raster-noton

The light and sound installation white circle was created in 2016 to celebrate twenty years of the label for electronic music raster-noton. It is on view in the Lenbachhaus’s Kunstbau exhibition space from May 10 until July 8, 2018.

white circle consists of fluorescent tubes that respond to musical impulses and illuminate the room. Five dedicated compositions by alva noto, byetone, Frank Bretschneider, and Kangding Ray playing in a continuous loop (one set takes ca. 45 minutes) model the interrelation between sound, light, and architecture in different ways. Each piece represents an independent and self-contained conceptual proposal by the respective composer. All tracks are multichannel compositions based on the idea of creating a vivid immediate experience of auditory space and visual stimuli. With acoustic material routed to fortyseven speakers placed throughout the gallery, sound itself takes on a threedimensional and indeed sculptural quality.

Frank Bretschneider: circle in the round [8:20 min]
byetone: argon array [10:11]
Kangding Ray: systemic deconstructions in D [10:10 min]
alva noto: white circle sequence [11:20 min]
alva noto: white circle dual [4:08 min]

Watch the trailer

raster-noton archive for sound and nonsound
The label raster-noton existed from 1996 until 2017. Carsten Nicolai, Olaf Bender, and Frank Bretschneider—aka alva noto, byetone, and Komet—launched it in their native Chemnitz as a creative platform for electronic music. The three founding members had previously distributed music through their own separate labels: Nicolai under the moniker noton.archiv, Bender and Bretschneider as Rastermusic.

The two labels merged in 1996 to realize collaborative projects with a focus on computer-generated sound design and digital aesthetics. The creative minds behind raster-noton charted new territory in sound design and experimented with a variety of presentation formats on CD, DVD, or SD cards. They operated as an open network along the intersections between music, visual art and media, and science. Among the projects they have realized and presented in Germany and abroad are music releases, books, installations, and performances. raster-noton has built a reputation as a leading label for electronic music. They have collaborated with exhibition institutions to produce sound installations and developed groundbreaking audiovisual live shows for Berghain, Berlin, and other clubs as well as festivals like Sónar, Mutek, and Signal. From 2007 until 2017, an annual electric campfire was held at Villa Massimo, Rome.

In 2017, raster-noton demerged; the artists revived their separate labels raster-media, led by Olaf Bender, and Carsten Nicolai’s NOTON. Occasional future collaborations will be produced under the moniker raster-noton.

Curated by Eva Huttenlauch

Opening and special event
Wed, May 9, 2018
7 until 10pm Installation at Lenbachhaus Kunstbau
10pm until 8am Liveshows, Audiovisual Shows and DJ Sets by Frank Bretschneider, Kangding Ray, Byetone, Mieko Suzuki and Skee Mask at Blitz Club

white circle was produced in cooperation with ZKM Karlsruhe and presented at the following venues:
ZKM, Karlsruhe, 2016
Halle am Berghain, Berlin, 2016
Bozar Festival, Brussels, 2016
Ruhrtriennale, Duisburg, 2017
Signal Festival, Prague, 2017

Opening at Lenbachhaus Kunstbau Munich
Tuesday–Sunday 1–8pm
Free entry