TRIMPIN

TRIMPIN ON DVD

2012-01-30T09:33:00.000-08:00

At last!

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

is available on DVD!

and may be purchased at any of the following websites:

www.microcinema.com

www.otherminds.org

(or, if you must:)

amazon.com

The film has been aired on

The Documentary Channel

and still screens at museums, colleges, and festivals

around the planet.

To keep informed about Trimpin and his ongoing work,

please join the Facebook page for

Trimpin: the sound of invention.

"open your ears and your mind will follow"

TRIMPIN broadcast premiere!

2011-08-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

The Documentary Channel

presents

the broadcast premiere

TRIMPIN:

THE SOUND OF INVENTION

this Sunday, August 21 8pm e/p

(check DirectTV, Dish for specific channel)

encore broadcasts:

Wednesday, August 31 8:00 p.m. ET/PT

Friday, September 16 8:30 p.m. ET/PT

Monday, September 26 6:00 p.m. ET/PT

Saturday, October 8 8:00 p.m. ET/PT

tune in and turn on!

we'll open your ears and your mind!

Trimpin's GURS ZYKLUS premieres!

2011-05-13T13:38:00.000-07:00

This Saturday evening (5/14/11)

8pm at Stanford University:

The world premiere of

THE GURS ZYKLUS

a major new work by

Trimpin

directed by

Rinde Eckert

If you're in the San Francisco/Palo Alto area,

don't miss it!

This promises to be a truly extraordinary event!

tix at Stanford Lively Arts

Trimpin in San Francisco Sunday!

2011-04-08T16:15:00.000-07:00

There will be a special benefit screening of

Trimpin: the sound of invention

when: this Sunday, April 10 at 7pm

where: Delancey Street Screening Room

600 Embarcadero (near Brannan St.) San Francisco, CA

Trimpin will be there,

demonstrating his Bookbeatbox and signing posters!

Come on down!

All proceeds will benefit the Meridian Gallery!

Your last chance to see the film

on a big screen in the Bay Area!

Trimpin in Ojai!

2011-03-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

Trimpin

is as busy as ever -

he's presently constructing a musical

Sound Arch

for the beautiful new amphitheatre in

Ojai, California.

Check out photos here:

http://www.pbase.com/fredila/trimpin

Music City, USA

2010-02-13T08:28:00.000-08:00

29 and holding: sweet Jesus, it's cold here in Nashville.

First stop: The Ernest Tubb Record Shop, where I elbow out some Swedish tourists to nab Conway Twitty Rocks. Then across Broadway to Hatch Show Print, where massive Vandercook presses roll out smack-your-face, hard-edge posters that tout everything from strip shows to academic conferences, and ballyhoo everyone from Mother Maybelle Carter to Thomas Mapfumo.

Tool down Music Row, headed for Vandy: Past Great Escape, Chet Atkins Place, Roy Acuff Place. (Blaring out of the Pontiac's speakers: "Lonely Blue Boy" recorded: 7/24/61 @ Owen Bradley's studio, 16th Ave S., Music City, USA Vocals: Mr. Harold Lloyd Jenkins; on guitar, Grady Martin; on piano, Floyd Cramer; and on drums, Jack Nance -- later in life, best known as the star of David Lynch's ERASERHEAD.)

Beneath Vanderbilt's staid chilly red brick exteriors, lots of heady conversations. Legendary writer Peter Guralnick waxes poetic about Sam Cooke's producing work; a demure English prof offers insights on Stan Brakhage, Jonas Mekas, and Latin American cinema; an expert dancer, still young, talks about having to hang up his toe shoes. And film prof Will Akers (who could be a stand-in for Sam Shepard) regales me with an old Hollywood story that would make Robert Mitchum blush.

The students ask about film schools, narrative through-line, crew dynamics, music post-production, shooting with the RED camera . . . and how to land a job. Sitting at the bar with Laura and Demelza, I hear tell that my new doc short will screen at the Nashville Film Fest.

