CHRISTIAN TOONK

Contact information:

Rozenstraat 5
7004 CE DOETINCHEM
The Netherlands
+31 (0) 6 4120 7455

christian@umatic.nl

Christian Toonk [1976] is a sound artist from the Netherlands. Inspired by sound phenomena and sound theory in general, Toonk uses digital techniques in order to create tonal improvisations. The sounds are assembled from custom made software, based on feedback processes and sine wave manipulation.
http://www.roch.nl/

AVAILABLE PROJECT

FMAM
A live performance based on FM / AM Synthesis. Reshaping of sinewaves with modulation-, feedback- and filter loops. A thorough meditation on frequency, dissonant harmonics and improvised composition. The character of the performance is minimal, immersive and quiet with a possible burst. Please contact me for more info.. 

DOWNLOAD

> Envelope-ca165.zip
> Piezein-patt004.zip
> Unison-cnv24.zip
> Live at kraakgeluiden_090106.mp3

PROJECTS

2008

Envelope
Audio release on clinical archives.
http://www.clinicalarchives.spyw.com/

2007

Piezein
Audiorelease on PCSC netlabel. 2 tracks based on the principle of fm-synthesis. the timbre of sinewaves is disturbed by altering the envelope of the modulating frequency, resulting in complex and grainy soundtextures. the greek word piezein meaning "to press tight", is meant as a metaphor for squeezing the curve of soundwaves, which have been the case for these 2 tracks.
[PCSC, Aug 4 2007]
http://www.patternsound.com/patt004.html

Camera Lucida DVD event
Release party, with live performances by: tez, bas van koolwijk, evelina & dmitry and christian toonk.  
[Melkweg, Amsterdam, NL  may 27 2007] 
http://www.melkweg.nl/

Cul de Sac
Live performances by: o.a. puddle parade, machine fabriek, wouter van veldhoven, soccer committee and christian toonk.
[Cul de Sac, Tilburg, NL, may 15 2007]  
http://www.culdesac.nl 

UMATIC night
Kinetic Engineering & OT301 present a night of extreme field recordings, analog improv, digital noise, live video and microsonic drones.  
[OT301, Amsterdam, NL, 25 april 2007]
http://overtoom301.events.html

2006

Live Cinema
3 AV performances in collaboration with karl klomp
Worm Rotterdam, Oct 13
Stichting Poon, Oct 19
Extrapool Nijmegen, Oct 20

AfregelSalon, DNK-Amsterdam
AV performance in collaboration with karl klomp
[OT301, Amsterdam, NL Oct 2 2006]
http://www.dnk-amsterdam.com/

StateOfTheImage
AV performance in collaboration with karl klomp
[Arnhem, NL Sept 8 2006]
http://www.stateoftheimage.com/

Fonds voor Beeldende Kunsten Vormgeving en Bouwkunst (Fonds BKVB)
Supported during 2006-2007 by Fonds voor Beeldende Kunsten Vormgeving en Bouwkunst
[Sept 1 2006]
http://www.fondsbkvb.nl/docs/index.html

Grand Text Auto
1 of the 10 winners of: kans op kunst, best work by young artist.
[Volkskrant, NL June 10 2006]
http://www.kansopkunst.nl/

Urban Explorers
Series of performances in an audio dedicated environment.
[Dordrecht, NL May 11-14 2006]
http://www.urbanexplorersfestival.nl/

Resort Off / Live Cinema
4 AV performances in collaboration with ryan parteka, aka mini tour through NL.
Worm Rotterdam, March 14
TAG Den Haag, March 16
Extrapool Nijmegen, March 17
SM'S Den Bosch, March 28

Viper International festival for film video and new media
Room Mirror is nominated for the Viper International Competition 2005
[Basel, CH March]
http://www.viper.ch/

BAROCH
Live sound performance on an installation, with Ronald Nijhof, Bas van Koolwijk
[Haarlem, NL January 29]
http://www.devishal.nl/

