Perhaps I'm biased due to my close involvement this time around, but Gathering
34 was perhaps my favourite Gathering so far. (Is it up to 34 already? That
must mean I've been to perhaps 28 or so!!!) For me, it started on Wednesday
when I went to the Philadelphia airport to meet Free System Projekt. I had
previously met Marcel Engels and Ruud Heij briefly at the 1999 Alfa Centauri
Festival in Huizen, The Netherlands. I also played music and spent a lot of
time with Marcel at this year's (2001) Okefenokee event. I had never met Frank
van der Wel except via email. Wave World came in on the same flight so I
quickly met Harry Kessels and Gert van Santen (and Christine, too!) for the
first time. FSP and I left separately to meet at Avis, from where they followed
me home for a stew, salad, and merlot dinner.

Thursday, FSP tested out their gear in my living room; some of which I captured
on cassette. Later, FSP played a fine set on my show, EMUSIC. Unfortunately,
Wave World weren't able to perform as planned. My listeners' loss, and mine,
too. Chef Jeff catered the evening and phone volunteers stayed late. (I assume
it was either the food or the chance to talk with Dutchmen!) Many thanks to
George Libricz who staffed the phones to the bitter end. (This was day 1
[spilling over into day 2] of WDIY's fall membership drive.)

On Friday, I helped FSP to John Diliberto's home to do an Echoes Living Room
Concert and interview. Each time these guys set up and plug in, the music just
gets better and better! I also had the pleasure of watching John interview the
FSP boys. A master at work. From there, we went on to Philadelphia's Chinatown
where we met up with the Wave World crew, Jeff Towne, and Chuck van Zyl for
dinner. Jeff took charge and ordered for us. What a riot we had sampling each
plate of food (at 192kHz no less!!), drinking Chinese beer, and talking and
laughing in at least two different languages. Dinner was followed by a show at
the Trocadero to see Orbital slam out dance music. (Man, they blew me away,
audibly and musically, too.)

Finally, it was the day of the show. I got FSP to St. Mary's church where
Chuck, Jeff, Gert, Harry, Christine, Art Cohen, Bill Forcier, and more were
already hard at work setting up. We joined in the fray. Meanwhile, Chef Jeff
appeared with not enough food for for the musicians and crew, but enough food
for 60 people!!! A quick meal ensued as it was almost show time. And I could
almost pick out a few words from all the Dutch flying around the dinner table
after only a few days' exposure.

Free System Projekt went first. Marcel, Ruud, and Frank did three extended
pieces that all followed the same formula; fade in -> soundscape -> Berlin
Schule sequences and solos -> soundscape -> fade out. It is amazing how
different each piece could be and how much more exploration can yet be done in
this style of music. They blew me away even more than the day before at Echoes.

During the intermission, Chef Jeff's delicious food was avalable for all.

Next came Wave World. Behind them, a rear projection screen displayed the
latest DVD of the Wave World video, courtesy of Rolf van Slooten's amazing 3D
computer graphics video. Gert and Harry came out in makeup and hooded robes.
Facing each other, they prayed to the synthesizer gods for a good show without
technical glitches. They then performed on synths, drum pads, wind controller,
and theremin, captivating the audience's ears while the video cativated all
eyes. Had there been no video, we all would have been transported to the Wave
World anyway. But the video and music meshed perfectly and held us all
transfixed. Putting up their hoods, Gert and Harry faced each other, thanked
the synthesizer gods, and then thanked the audience.

This was almost the best attended Gathering, so a lot of people witnessed this
amazing show. How can Chuck and crew outdo this one? Easy. We packed up and
did it all again (sans video) at WXPN where Wave World and Free System Projekt
each did two more sets on Star's End in between Chuck and Jeff pitching for the
WXPN membership drive and the "usual" assortment of CDs spun by Chuck. A most
satisfying time. I only hope that Chuck's listeners don't take his efforts for
granted. He brings in the best of the genre from all over the world for his
radio and Gathering audiences. This effort spills over into other radio shows
like Echoes and EMUSIC. Where else but in Philadelphia!

Eric Snelders, the man behind the Quantum label, must be a genius for signing
these two bands.

Bill billfox@... http://wdiyfm.org/schedule/s_emusic.html
===============================================================================
Host of EMUSIC, an electronic, ambient, and space music show. Thursdays at
11 pm on WDIY 88.1 FM, Allentown and Bethlehem and 93.9 FM in Easton and
Phillipsburg. Email me if you wish to submit music for airplay consideration.
Radio Station Home Page: http://wdiyfm.org
Personal site: http://www.users.fast.net/~billfox
To subscribe to the EMUSIC on WDIY list, go to
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/emusic-wdiy and click on [Join This Group!]