(Bless you, Mr. Brian Owens.)

Barbeque at Jacks, then back to the airport, where the lovely young Ethiopian women behind the counter ring me up while chatting about Goo Goo Clusters.

TRIMPIN returns to SAN FRANCISCO!

2010-01-19T22:26:00.000-08:00

We're delighted to announce these

special upcoming screenings

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

in the San Francisco Bay Area!

RED VIC MOVIE HOUSE

Fri Jan 29 / Sat Jan 30 / Sun Jan 31

1727 Haight Street, San Francisco

co-presented by the Exploratorium!

RAFAEL FILM CENTER

Wed Feb 3 / Thurs Feb 4

118 4th Street, San Rafael

(The filmmaker will be present

at the Friday and Wednesday night shows.)

TRIMPIN hailed in SPAIN!

2009-11-05T10:26:00.000-08:00

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

premiered in SAO PAULO on Oct 23

and in BARCELONA on Oct 30

The film has been hailed by the Spanish press,

including two writeups in

EL PAIS!

Watch for the film this month at the

THE LEEDS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Nov 6 + 7

DENVER FILM FESTIVAL Nov 15 + 16

GIJON INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Nov 26 + 27

and

(for you up north)

THE OSLO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL!

The Trimpin World Tour Continues!

Open your ears and your mind will follow.

TRIMPIN INVADES ENGLAND!

2009-10-16T01:23:00.000-07:00

God Save the Queen!

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

premieres this coming week at the

53rd LONDON FILM FESTIVAL

three screenings!

Saturday, Oct 17 at the ICA

Monday, Oct 19 at the National Film Theatre

SOLD OUT!! Tuesday, Oct 20 at the NFT Studio SOLD OUT!!

(Filmmaker Peter Esmonde will be present and jetlagged for Q+A.)

http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff/node/519

please tell your friends!

www.trimpinmovie.com

TRIMPIN INVADES CANADA!

2009-10-08T16:09:00.000-07:00

If you're in Vancouver this weekend,

be sure to stop by downtown for

the Vancouver International Film Festival on

October 9 & 10

It's an action-packed weekend:

Trimpin

will install his 'mini-Klompen' sculpture in the

VanCity Theatre lobby starting 10am on Friday Oct 9.

Then he'll join filmmaker Peter Esmonde and

artist/moderator Jean Routhier

at the Pacific Cinematheque

for MEET THE FILMMAKERS at 5pm

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

then premieres Friday Oct 9 @ 9 pm

and screens again Saturday Oct 10 @ 1:15 pm

Be there or be square!

Open your ears and your mind will follow.

(many thanks to the VIFF)

Trimpin on the 6 O'Clock News!

2009-10-06T22:49:00.000-07:00

He didn't kill anyone, he wasn't seen with Arnold,

and he didn't die of swine flu . . .

yet he made the 6 O'Clock News in San Francisco!

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/entertainment&id=7051695

Trimpin

himself will attend

the Mill Valley Film Festival screenings

October 14 & 16

( get your tix here: http://2009.mvff.com/ )

Trimpin will also be presenting at

the Vancouver International Film Festival on

October 9 & 10

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

then heads for

the London Film Festival (Oct 17, 19, 20)

the San Francisco DocFest (Oct 24 & 29)

and

Barcelona's In-Edit Music Doc Fest (Oct 30 & 31)

"Open your ears and your mind will follow."

TRIMPIN WORLD TOUR: OCTOBER 09!

2009-09-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

TRIMPIN: the sound of invention

will be screening in October in

San Francisco, London, Vancouver, Mill Valley and Woodstock!

Please check listings below!

