Overview

Hans Tammen is a composer/guitarist whose music has been described as an alien world of bizarre textures and a journey through the land of unending sonic operations. He discovers hidden sound properties through means of his modified ENDANGERED GUITAR, interactive software programming, stereo and multichannel sound systems, and by working with the room itself. Signal To Noise called his works "...a killer tour de force of post-everything guitar damage", All Music Guide recommended him: "...clearly one of the best experimental guitarists to come forward during the 1990s."

His numerous projects include site-specific performances and collaborative efforts with dance, light, video, and theatre, utilizing technology from planetarium projectors to guitar robots and disklavier pianos. His THIRD EYE ORCHESTRA open form compositions for large ensembles and live sound processing are based on meanwhile hundreds of scored "building blocks" that are constantly rearranged when performed..

His works have been presented on festivals in the US, Canada, Mexico, Russia and all over Europe. He recorded with a wide range of artists such as Herb Robertson, Denman Maroney, Günther Müller, Keith Rowe, Alfred 23 Harth, or Dominic Duval - on labels such as Innova, ESP-DISK, Nur/Nicht/Nur, Creative Sources, Leo Records, Potlatch, Cadence, and Hybrid.

In the 1970s influenced by Sonny Sharrock’s energetic playing and Pete Cosey's guitar experimentalism, he is also inspired by the phase techniques of Steve Reich's early Minimalism, Stravinsky's layering technique, György Ligeti's micropolyphonic works with its constant flux of sounds, Stockhausen's early electronic works, and the rhyhmic concept of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew period.

History

Hans Tammen has been playing guitar since 1972. After playing in various rock bands, he studied classical guitar for a year with Olivier Restellini. He switched to jazz soon after hearing Sonny Sharrock's incredible solo on the live version of "Memphis Underground". Then came Agharta. First experiments with Moog synthesizers after listening to Stockhausen's "Gesang der Jünglinge".

In the 80s performances throughout Germany with various jazz and free jazz groups, playing original compositions or his take on Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra and Eric Dolphy pieces. Performing Cage and Logothetis in Germany and in Austria at an ORF-Production. In the 90s performances with numerous ensembles from the jazz, free jazz and experimental scene in Germany and many other European countries as well as New York. Composition lessons with Klaus König. Regular solo concerts since 1993. Moved to New York City in January 2000.

Teaching

After an initial degree in Adult Education in 1988 he taught as an adjunct at Kassel University topics like history of anti-semitism, east-german labor issues and hermeneutics. As part of his works as a union technology consultant from 1992 to 2000 he held about 120 one to five-day seminars using modern seminar techniques like metaplan, role-plays, and others.

As a musician Hans Tammen offers various workshops about his performance techniques and improvisational and compositional concepts. Recent workshops took place at Bennington College, Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore), New York University, School of Visual Arts (NYC), Parsons School of Design (NYC), Temple University (Philadelphia), Interactive Technology Program at NYU (NYC), Brooklyn College, Rensselear Polytechnic Institute (Troy), Hartt School of Music (Hartford), University of Hannover (Germany), Net_User 05 conference in Bulgaria, and at Transitio_MX festival in Mexico City. Together with Michael Schumacher he teaches a class on Sound Art at Harvestworks Digital Media Art Center in New York.

Technology

Use of computer technologies is an integral part of Hans Tammen's performances and works. He programs a computer for realtime live sound processing and uses his guitar equipped with proximity sensors as a human interface and controller. He specializes in multichannel audio performances, where a single (mono) motif is juxtaposed against a multichannel pattern that surrounds the audience. In his collaboration with video artist John Jannone 10 minitiature cameras are placed around his guitar, and John's live camera and still image mix is projected above the musician.

Together with light artist Michael Vorfeld they program a Zeiss M-1015 Planetarium Projector to use its extensive projection capabilities to surround the audience with sound and visuals.

As Deputy Director at Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center in New York, he is responsible for the oversight of all projects related to Max/MSP/Jitter and Physical Computing, and manages the education program, the audio, audio postproduction and video studios. In this position he encounters the projects of approx. 250 clients, students and Artist In Residence per year.

A union technology consultant in Germany from 1992 until 2000, he advised the unions and works councils of more than 40 larger companies in new technology projects, focusing on critical aspects of electronic monitoring and workplace surveillance - especially of SAP, Callcenters, Document Imaging, and Video Surveillance. To reject extensive video surveillance of workers of a large postal mailing center in 2004, Germany’s National Labor Court quoted him from one of his articles to substantiate its ruling.

As a student he started managing technology-related projects in 1986 in the research project "Communication Technologies in Art, Science And Research" at Kassel University, and worked as a consultant and software developer for small businesses until 1992.

Grants/Awards

Grants from the city of Kassel for projects with musicians from Russia and Kasakhstan (1992), and "Electric Nature" series (1996). Grant from Kasseler Sparkasse for ART-I-FICTION, the planetarium project with Michael Vorfeld (1997). Zippel Foundation Award for collaboration with Michael Vorfeld and Martin Speicher (1999). Residency at Engine 27 to create a piece for their 16-channel sound system (2004), residency CREATE@iEAR at RPI for the Shadow Puppies (w/ Nick Didkovsky and Kurt Ralske) to create a piece for the LEMUR Guitarbot (2005).

Other Credits

Curating Electronic Music Foundation's "Hip Chips" Laptop Marathon at Tonic, New York (2005), "Music and Encounter" series at Goethe Institut Inter Nationes, New York (2002), "Loft" series in Kassel, together with Martin Speicher (1997-2000), and "Electric Nature" series in Kassel (1996). Weekly 2hr radio show "FangSchalltung", together with Martin Speicher at "Freies Radio", Kassel (1997-2000). Co-founder of Kassel Jazz Association 1990, board of directors 1992-1995. Co-founder of Musician's Association of the state of Hesse 1990, board of directors 1992-2000.