Reel-to-reel performance revival fuels Open Reel Ensemble comeback

Open Reel Ensemble and reel-to-reel performance revival is the focus of this introduction; Open Reel Ensemble has been active continuously since 2009. The ensemble has collaborated with Issei Miyake and Ryuichi Sakamoto, and its practice includes bowing over tape described as a ‘magnetic folklore instrument,’ extending tape into percussion and incorporating mechanical elements for a performative, kinetic show.

The MAGNETIZE project features a behind-the-scenes video and an imaginative e-book titled Magnetik Phunk with hand-drawn sketches; the e-book and accompanying album are available on Bandcamp, with the book offered at $12 and the album at $3.

The article cites Nam June Paik’s Random Access and Laurie Anderson’s tape bow violin as precursors, lists influences including Terry Riley, Pauline Oliveros and Christian Marclay, references Derek Holzer and Andre Smirnov’s optical study of mechanical wheels and a CCRMA bicycle-wheel reel-to-reel project discussed in 2007, and notes Kerri Chandler’s return to reel-to-reel DJing; the author welcomes this revival and says Open Reel Ensemble shows no signs of stopping.

Open Reel Ensemble has been active continuously since 2009, maintaining a sustained presence in experimental tape performance through ongoing projects and public presentations. The group has collaborated with designers and musicians, specifically Issei Miyake and Ryuichi Sakamoto, partnerships that form part of the ensemble’s documented creative history.

A signature element of their practice is bowing over tape, an approach described as a ‘magnetic folklore instrument,’ which they use alongside techniques that translate tape into percussive sound. They incorporate mechanical elements into their setups to create a performative, kinetic show, and their MAGNETIZE project is accompanied by a behind-the-scenes video and an imaginative e-book titled Magnetik Phunk available on Bandcamp.

Open Reel Ensemble’s practice centers on bowing over tape, a signature element described as a ‘magnetic folklore instrument.’ They extend tape into percussion, treating magnetic tape itself as a source of rhythmic and textural sound rather than merely a playback medium. This approach positions tape as an active material in performance, used for both sustained tones produced by bowing and percussive gestures generated by manipulating tape surfaces and reels. The ensemble’s use of bowing over tape is presented as a recurring, defining technique in their work.

They incorporate mechanical elements into their setups to create a performative, kinetic show that combines sound and movement. The MAGNETIZE project includes a behind-the-scenes video that documents aspects of this performative apparatus and an imaginative e-book titled Magnetik Phunk available on Bandcamp. These components are cited alongside descriptions of tape-as-instrument to illustrate the group’s emphasis on physicality and spectacle in live settings. The available sources do not provide this information.

The MAGNETIZE project by Open Reel Ensemble is documented with a behind-the-scenes video that records aspects of the group’s performative apparatus and production process. Accompanying the project is an imaginative e-book titled Magnetik Phunk, which includes hand-drawn sketches and is presented as part of the MAGNETIZE release on Bandcamp.

The Bandcamp release includes both a book version and an album, with the book offered at $12 and the album at $3. These materials are presented together as components of the MAGNETIZE project and are cited in coverage of the ensemble’s recent work.

The article cites Nam June Paik’s Random Access and Laurie Anderson’s tape bow violin as precursors to the ensemble’s practice. Other cited influences include Terry Riley, Pauline Oliveros, and Christian Marclay. Derek Holzer and Andre Smirnov are mentioned for studying mechanical wheels from an optical perspective.

A CCRMA group that built a reel-to-reel tape deck from a bicycle wheel is discussed with reference to 2007. Kerri Chandler‘s return to reel-to-reel DJing is also noted in the coverage. These historical and contemporary figures and projects are cited as precursors or influences on the reel-to-reel performance revival. The CCRMA bicycle-wheel tape deck project is noted with the year 2007.

The article records several other instances of reel-to-reel activity within the DJ and wider music community. It notes that Kerri Chandler has returned to reel-to-reel DJing. The piece also references a CCRMA group that built a reel-to-reel tape deck from a bicycle wheel, an item discussed in 2007, and it mentions Derek Holzer and Andre Smirnov studying mechanical wheels from an optical perspective. These mentions are presented alongside coverage of Open Reel Ensemble as examples of renewed attention to tape-based performance and mechanical tape apparatus. The available sources do not provide further details about these other activities.

I, for one, welcome this revival.

And Open Reel Ensemble show no signs of stopping.

Both quoted sentences are shown in the article as the final lines and are presented without additional qualification in the original coverage. No further claims about future activities are provided beyond these closing remarks in the source material.