The 20th of December saw the arrivel to Melbourne of one Robert Henke (aka. Monolake). He stayed at Gore Core leaving the following Monday for gigs in New Zealand.

No sooner had Grant arrived from the airport that Robert had his laptop out and online. Just earlier he showed me an MAX Patch he had cobbled together to emulate the sound of cicadas.

Intruiged by the Tibetan bowls he had seen and heard at Paul Abad's place in Brisbane, he made perhaps his one and only Melbourne purchase.

We had fun using the floor as a resonator :^) The trip to sound check was a treat to be heard!

Robert Henke with camera at Public Office, West Melbourne. Sound check!

Front row: Andrew, Grant, Robert.
Back row: Ben Dixon and Justine Leara.

Alan Bamford, pretty much the energy and vision behind our Public Office event... Here's Alan having a good old chuckle as Mark Harwood leaps off stage having completed a hiliarious work that included a brief show of fireworks at its end.

Surely not a day goes by in Melbourne when a musician really needs their beer.

Rapidly setting up for my set... I played works from the new album, Son of Science. A semi-autobiographical work spanning some 15 years or more of ideas, unreleased pieces, demo recordings. Planning to have the project completed, ideally, early to mid 2004.

The trimmed down rig: laptop (Ableton Live, AudioMulch), PMA-5 and MIDI controller/keyboard.

Visual accompaniment produced in collaboration with Andrew Thomas. "Rot Emulsion" was originally produced for Tat Fat Size Temple. It will accompany, at least remain as feature visual, all my forthcoming performances.

Down on the last track, Stars & Vermin.

Robert felt very connected to the audience... I think we all did!

Looking back down the venue from the side of the stage. The tall chap striding towards us is Mit who wrote a fine set for the evening. I think we all worked hard on our individual sets.

From the back during Robert's second and evocative set.

Robert and his (working) gear getting an encore... Most fine :^)

Photos: Justina + Andrew