An audio document of an audio-visual improvisation. An ever-evolving ensemble, this time around the personnel was Anna Young- vocals, Nick Millevoi & Travis Woodson- guitars, Eric Carbonara- pedal steel Erik Ruin- overhead projectors, direction.

Ominous Cloud Ensemble rehearsal 9/28/15

The live semi-improvised soundtrack to 55 feet of cut paper scrolling across the surface of an overhead projector. Performed at Red Barns in West Philly, June 16, 2016. Erik Ruin's Ominous Cloud Ensemble in this incarnation consisted of -
DM Hotep- guitar
Reid Books- prepared guitar
Quinn Collins- bass
Scott Verrastro- drums, percussion
Julius Masri- electronics, kamancheh

Erik Ruin- projections, direction


Ominous Cloud Ensemble live performance 6/16/16 ("a scroll show")

Taken from the first ever rehearsal of Erik Ruin's Ominous Cloud Ensemble, in my basement in West Philly. Recorded and mixed by Travis Woodson. Personnel on this one- 
Anna Young- vocals
Dan Blacksberg- trombone
Eric Carbonara- pedal steel
Julius Masri- percussion
Nick Millevoi- guitar
Travis Woodson- guitar

Erik Ruin- projections, direction

8/30/15

Ominous Cloud Ensemble first rehearsal! 8/30/15

"Play Death More Sweetly" was an immersive atmosphere of largely improvised projections (using 3 overhead projectors manipulated by visual artist Erik Ruin), musicians (care of his group the Ominous Cloud Ensemble) and movement (dancer Asimina Chremos), with performers scattered throughout the darkened space. The hour-long performance incorporated fragments of text from Paul Celan's iconic post-WW2 poem "Todesfuge" and explored the themes of terror and mortality it evokes. It was performed at the Icebox Project Space on July 23, 2016.
This iteration of the Ominous Cloud Ensemble featured-
Reid Books- prepared guitar
Nick Millevoi- guitar
Julius Masri- electronics, percussion
Dan Blacksberg- trombone
DM Hotep- guitar
Lindsay Baukert- violin
Scott Verrastro- drums, percussion
Asimina Chremos- movement
Erik Ruin- projections, tapes

Ominous Cloud Ensemble- Play Death More Sweetly

Soundtrack to the screenprinted book by Erik Ruin. Music composed by Julius Masri.
A Threnody for the Dispossessed is a sixty-foot long screen-printed scroll/accordion-book that impressionistically interweaves the experiences of people displaced by war in the Middle East, Europe and Latin America. Images and experiences flow freely into another, the trails of tear gas morphing into the mists of limbo. A "wailing ode", a chorus of voices drawn from historical accounts and contemporary interviews accompanies the book, part of an original score  by multi-instrumentalist Julius Masri.

To access the audio accompaniment to this book, please visit fps.swarthmore.edu/threnody

The Chorus-
as themselves- 
Abdul Karim Awad, translated by Yaroub Al Obaidi,  interviewed by Erik Ruin
Layla Al Hussein, translated by Zubaida Qaissi, interviewed by ER
Amaal Alnajjar, translated by Sara Shnati, interviewed by ER

as others-
Paloma Irizarry voices Joel Morelos, Leticia Ramos, and various anonymous accounts gathered by Tutela Legal, the Guatemalan Human Rights Commission, and the Arizona Sanctuary Defense Fund.
Morgan Fitzpatrick Andrews voices Felix and Lotte Weiniger, Hans Bergas, and Alexander Trocme.
Vanessa Ogbuehi voices Elizabeth Yarnall and a Staff Report on Valentina Radastovec from Sky Island.
All read from “Reply to the Minister Of Justice-Ottawa, from members of the Spiritual Community of Christ of British Columbia, August 31st, 1944”

Erik Ruin

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