Friday, March 15, 2019

CHRIS COCHRANE / DENNIS COOPER / ISHMAEL HOUSTON-JONES - THEM (NOW WITH 20 MINUTE VIDEO!)





CHRIS COCHRANE / DENNIS COOPER / ISHMAEL HOUSTON-JONES - THEM (2011)




(*from redcat.org - This powerful re-staging of THEM, an incendiary work of dance theater that premiered in 1986, won a coveted Bessie Award last year for “bringing an intensely visceral exploration of male identity in the time of AIDS to life with beauty, power, conviction and passion.” Conceived and directed by choreographer Ishmael Houston-Jones with writer Dennis Cooper and composer Chris Cochrane, THEM takes an unblinking look at the lives of young gay men in a harrowing, uncertain time. The original collaborators are joined onstage by six young male performers, amplifying themes of youth and survival, while transmitting a legacy of loss with ferocious energy and unforgettable imagery. Propelled by Cochrane’s hard-driving live score and Cooper’s ever-provocative texts, the dancers take to the action with menacing force.)


I'm posting this mainly because my favorite writer, Dennis Cooper, is involved. As a strictly audio experience, this comes across as something very Lee Ranaldo/Sonic Youth-esque, with a really dark, bitter and depressing edge.


**UPDATE: Thanks to Ishmael Houston-Jones for posting on his Vimeo page a 20-minute sample of THEM!

Ishmael Houston-Jones, 20 Minute Work Sample from Ishmael Houston-Jones on Vimeo.





1. Pre Show
2. Rite
3. Ish Solo
4. I Saw Them Once
5. Trio
6. Dead Friends / Blood
7. I Met Julian Andes, 19, In Line
8. Circle Duets / Masturbation / Fag Bash
9. I Knock At My Bedroom Door
10. Cruising
11. Film Loop
12. Goat
13. Lymph Nodes


zip file: 104.62 MB
320 kbps



Get it HERE!





Enjoy! :o)

2 comments:

Mr.F said...

Thanks for this too.
I'm listening now, and Dennis Cooper's voice startled me.
It's good.

Rabid Hummingbird said...

Hi, Mr.F!

It's my pleasure! Thank YOU for checking out my feeder. If you're interested, I have updated this post with a 20-minute video sample of the live performance. It's pretty intense.

Fly in again and rest your wings anytime!

ATTENTION - THE BIRD IS BACK!!!!