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The Squid's Ear Magazine
Squidco Freedom Sale! July 3-6, Save 10% to 15% on all new items!


Riggs, Christopher / Carl Testa
Sn (S to the power of n, or Sⁿ)

Riggs, Christopher / Carl Testa: Sn (S to the power of n, or Sⁿ) (Gold Bolus Recordings)

New Haven instrumentalist Carl Testa and Chicago guitarist Christopher Riggs in a large composition for prepared electric guitar and live electronic processing that references Ashley, Stockhausen and Braxton while manipulating one's sense of time, space, and memory.
 

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Shipping Weight: 3.00 units

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product information:

Personnel:



Christopher Riggs-electric guitar

Carl Testa-electronics


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UPC: 70026142675

Label: Gold Bolus Recordings
Catalog ID: GBR016
Squidco Product Code: 21362

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2015
Country: USA
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold 3 Panels
Recorded at Firehouse 12 in New Haven, Connecticut on October 14th, 2014 by Eric Dawson Tate.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"Sn is a collaboration between New Haven-based instrumentalist Carl Testa and Chicago-based guitarist Christopher Riggs. It is a 40 minute long piece for prepared electric guitar and live electronic processing. Throughout the piece, Riggs's guitar is electronically manipulated through a variety of time delay techniques into a multichannel speaker setup using custom computer software written by Testa. Building off of works by Robert Ashley, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Evan Parker, and Anthony Braxton, Sn is a work that manipulates one's sense of time, space, and memory."-Gold Bolus


Artist Biographies

"Christopher Riggs is autistic and plays free improvisation on the electric guitar. Without the use of processing or FX, Christopher squeezes sounds from his instrument the Chicago Reader has called "unapologetically ugly". Riggs received his Bachelor of Music in 2007 from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and his Master of Arts in Music Composition from Wesleyan University in 2012. He studied guitar and composition under Marc Michaud, Ross Feller, Randolph Coleman, and Ronald Kuivila. Christopher Riggs teaches 4th grade for Chicago Public Schools. He lives on Chicago's southside with his wife and two daughters."

-Elastic Arts (https://elasticarts.org/event/barton-voidself-soderberg-campbell-riggs-erik-sowa-steve-kaiser-duo-mai-sugimoto-group/)
7/1/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Carl Testa (b. 1984, Chicago, IL) is a multi-instrumentalist and composer at the intersection of improvised, electronic, experimental music, and new media. As a performer/improviser, he is equally comfortable on string bass, electronics, lighting, and combinations thereof. As a composer, he has written acoustic and electronic music for configurations ranging from solo to chamber orchestra, including multimedia pieces that incorporate electronics, lighting, dance, and theater. His work has been performed throughout the US and Europe, and is documented on many recordings, most recently "Iris (for solo bass and electronics)" (Lockstep Records 2013), and "Sⁿ (for prepared guitar and electronics)", a collaboration with guitarist Christopher Riggs (Gold Bolus Records 2015).

In addition to his work as a leader/collaborator, he performs regularly with composers Anthony Braxton, Mario Pavone, and Tyshawn Sorey. He serves as the Director of Publishing and Creative Technology for Braxton's Tri-Centric Foundation where he manages all facets of the production of digital and print scores for the organization. He is the production manager for noted jazz venue and record label Firehouse 12. He also organized The Uncertainty Music Series from 2007-2017, which was a monthly concert series in New Haven, CT featuring improvised, electronic, and experimental music. He has received support from the State of CT as a 2018 Artist Fellow, from the New Haven Department of Cultural Affairs, and from NewMusicUSA. He lives in New Haven with his wife, vocalist Anne Rhodes, and their son, Florian."

-Carl Testa Website (http://carltesta.net/about.php)
7/1/2025

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



1. S to the power of n 40:00

Related Categories of Interest:


Improvised Music
Electro-Acoustic
Electro-Acoustic Improv
Free Improvisation
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Chicago Jazz & Improvisation

Search for other titles on the label:
Gold Bolus Recordings.

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The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC

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