06/06/2007 Ian Helliwell – Sand And Cement
An audio collage work that incorporates electronics, tapes and radio; Ian employs his Hellitron tone generators to provide the electronics, a radio and reel to reel tape recorder for sound effects, loops and random sounds.
Recording brief bursts from the radio, patching together Hellitrons in various combinations to coax different sounds – this forms part of an intuitive approach with weeks and months of experimentation, and much erasing and reworking until a piece gradually takes shape.
Living in Brighton since 1985, Ian Helliwell has produced and developed music, super-8 films, electronic instruments, film and music programmes and light-show projections for concerts and club nights. Self-taught, operating alone and without funding, he has worked with second-hand and home-made equipment and produced over 40 short films since the early 1990s.
After writing and playing music in several groups during the 1980s, Ian`s interest in electronic sound led to experimentation at the start of the 90s with building and modifying 9v circuitry. He has gone on to construct a series of Hellitron tone generators, all housed in uniquely customised boxes, and used to make the soundtracks to all his own experimental super-8 films. He teaches courses at Phoenix Arts in Brighton in analogue electronic music and super-8 filmmaking.
www.ianhelliwell.co.uk