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

Thursday, Oct 1 at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock

Saturday, Oct 3 at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck, NY

http://www.woodstockfilmfestival.com/festival2009/details.php?id=19682

VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Monday, Oct 5 at Vancity

Friday, Oct 9 at Vancity

Saturday, Oct 10 at Vancity

(Both Trimpin and filmmaker Peter Esmonde will be present for Q+A.)

http://www.viff.org/tixSYS/2009/xslguide/eventnote.php?EventNumber=3691

THE MILL VALLEY FILM FESTIVAL

Wednesday, Oct 14 at the Sequoia (surprise special guest)

Friday, Oct 16 at the Rafael Film Center

(Trimpin and filmmaker Peter Esmonde will be present for Q+A.)

http://mvff2009.inticketing.com/filmevent.php?eventid=48456

THE TIMES BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL

Saturday, Oct 17 at ICA

Monday, Oct 19 at the National Film Theatre

Tuesday, Oct 20 at the Studio

(Filmmaker Peter Esmonde will be jetlagged for Q+A.)

http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff/node/519

THE SAN FRANCISCO DOCFEST

Saturday, Oct 24 at the Roxie

Thursday, Oct 29 at the Roxie

(Filmmaker Peter Esmonde will still be jetlagged for Q+A.)

http://www.sfindie.com/

Further screenings will take place later this year in the UK (Leeds),

Spain (Barcelona, Gijon), Brazil (Sao Paulo), and elsewhere in the U.S. of A.!

Join our Facebook group! Check out trailers on vimeo and YouTube!

Open your ears and your mind will follow.

TRIMPIN PLAYS WOODSTOCK!

2009-08-20T17:46:00.000-07:00

We're on a natural high

just because

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

has been selected by the

WOODSTOCK FILM FESTIVAL

to screen in October at their big 10th anniversary fest!

Stay tuned for specific times/dates!

Join our Facebook group!

Check out trailers on YouTube and vimeo.com!

"Open your ears and your mind will follow."

what the critics have been saying about

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION:

“terrific . . . a must-see for anyone who loves music and culture”

-- Anne Thompson, IndieWIRE

“an excellent film . . . a testament to the endless possibilities afforded by a free imagination.”

-- The Austin Chronicle

“a superb portrait” -- The Stranger, Seattle

“a visual and aural treat” -- Newport (R.I.) Mercury

"an 80-minute fun ride . . . very inspiring . . . I was simply amazed." -- KEXP, Seattle

more news to follow!

TRIMPIN INVADES CANADA!

2009-07-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

We're downright proud to state that

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

has been selected for the

Vancouver International Film Fest!

Following our special benefit screening for Artist Trust,

Trimpin

heads due north!

O CANADA!

To launch a successful

sonic invasion

of our

Neighbor to the North,

we'll need all the help we can get --

please invite

your fellow musicians, inventors, performers, artists,

and tech geeks

join the Facebook page

for

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION!

See Trimpin trailers on both

YouTube and vimeo!

And don't forget to check out

www.trimpinmovie.com

Open your ears and your mind will follow!

TRIMPIN goes to EUROPE - and BEYOND!

2009-06-25T05:26:00.000-07:00

On its

2009 American Tour

(which ain't over just yet),

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

took

SXSW (Austin), Nashville, Boston, Seattle, Newport, and Silverdocs (DC) by storm -

selling out shows, receiving standing ovations,

and causing kinetic musical mayhem.

Join us this Fall as we take the Trimpin film across the pond,

starting with the

LONDON FILM FESTIVAL!

Please check back here for further updates!

Join us on

Facebook!

and enjoy

www.trimpinmovie.com

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

what the critics say:

"an excellent documentary . . . a testament to the endless possibilities afforded by a free imagination."

"a superb portrait"

"an excellent film"

"delightful"

"a roller coaster ride!"

"wild digital shenanigans!"

Open your ears and your mind will follow.

TRIMPIN at SILVERDOCS!!!

2009-06-07T18:37:00.000-07:00

Following festival triumphs in

Austin, Nashville, Boston, Seattle, and Newport . . .

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

continues on its

2009 American Festival Tour!

We're delighted to state that we'll be in

WASHINGTON, DC

and

in festival competition at

SILVERDOCS!!!