RGB² / 468
Continuation of the RGB project with bas van koolwijk. This time not the PAL video signal as basis, but the ITU-R 468-weighting curve, which is used when measuring noise in audio systems. This collaborate project explores noise, with an emphasis on detail.
long stretched harmonies of total distortion. quiet with occasional burst.
[Kraakgeluiden, Amsterdam, NL January 9]
http://www.kraakgeluiden.com/

2005

Great Performances
Circuit bending performance with Ronald Nijhof.
[Utrecht, NL November 18]
http://www.moira-utrecht.nl/

Break 2.3 Festival
RGB Performance. [w/ Bas van Koolwijk]
[Ljubljana, SI - November 15]
http://www.break-festival.org/

Netrelease on Conv
Unison is released on the netlabel conv. The basic idea for unison is the phenomenon of binaural tones. When the distance between congruence frequencies is changed, pulsations occur. For unison a self build instrument is used, based on sinewave oscillators and feedback loops. The output is rewired to the input and provides a somewhat unpredictable datastream, by means of creating an opponent to interact to as in collaboration. Unison is an improvisation with sinewaves.
Download the 3 tracks + artwork -->  christian_toonk/unison/cnv24
[November 12]
http://www.con-v.org/

D>Art.05
Audio work for the annual distrubuted art exhibition.
[Sydney Opera House, AUS - August 10-September 04]
http://www.dlux.org.au/

Placard Garage
1.RGB Performance. [w/ Bas van Koolwijk]
2.RoomMirror - sinewave improvisation.
[Stralsund, DE - August 05-07]
http://www.leplacard.org/

Garage Festival 05
Desktopjam, simultaneous desktop presentation by Van Koolwijk, Nijhof and Toonk concerning their artistic positions towards saving, archiving and forgetting.
[Stralsund, DE - July 22-August 13]
http://garage.in-mv.de/

Dissonanze Festival
RGB Performance. [w/ Bas van Koolwijk]
[Rome, IT - May 19-21]
http://www.dissonanze.it/

Colortron cd
The second audio release of the RGB project. Subtle frequency modulations create a suspense field that blurs the actual time span. One track based on improvisations with the audiovisual live performance RGB. Mail me for a copy! [May]

Bar War
Magic hue - Popup - Ruisbol: a video installation about visual illusions. [w/ Ronald Nijhof]
[Extrapool, Nijmegen, NL - April 23-24]
http://www.extrapool.nl/

Desktopjam
Simultaneous desktop presentation concerning individual sources, recent projects and unrealized sketches. By means of improvisation and association a fusion of ideas come togehter in 1 triptych. [w/ Bas van Koolwijk, Ronald Nijhof]
[Artis, den Bosch, NL - April 05]
http://www.artisdenbosch.nl/

Utrecht Uploaded
RGB Performance and sreening of the video improv_1. [w/ Bas van Koolwijk]
[Utrecht, NL - March 2]
http://www.expodium.nl/

Netmage05 Festival
RGB Performance. [w/ Bas van Koolwijk]
[Bologna, IT - January 27-29]
http://www.netmage.it/

RGB cd
The first audio release of RGB together with Van Koolwijk, include three tracks based on improvisations with the audiovisual live performance RGB. All sounds derived from properties of the PAL video signal. [January]
http://www.staalplaat.com/

2004

Stop dancing, Start looking...
'RGB' Live performance during an evening with different perspectives on visual/mediaart.
[w/ Bas van Koolwijk]
['t hoogt, Utrecht, NL - December 14]

UBIK
Installation responsive to a monumental building. Synchronised sound, smoke and light neutralize historical space. [w/ Bas van Koolwijk, Ronald Nijhof]
[Skol, Utrecht, NL - September 04]

Blank
Installation around a scale model, revealing hidden layers inside an old bunker. [w/Ronald Nijhof]
[Moira, Utrecht, NL - September 06]

Garage Festival 04
Feedback-Performance. [and surprise gig w/ Bas van Koolwijk]
[Stralsund, DE - August 05-06]
http://garage.in-mv.de/

