1997 has become a
focus a cause, a point in space a
date to live by. At midnight of June 30 1997, the British colony of
Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty. As the 'Pearl of the Orient'
however, it is a jewel that must be both incorporated into the body of
China, and sealed off from it. The political and public ritual of the
handover has been well documented. City in Between transforms into
music and sound, the more subjective experiences and ambiguities
experienced by Hong Kong people.
The work is based on field recordings
made by
musician & social researcher Dr. Phillip Mar, who was in Hong
Kong conducting PhD research on Hong Kong
emigration. Robert Iolini has collaborated with Phillip to create a
work in which Hong Kong voices and sounds, transmuted by sampling,
manipulated as elements for further improvisation and composition,
trace the trajectory of a city and people whose destiny remains
unknown.
Robert
Iolini and Phillip Mar - composition, sample editing and performance
Michele
Morgan - Sung vocals
Commissioned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation for audio arts
program The
Listening Room. City In Between was a prize winner in the
Soundscapes be(for)e 2000 competition
Released
in 2000 by
ReR Megacorp on CD iolini- Electroacoustic, Chamber
Ensemble, Soundscapes and works for radio.
CD can be purchased online from ReR Megacorp
Through Train Through
Train is
a song written for City
in Between. It deals with the
story/myth of a tv commercial for the Hong Kong
to China Railway link. The ad was rumoured to contain ghost children
who subsequently caused the death of some of the human children who
took
part in it.
The
spirits of the children were waiting to be reincarnated
They wander here and there seen by people by chance
It
makes no difference if they appear in the screen or on reality
The
children were on a TVcommercial for the HK China railway
A
ghost story is more mysterious than political debate,were there secret
talks
between the governments?
Six
million eyes pinned to the screen frightened, afraid excited and bored
I
felt
something strange but it wasn't clear, maybe it's true
From
slow to fast, from false to true, from true to very true, from very
true to frightening
We
should forget this incident at once. Who is the one who tried to fool
the people with evil words?
From
one to ten, from ten to one hundred, from one hundred to one thousand,
from one thousand to ten thousand
From
slow to fast, from false to true, from true to very true, from very
true to frightening
From
one to ten,from ten to one hundred, from one hundred to one thousand,
from one thousand to ten thousand