Thursday, June 18 6pm

Saturday, June 20 10:45am

Trimpin will be present in person for the June 18 show --

and installing a musical sculpture in the theatre lobby!

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

"an excellent documentary . . .

a testament to the endless possibilities afforded by a free imagination."

-- Austin Chronicle

"a superb portrait"

-- The Stranger (Seattle)

"a visual and aural treat"

-- Newport Mercury

check us out on

Facebook

see trailers on

vimeo.com and YouTube

or head to

www.trimpinmovie.com

Open your ears and your mind will follow.

TRIMPIN at NEWPORT INTL FILM FEST!

2009-05-31T11:31:00.000-07:00

Having taken Austin, Nashville, Boston, and Seattle by storm . . .

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

continues on its relentless

2009 American Festival Tour!

next stop:

THE NEWPORT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL!

Friday, June 5 6:45pm

Sunday, June 7 12noon

then on to WASHINGTON, DC,

and

SILVERDOCS!!!

Thursday, June 18 6pm

Saturday, June 20 10:45am

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

"an excellent documentary . . . a testament to the endless possibilities afforded by a free imagination."

-- Austin Chronicle

check us out on

Facebook

see trailers on

vimeo.com

or just head to

www.trimpinmovie.com

Open your ears and your mind will follow.

|||||||

TRIMPIN AT SEATTLE INTL FILM FEST!

2009-05-03T14:19:00.000-07:00

Hailed by

the Austin Chronicle as

"an excellent documentary . . . a testament to the endless possibilities

afforded by a free imagination,"

and praised as "a superb portrait" and "delightful,"

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

is proud to announce its

West Coast Premiere

at the

SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Friday, May 22 7pm SIFF Cinema

Saturday, May 23 1:30pm SIFF Cinema

Monday, June 1 4:30pm Kirkland Arts Center

Both TRIMPIN and filmmaker Peter Esmonde will be present for Q+A.

Saturday's screening will be followed by a

panel discussion

with illustrious guests

Saturday May 23

at the

LAWRIMORE PROJECT

please check back for more details -- and be sure to visit:

www.trimpinmovie.com

"Open your ears and your mind will follow."

|||||||

TRIMPIN IN BOSTON!

2009-04-18T08:20:00.000-07:00

This week! The East Coast premiere of

TRIMPIN: the sound of invention

at the Independent Film Festival of Boston!

Thursday, April 23, 10:15 p.m.

Sunday, April 26, 8 p.m.

Somerville Theatre, Davis Square

Trimpin

and the filmmaker

will be there in person -- don't miss it!

Hailed as a “genius” by the Village Voice,

recipient of a

MacArthur 'Genius' grant, Guggenheim Fellowship, etc. etc.

the artist/inventor/composer

TRIMPIN

designs, builds, programs, and composes for

outrageous ensembles of musical instruments.

Called "a superb portrait" and "delightful,"

the film features Trimpin's collaboration with

the Kronos Quartet.

for tickets, go to:

http://iffboston.bside.com/2009/films/trimpinthesoundofinvention_iffboston2009

and check out:

www.trimpinmovie.com

"Open your ears and your mind will follow."

Feed Shark

TRIMPIN HITS THE ROAD! Nashville! Boston! Seattle!

2009-03-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

Hailed by

the Austin Chronicle

"an excellent documentary . . . a testament

to the endless possibilities afforded by a free imagination,"

and buoyed by the enthusiasm of sell-out SXSW Austin audiences

(who gave the film standing ovations),

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

now heads out on the festival circuit.

first stop, Music City:

NASHVILLE FILM FESTIVAL

Friday, April 17, 9pm;

Sunday, April 19, 2:15pm

Regal Green Hills Stadium 16

then on to the Hub:

INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL OF BOSTON

Thursday, April 23, 10:15pm

Sunday, April 26, 8pm

Somerville Theatre

and stopping off back home:

SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

May 21 - June 14

SIFF Cinema / McCaw Hall

before going on to open ears and minds across the planet . . .

