About Me
BIOGRAPHY
Duane Pitre (originally from New Orleans) is a Brooklyn-based composer, improviser, and sound-artist. His primary instrument is electric guitar(s), which he plays in a nontraditional fashion, utilizing various objects such as mallets and rotary tools to coax unusual sounds from the instrument. His current works explore both chaos and discipline—and the territory that exists between the two.
In summer of 2007 Pitre's album, Organized Pitches Occurring in Time, was released on Important
Records (CD) and Trome Records (vinyl). This album consists of two versions of his lengthy
drone/contemporary-classical composition Ensemble Drones. Ensemble Drones was performed live
in December 2007 by a 13-piece ensemble in Burlington, VT, and future performances of the piece
are planned for Chicago, Seattle, San Diego, and New Orleans.
Pitre has a number of releases scheduled for 2008, including a track on a compilation of experimental/avant-garde guitarists, which will also feature work by Keith Rowe (AMM), Tetuzi Akiyama, Sebastien Roux, and others. He is currently curating–and will be contributing a track to–a Just Intonation compilation that will be released on Important Records in late 2008. The compilation will include work by artists such as Pauline Oliveros, Ellen Fullman, Michael Harrison, and Arnold Dreyblatt.
Pitre has played at venues such as Issue Project Room, ABC No Rio, St. Marks Church’s
Ontological-Hysteric Theater, The Knitting Factory, and Galapagos. In summer 2008 Pitre
will do an East Coast tour with D.C.-based Ilya Monosov (Eclipse, Holy Mountain, Language of Stone)
and in fall 2008 Pitre will embark on a 10-day UK/EU tour.
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Projects (past & present):
• IPS3 w/ Preston Swirnoff (The Shining Path, monosov/swirnoff, Habitat Sound System, Eclipse, Holy Mountain) & James Ilgenfritz (NYC Chapter board member of the International Society for Improvised Music, Trummerflora, Hypercolor w/ Lukas Ligeti).
• Hells Hills (in '05 & '07)
Ensemble participants:
Craig Colorusso, Toby Aronson, Greg Davis, Emily Hilliard, Casey Block, Brooke Gillespie, Byron Westbrook, Harry Rosenblum, Julianne Carney, Lathan Hardy, Jon DeRosa, Sara-Paule Koeller, Sequioa, Tianna Kennedy, Hannah Kammerer, Veronica Stocker, Zachary Cooper, Annakalmia Traver, Lauren Servin, Christopher Diasparra, Loren Dempster, Jessica Pavone, & Eric Elterman.
Collaborations/performances with:
Preston Swirnoff, James Ilgenfritz, Casey Block, Craig Colorusso, Hells Hills, Brian Osborne, Julianne Carney, Todd Merrell, J. Emery Blatchley, Jon DeRosa, Tianna Kennedy, etc.
Past supporting musicians (live and studio) have been:
Demetrius Antuna, Josh Quon, Evan Bartholomew, Grant Reinero, Hilary Rowan, Jimmy LaValle, Preston Swirnoff, Scott Mercado, Russell White, Drew Andrews, Matt Mournian, Matthew Resovich, Alex "Bean" Trecha, Jason Hooper, Casey Block, Robyn Siwula, Todd Merrell, Harry Rosenblum, Craig Colorusso, Lathan Hardy, Dario Izarraras, Joshua Blatchley & Sundar Ananda Dasa.
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Duane used to:
Play guitar in The Camera Obscura (of San Diego).
Skateboard professionally for Alien Workshop.