HumBug
Installation with amplified insect sounds for a camping site. [w/Ronald Nijhof]
[Gau, Utrecht, NL - August 14]

Urbanism
1.Video installation: with a two way view of a city crossroad, leaving a void in the exhibition space open for suggestion and imagination. [w/ Bas van Koolwijk, Ryan Parteka]
2.AV Performance: [w/ Bas van Koolwijk, Derek Holzer]  > psychonavigators.mp3
[BAK, Utrecht, NL - June 12-24]

European Data Cup
Presentation about a generative parasite project turning the soccer championship into an electronic music generator. [w/ Bas van Koolwijk, Ronald Nijhof]
[BAK/Impakt, Utrecht, NL - March 29]

Umatic performance
AV Performances based on collaboration and improvisation. [w/ Yannick Dauby, 87Central, Gerard van Dongen, umatic]
[Moira Club, Utrecht, NL - March 07]

Jong Talent
ASCII Computer graphics in light box. Commissioned by Kunstuitleen Utrecht.
[GAU, Utrecht, NL - January-March]

2003

Café-Bar Nergenshuizen
is an Interactive light installation in which the public can control a display existing out of 432 light bulbs. By touching the lightened platform, the corresponding spot on the screen goes on. In real-time movements of the public on the platform (input), are translated to animated images (output). In its simple directness it is a prototype of a screen. [w/ Ronald Nijhof]
[Huis a/d Werf, Utrecht, NL - October]

Petlab
An installation with living animals, and the use of color- and motion detection for gathering data with which audio and video are produced in real-time. [w/ Ronald Nijhof, Bas van Koolwijk]
[Academie Galerie. Utrecht, NL - June]

Clash of the Titans[w/ Henk de Vries, Ronald Nijhof]
Performance the Polsmofjes. Post Electro Pop.
[dBs, Utrecht, NL - June]

Art Primeur
a quadraphonic sound installation reacting on the audience movement. A virtual environment existing out of native birds that fly around an industrial building.
[Energiehuis, Dordrecht, NL - May]

Lightbar
is an interactive light installation in which the public can control a display existing out of 81 light bulbs. By pressing the sensors the audience can make animations and simple games.
[Louis Hartlooper Complex, Utrecht, NL - January]

2002

Proeflokaal
Performance Renc. Electronic Music Improvisation. [w/ Ronald Nijhof]
[Theater Kikker, Utrecht, NL - December]

HKU Festival
The video installation National Digigraphic refers to the exotic environments in the magazine National Geographic. A digital environment parallel to reality that evokes an attended consciousness of existing nature.
[Jaarbeurs, Utrecht, NL - June]

R + C
Assembled works based on a virtual car race ran in a vinex location. [w/ Ronald Nijhof]
[Expodium, Utrecht, NL - May]

Work Out
The video Postcard reveals a different vision on the existence of plant life.
[Academie Galerie, Utrecht, NL - April]

2001

U-pop
Performance Girotuna. Electronic Improvisation. [w/ John von der Linden, Ronald Nijhof]
[Moira, Utrecht, NL - December]

Diem
Large computer print of digitally altered photo.
[GAU, Utrecht, NL - June]

Core 108
In the video train blocks the viewer is taken on a train ride thru the country. While staring at the passing landscape imaginary forms pop up and disappear.
[Overtoom, Amsterdam, NL - May]

Opkomst
Untitled video existing out of one frame stretched out over 3:30 minutes.
[Academie Galerie, Utrecht, NL - March]

2000

Tegenbeeld
Performance Girotuna. Electronic Improvisation. [w/ John von der Linden, Ronald Nijhof, Ruben Otemann]
[Vleeshal, Haarlem, NL - November]

Nieuwe Blikken
Performance Girotuna. Electronic Improvisation. [w/ John von der Linden, Ronald Nijhof, Ruben Otemann]
[Gruitpoort, Doetinchem, NL - November]