www.trimpinmovie.com

"Open your ears and your mind will follow."

|||||||

TRIMPIN world premiere at SXSW Film 09

2009-03-06T23:13:00.000-08:00

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

the world premiere

of a new film

featuring the Kronos Quartet

SXSW Film 09

take a musical journey through the mind of a creative genius

three exclusive showings:

SATURDAY MARCH 14 7:15pm Austin Convention Center

MONDAY MARCH 16 2pm Alamo @ Lamar

FRIDAY MARCH 20 9pm the Paramount

tickets available at box office 15 minutes before each show

Trimpin to appear in person after the

Saturday and Monday premieres

"one of the awesome musical geniuses of the 21st century"

"Trimpin is a composer / sound artist / engineer / god"

"delightful" "wild digital shenanigans" "a superb portrait"

www.trimpinmovie.com

- and stop by the -

TRIMPIN GALLERY

719 Congress Avenue near 8th St.

downtown Austin

open daily

SEE!!! graphical scores that nearly

drove the kronos quartet crazy!

HEAR!!! the mini-tornado of toy electric guitars!

LISTEN!!! to the hanging spiral of percussive Dutch clogs!

THRILL!!! as a trio of little pianos plays Liberace!

--plus--

a special gramophone tribute to John Cage

"Open your ears and your mind will follow."

www.trimpinmovie.com

||||||||

TRIMPIN TEAM @ SXSW

2009-02-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

TRIMPIN: the sound of invention

will be fronting a full team at its

world premiere

at Austin's SXSW Film 09.

Artist/inventor/composer Trimpin,

Producer/director Peter Esmonde,

sales rep Josh Braun, and

publicists David Magdael and Winston Emano

will all be on the ground as the fest kicks off.

Outreach director/associate producer Lorna MacMillan

and

doc filmmaker Gabriel Miller

will handle on-the-ground logistics

for the core Trimpin team.

Film editor Rick Tejada-Flores

(a veteran doc producer/director in his own right)

and renowned sound designer Jim LeBrecht

of Berkeley Sound Artists will also be on hand

to pontificate and celebrate.

If you'll be in Austin, please drop by the

Trimpin Gallery

in the State Theatre lobby

(downtown at 719 Congress).

Aside from the visual/musical treats provided by

Trimpin's own wild kinetic/sonic art,

there'll be plenty of freebies for all!

Josh Braun, David Magdael to join TRIMPIN doc team

2009-02-03T22:24:00.000-08:00

Trimpin team signs Josh Braun, David Magdael!

The producer and director of

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

are delighted to announce that

JOSH BRAUN

of Submarine Entertainment

has agreed to work as sales rep for the film

and

DAVID MAGDAEL

of David Magdael & Associates

is coming on board as publicity director.

Both will be on hand at SXSW Film 09.

About Josh Braun:

A highly respected veteran of the indie feature world,

Josh has been an active player behind the scenes

at many film festivals over the years.

Most recently he brokered the deals for the films

ART + COPY, HUMPDAY, and KUNSTLER at Sundance 09.

Other distribution deals Josh has made include

SUPERSIZE ME, CONTROL ROOM, SPELLBOUND,

GUNNER PALACE, THREE OF HEARTS, OBSCENE . . .

not to mention Josh's role as executive producer,

sheparding the comic book A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE to the screen

for David Cronenberg's acclaimed 2005 adaptation.

About David Magdael:

Principal and chairman of David Magdael & Associates,

David has nearly two decades of experience in public relations,

strategic planning, marketing, corporate relations, and

entertainment and media relations

in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Excelling in strategic media planning,

David has designed and delivered winning media campaigns

for many well-known indie features.

Recent award-winning documentaries he has publicized

include

WILLIAM KUNSTLER: DISTURBING THE UNIVERSE;

ART + COPY; PAPER OR PLASTIC?; THEY KILLED SISTER DOROTHY;

TROUBLE THE WATER; and I.O.U.S.A.

