THE "VINYL SCORE":

Dj Olive produces "Vinyl Scores" for the turntable. These are palettes of sound or compositional components produced in his studio and then pressed on 12"vinyl. Turntablists then interpret these scores. “What you mix and what I mix will always be different but the sounds are the same”.

DJ Olive on the “Vinyl Score”:

For over ten years I have been working on a concept I call "the vinyl score" these are compositions made for the turntable. In my studio I work with musicians recording sounds and noises. On the computer and the sampler I create a wide-ranging palette of sounds, which are somewhat minimal in their density so that they lend themselves to being mixed together. Through a trial and error process I arrange the sounds for vinyl. Then I manufacture the score on vinyl and publish it.

The dj must use three turntables and three copies of the vinyl palette without any other sound source. The piece should be played for around 10 min. effects are optional.

There is much more sound on the score than can be played in 10 min., so the point is not to play all the sounds but to find a series of sounds and work those with the personal skills and techniques which each dj brings to the piece.

When you hear one dj play a vinyl score it will sound radically different than hearing another play the same score. It is this difference that I am trying to expose with these compositions. There is no correct way to play beyond the minimal rules; no other records are allowed. Though the palette is limited, the variation and the personal interpretations are endless. It can be said that it is impossible to play these pieces the same way twice.

I have done a series of shows with four or more dj's playing the score, one at a time. Hearing it played by a few dj's and knowing that they are limited to the same sounds and the same instrument, the personal style and musicianship of each dj is clearly revealed.

It is my intent to help broaden the lexicon and techniques involved in turntablism as well as composing in an open-ended style specific to the embedded improvisational aspect of the instrument.

I would like to broaden the development of this concept to include “visuals” where a matching set of visuals accompany the vinyl score. The dj and the VJ would mix for ten min creating a unique interpretation of the limited material.

_Dj Olive Perth 2006

Some of the Vinyl Scores composed by Dj Olive:

Composition 11 for three turntables was commissioned by Roulette in NYC in '97, performed in '98 and was released as a vinyl score in '99. He developed and performed a vinyl score for Franz Triechler's "Copier/coller" in 99. He premiered his second vinyl score "perpetual sound check" in Brussels in '00. This event featured eight separate live interpretations by international dj's accompanied by VJ's. He collaborated with Luc Ferrari on a vinyl score, which was performed in Gent on, may 9th '00 and since played in Antwerp, Paris, New York, San Francisco and La Chaux-De-Fonds. This score will be published on the Phonomena record label. He developed a score for six turntables only using source sounds from Belgian cello master Jean Paul Dessy called Ixelles. This score premièred in Ixelles during Le Printemps Extra Large festival in 2003. “Ixelles” score will also be published on the Phonomena record label.

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