all about the moment and focusing on providing sounds complementary to the seamless tapestry of the event. It’s a group effort assembled by heartfelt individual contributions. I play my sets by ear for the sake of friendly ears all around.
Any recommendations/tips for people who intend the stay the entire 12 hours?
Great rewards come to the patient and adventurous at this happening. We urge attendees to bring pillows, sleeping bags and blankets to join us in comfort for the long run. You can get horizontal and lose yourself in the atmosphere. Close your eyes and enjoy a state of communal snoozing to sounds created specifically with your slumber in mind. We frequently hear audience reports of especially deep, soothing sleep within the Tonalism environment. You may find that if you lay down a mere thirty minutes you’ll feel like you’ve slept a full night. As a perk don’t be surprised to find wheels of light smoothly pulsating on the inside of your eyelids. Tonalism is a one-night dream machine brought into being for the good people of Toronto.