We're delighted to have these esteemed professionals

join the TRIMPIN team!

TRIMPIN @ SXSW!

2009-02-01T11:32:00.000-08:00

We're delighted to announce that the

world premiere

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

will take place at the

South by Southwest Film Festival

(aka SXSW Film 09)

in Austin, Texas, this March!

In addition to this first public screening of the Trimpin film,

- both composer/inventor/artist Trimpin

and filmmaker Peter Esmonde

will be on hand to help celebrate the world premiere;

- Trimpin will exhibit/demonstrate some of his

most recent musical/kinetic works

at a local downtown gallery; and

- Trimpin will explore

Austin's unique cityscape

with a view to creating some

wild new sonic inventions.

The filmmakers wish to thank SXSW Film, its head honcho,

Janet Pierson, and her team for this great opportunity.

Sincere thanks to all who've worked hard to make

this event a reality!

Be sure to bookmark this page and

check back for regular updates!

"Open your ears and your mind will follow."

Hope to see you in wired, weird Austin!

http://sxsw.com/film

about the director . . .

2009-01-20T00:31:00.000-08:00

Trained at Yale and the American Film Institute Conservatory,

filmmaker Peter Esmonde

spent far too long in NYC and LA

working at various tasks in the film industry:

associate producer, writer, researcher, story analyst,

assistant editor, sound editor, etc. etc.

After toiling during the 1990s as a producer at

Discovery Channel,

Esmonde found himself targeted by executive headhunters,

and spent some years foraging in the corporate jungles

of North America. He finally emerged in 2005

as a producer and director of documentary films.

Although Peter Esmonde has worked on many films,

and taught film, media, and/or information design

at various universities,

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

is his first feature.

about that crew . . .

2009-01-13T00:05:00.000-08:00

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

made use of some of the most talented documentary filmmakers around,

including:

Rick Tejada-Flores (editor)
veteran producer/director of many acclaimed documentaries
(THE FIGHT IN THE FIELDS; JASPER JOHNS: IDEAS IN PAINT; OROZCO)

Michael Chandler (consulting editor)
best known as an editor (MISHIMA; AMADEUS),
but an accomplished documentary filmmaker in his own right

Nick Doob (second camera)
renowned NYC documentarian
(AL FRANKEN: GOD SPOKE;
DOWN FROM THE MOUNTAIN; THE WAR ROOM)
and frequent collaborator/associate of
D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.
Location sound was deftly handled by
Matt Monroe
and
Gabriel Miller.

The Trimpin film's 5.1 Dolby surround-sound
was designed and mixed by
Jim LeBrecht
known for his excellent work on
THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON, THE COCKETTES,
and many other indie doc features.

early buzz

2009-01-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

Though TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION has not yet

premiered, there has already been some early buzz.

Check it out:

"Genius Captured at Last"

http://www.artsjournal.com/postclassic/2008/08/genius_captured_at_last.html

"Almost Ready for His Close-Up"

http://www.sf360.org/features/a-reluctant-composer-is-almost-ready-for-his-close-up

"a superb portrait"

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=680271

Trimpin anecdote #221: SAVED BY THE SALVATION ARMY

2009-01-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

Before emigrating to the States in 1979,

Trimpin used to spend his summers hitchhiking around.

Trimpin once hitched a ride with a trucker,

only to have the man drive off somewheres in Alabama

with the artist/inventor's knapsack, wallet, and passport.

The local police had no clue what to make of Trimpin,

who (with his long hair and shaggy beard)

looked like he'd just stepped out of

the Old Testament.

Things only grew worse when the officers asked Trimpin

for his height and weight.

He related the info in scrambled English --

in centimeters and kilos.

Hoping to at least fix up the nut case with a change of clothes,

the cops took Trimpin to the local Salvation Army store.

Here, the artist was immediately struck by

'what incredible junk you have in this country!'

He realized he'd have to move to the States,

just to take full advantage of all the scrap.

