Live gig in Second Life

On occassion of my 50th birthday on Wednesday I played for the first time in thirty years live for an audience. Well, let’s say virtually life as the music was streamed into Second Life. The actual site of the event was Thorsten Küper’s and Kirsten Riehl’s steampunk location Kafé Krümelkram where I already took part in some successful single and group readings, the last one on Sunday together with Marco Ansing and Frederic Brake. For Thorsten and me this was a first test run to see how live music events can be organized in Second Life. Although quite a number of technical problems are still to be solved to actually perform a full-scale concert in Second Life, the first attempt was quite successful and well-received by a small but perceptive audience. More events like this are sure to come.

Thorsten Küper posted some on-location impressions of the gig on his blog

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Afterthought: “Orbitale Visionen” in Second Life

Despite some technical problems due to a conference switching that brought my multimedia machine down to its knees, the Orbitale Visionen reading on Sunday evening in Thorsten Küper’s and Kirsten Riehl’s steampunk location Kafé Krümelkram in Second Life was a remarkable success. I think my co-performens Marco Ansing and Frederic Brake did an excellent job and I hope that I came close to the standards they set. The art exhibition that was opened with the reading can still be visited until mid March.

Thorsten posted some links to online reports of the event on his blog. Further and even more spectacular events of this kind are already in preparation. More information soon here.

Video upload on Youtube

I’ve just uploaded a small music video on Youtube. Well, let’s not say music video but rather a simple slideshow of some autumns photographs by my old friend Gisela Diederichs, set to my electronic music piece Ambient Etude 6. When watching even these few samples, viewers may agree with me that Gisela is a very talented photographer who can capture a lot of atmosphere even with a simple digital camera.

When I have new information of online galleries of Gisela’s works, I will post a link here.

 

New service offer: German to English fiction translation

Several German colleagues recently trusted me with English translations of some of their stories. The results were rather encouraging and I feel qualified now to provide this service on a regular base. Fellow writers who are interested in English translations of their works may drop me a line and will be offered a reasonable rate especially for colleagues.

Cyberpunk Summit in Wuppertal

Last year I took part in two group readings of Cyberpunk-related German sf writers in Bielefeld and in Leipzig. I promised my fellow writers to organize the next event of this kind in Wuppertal and found a location and date now. Interested readers may already note that it will presumably will take place on Saturday, April 14., 20:00 local time, at the pub De Bietebauw, Dorotheenstraße 32, Wuppertal-Elberfeld.

The participants will be the usual suspects Christian Günther, Frank Hebben, Thorsten Küper, Niklas Peinecke, Uwe Schimunek and myself, reinforced by  young turk Sven Klöpping. Further news will be posted here and announced via relevant websites or local press.

“Orbitale Visionen” in Second Life

On February 19th I will take part in the next cultural event in Kirsten Riehl’s and Thorsten Küper’s steampunk location Kafé Krümelkram in Second Life. This time I will join my fellow writers Marco Ansing and Frederic Brake and read from my work in progress In situ (to be published by Begedia Verlag when I finally manage to complete it). Our reading is connected with an exhibition of works by nine artists.

As usual you find closer and up-to-date information on the website of the writer group Brennende Buchstaben where the activities and events of numerous other writers and artists are logged.

Virtual Birthday Party in Second Life

One day you wake up to find that you’ve wasted too much of you precious time on earth and that you’re already fifty. For me this moment of revelation will come, if my birth certificate is to be trusted, on February 22. For those of my friends and readers who cannot be in Wuppertal for my birthday celebration on Saturday 25th and who happen to be active in Second Life, there’s a chance to meet me for a virtual birthday party in Kirsten Riehl’s and Thorsten Küper’s steampunk event location Kafé Krümelkram on Wednesday, February 22., 20:00 local time. On the site where we had some well-attended readings you’ll have a chance for a little chat, a virtual beer or two or to listen to my live streaming of electronic music. It’s my first live playing after 30 years, so don’t expect too much. Depending on how good it works out, there may be further live music events in Kafé Krümelkram in the future.

Article in Romanian Web Magazine

My short survey article on contemporary German science fiction, initally written for a Spanish webzine and republished at InterNova, has just been published in the Romanian online sf and fantasy magazine Nautilus. Thanks to the Romanian sf people and to Cristian Tamas for making it possible.