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If, Bwana

If, Bwana was born on New Year\'s Eve 1984, making music that has swung between fairly spontaneous studio constructions and more process-oriented composition. Al Margolis has been an activist in the 1980s American cassette underground through his cassette label Sound of Pig Music; was co-founder of experimental music label Pogus Productions, which he continues to run. Active under the name If, Bwana since 1984, making music that has swung between fairly spontaneous studio constructions and more process-oriented composition. He has recorded and/or performed with Pauline Oliveros, Adam Bohman, Ellen Christi, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Jane Scarpantoni, Ulrich Krieger, David First, and Dave Prescott, among others.

If, Bwana was born on New Year\'s Eve 1984, making music that has swung between fairly spontaneous studio constructions and more process-oriented composition. Al Margolis has been an activist in the 1980s American cassette underground through his cassette label Sound of Pig Music; was co-founder of experimental music label Pogus Productions, which he continues to run. Active under the name If, Bwana since 1984, making music that has swung between fairly spontaneous studio constructions and more process-oriented composition. He has recorded and/or performed with Pauline Oliveros, Adam Bohman, Ellen Christi, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Jane Scarpantoni, Ulrich Krieger, David First, and Dave Prescott, among others.

Listen (Hear) Look (See)
Another "surprise" box especially conceived and made for our "sound-related" series. The reflection made by If, Bwana/Al Margolis (as the two faces of the same artist) are upon the concept of communication in art. What is the role of the artist and what is the role of the spectator? Is any interpretation of art valid? Is it possible to have a direct communication between the act of creation and the act of seeing/listening?Each boxset in this series of 50 is absolutely unique, containing differen…
Thirty
Originally released as a 3 CDr set on Inyrdisk to commemorate 30 years of If, Bwana, and now available on manufactured CDs, this triple disc gracefully spans 3 and 1/4 hours of riveting musique concrète and refined experimentation from Al Margolis. These recent recordings come to you re-mastered and repackaged from the self-released tapes sold in a nearly invisible edition during a brief tour, sub-titled within Thirty as Blue Two, Green Three and Yellow Four. Thirty captures If, Bwana championi…
Red One
After the last If, Bwana (Al Margolis) release on Pogus the large-scale double cd E (and Sometimes Why), this brand new If, Bwana recording is a little more intimate. This release consists of six smaller works for one or at most two instruments - with the instruments all being multi-tracked for a denser, deeper sound. Red One features performances by stalwart experimental/avant musician/composers such as Nate Wooley, trumpet, on Toys for Al (with Al Margolis on toy trumpet); Ellen Band's vocals …
Tripping India
Consisting of 3 compositions, Tripping India is the 3rd If, Bwana release on Pogus. On this recording If, Bwana is joined by, among others, Paul Marotta (Styrenes/Electric Eels/Mirrors) on 3 Out of 4 Ain't Bad, a conceptual work for 3 different pianists, playing 3 different pianos at 3 different times to the same tape. The final version is for 3 pianists, no tape. PR-DR is an electroacoustic work for processed/manipulated percussion. The title piece combines audio "snapshots" of a wandering thro…
Fire Chorus
Fire Chorus is a work of “construction”. If, Bwana (alias, or, as you prefer, “personification”, of Al Margolis), presents a sound form starting from the concept of “perception”. His concept of electroacoustic music doesn’t belong to the idea of “appropriation” (which is behind the gestures of many people now working with natural, non-musical, or “other” sound sources). If, Bwana uses his raw materials as animated objects,letting them appear and disappear in his own sound structures. He creates …
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