Trimpin Anecdote #27: TRIMPIN + KRONOS

2008-12-19T11:28:00.000-08:00

For more than two decades, Trimpin has been friends

with the Kronos Quartet's artistic director, David Harrington.

Each clearly trusts the other implicitly.

David wanted to 'turn the concert inside-out';

Trimpin was only too happy to oblige;

and conflict and anxiety ensued.

From the outset,

Trimpin's fly-by-the-seat-of-your-conceptual-pants approach

clashed with Kronos' careful, studied virtuosity.

Trimpin encouraged perpetual brainstorming;

the group needed written music. Most of the time,

there was no real score for the quartet to work with --

just Trimpin's cryptic conceptual plans and morphing blueprints.

That the concert highlighted in

TRIMPIN: THE SOUND OF INVENTION

came off at all

is a testament to Kronos' extraordinary openness and musicianship,

and to Trimpin's collaborative flexibility.

Trimpin Anecdote #11: HOWLING WOLVES + SMOKE MACHINES

2008-11-15T13:12:00.000-08:00

Trimpin was quite wary of being filmed --

largely because his previous experiences with film crews

had been awful.

Most seemed only interested in ridiculing the 'crazy artist'.

Hoping to portray Trimpin as a true mad scientist,

one local tv station embellished a night shot of his studio

with a full moon and a wolf howl.

Another crew lugged a fog machine

into the artist/inventor's studio, and directed him to

'act like he was working on something.'

welcome to the Trimpin movie blog!

2008-03-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

The process that began 2 1/2 years ago with a phone call
to Trimpin's studio is finally drawing to a close.

We're in the final stages of editing the Trimpin project --
a full-length documentary about the life and fascinating work of
this unique artist / inventor / engineer / composer.

Many of you generously contributed your ideas, work, insights, time,
talents, and resources to this project, and I'm tremendously grateful
to each of you. I truly hope you'll enjoy the film that is being shaped.
It's certainly been a long, strange trip.

We'll be launching a promo website for the film in a few months' time.
Please check out this site regularly and bookmark it
for up-to-date news about the forthcoming film and its subject.
And please feel to contribute as you like.

We look forward to seeing you sometime at a screening near you!

artists + composers who have inspired Trimpin:

2008-03-01T11:59:00.000-08:00

george antheil

robert ashley

henry brant

anthony braxton

john cage

merce cunningham

jimi hendrix

leonardo da vinci

meredith monk

conlon nancarrow

harry partch

archie shepp

morton subotnick

cecil taylor

jean tinguely

david tudor

frank zappa

everyday objects Trimpin has used to make music:

2008-02-29T12:14:00.000-08:00

whistles

duck calls

toy guitars

toy violins

gramophones

hair bands

Tupperware

toy monkeys

wooden shoes

dip-tip chickens

bunsen burners

beer glasses

typewriters

office lamps

juice dispensers

cathode ray tubes

electrical fan blades

slide projectors

vacuum cleaner

pottery wheels

aircraft cable

turkey basters

steel chains

saw blades

10,000-volt neon transformer

announcing a new film . . .

2008-02-27T20:59:00.000-08:00

TRIMPIN
THE SOUND OF INVENTION

a documentary by peter esmonde

featuring
The Kronos Quartet

"A genius at circuitry and machinery
as well as acoustics and musical structure,
he manufactures orchestras that play themselves!"
-- kyle gann, the village voice

"Trimpin is a composer / sound artist / engineer / god . . . and truly a treasure."

a film about
Trimpin
--
an extraordinary
artist / engineer / inventor / composer
who combines wild musical invention and kinetics
with homegrown computer technology.

Recipient of the MacArthur "Genius" award,
a Guggenheim fellowship,
an Artist Trust grant,
a Creative Capital grant,
etc., etc.,
Trimpin
has no dealer, no gallery, no website, and no cellphone.

He dislikes recorded music, detests loudspeakers,
and agreed to be the subject of this film only reluctantly.

We look forward to opening your eyes and ears.