Radio Papesse

It is new years eve in Cologne. Everybody parties. Everybody parties? Many people have to work. Including artists. We decide to join the workforce by recording this piece of music alongside the sounds of the fireworks let off by the party people.

Tonic Train is the experimental electronics duo of Sarah Washington and Knut Aufermann. The combination of Sarah’s homemade circuit bent instruments and Knut’s feedback electronics creates a spectrum of fundamental electronic noises. It connects two methods of early electronic music practice: the appropriation of electronic circuits to make them sound and the improper use of electronic equipment to make it feed back. Tonic Train’s artistic influence comes from electronic music pioneers such as David Tudor and Gordon Mumma. Over time the Tonic Train duo has become part of many diverse musical projects and performances including a feedback ensemble featuring Xentos ‘Fray’ Bentos, Nicolas Collins, Toshimaru Nakamura, Billy Roisz and Otomo Yoshihide. For the last six years Sarah and Knut have also been producing experimental radio programmes together for London’s unique radio art station Resonance104.4fm. This work continues in their current project Mobile Radio, which aims to bring artistic radio production outside the sterile studio environment.