Ellen Birgitte Rasmussen
Denmark, b.1965.
Cand. Mag. in music and Spanish, University of Copenhagen.
Flamencodancer since 1986.
First sound art work: Forbruger-tango 1985.
I make music with a crossover of real sound played or changed on computer from sequenzer and MAX MSP programmes with acustic world music especially flamenco guitar, footwork and singing. Therefore flamenco inspired dancing is often a part of my works when they are performed live, like my flamencotronic opera ”The Moon and the Maschine” Den Anden Opera, Copenhagen 2003 and ”Menneske og Maskine I” celebrating Else Marie Pade in the concert Electricer in ”Den Sorte Diamant” Copenhagen in 2005. In the latter I also experimented with making the computer react on the flamenco foot work. I have also mixed computer music with a more classical instrumenation (flute, clarinet and cello) in my work ”Dronning Dagmars Drøm” Ribe 2005.
My biggest work - in the style I have babtized Flamencotronic - has been ”The Moon and the Maschine” (see picture). It is a kind of opera-ballet based on poems by Federico García Lorca treating and opposing nature and industrialism. This is mirrored in the music by using samples from nature and the industrial world. Here I collaborated with some of the best flamenco musicians and dancers in Denmark like ”La Evita”, Pepita Rohde, Gustavo Rey, Thierry Boisdon, Poul Jacek Knudsen and Per Rasmussen. It was a big joy to work with the complicated flamencorythms using sounds like rain drops, wind, machinery, pistons, coins etc. and making acompaniement for and contrasting the strong expressiveness of flamenco dance and song, since flamenco also is a big part of my life – 20 years of dancing – and I had dreamed for a long time of giving this art a more up to date sound.
Plans for the future: making electronic works (flamencotronic) for my all girls flamencogroup ¿Qué Pasa?
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