The aim of this seminar was to bring together artists and specialists from two distinct circles of electronic music - those coming from the academic contemporary music tradition, and those representing the most sophisticated forms of music to have emerged from the dance and pop environment. Although these two circles may seem separate, the music they compose can often sound quite similar. In fact, there are artists who unite and mix the principles of these two musical streams. For example, DJ Scanner with his live-remixing of the music of Salvatore Sciarrino; the double album containing remixes of Iannis Xenakis’s Persepolis made by various artists; and compositions by Yannis Kyriakides. Important progressive music magazines, such as the UK’s The Wire, successfully deal with both musical streams.

Many interesting issues and questions arose from this meeting:

			the idea of remixing artifacts of musical culture; putting the work of a composer in the hands of a DJ
			the idea (and tradition) of musical composition vs. the idea (and tradition) of musical improvisation (performance)
			the diffusion of high and popular art
			how dance features as a factor in various genres of electronic music.

The main purpose of the seminar was to provide a meeting-place for composers, musicians, theorists, music producers and DJs so they could exchange knowledge and experiences, as well as to discuss the issues mentioned above and other far-reaching topics. Participants included: institutions, organisations, associations and personalities interested in the development of electronic music.

The seminar was organised by the Austrian Forum of Culture; the Warsaw Autumn Festival; the Centre for Contemporary Art, Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw; the British Council; and the American Embassy.

DJ and Producer Robin Rimbaud (aka DJ Scanner) makes recordings, gallery installations and sculptures; collaborating with artists as diverse as the Kronos Quartet, Charlemagne Palestine and Bryan Ferry. He is Radio 4's artist-in-residence and John Moore's University's Fellow of Sound. Working under the alias of Scanner, Rimbaud is someone who resists categorisation. It would be lazy to describe him as a latter-day Brian Eno - the theorist and non-musician who put the art into Roxy Music - but there is a congruence between their two approaches. Both work with electronic, and increasingly digital music to explore the effect that technology has on human communication.

On 15 May Scanner presented The Spaces In Between at Ujazdowski Castle’s Centre for Contemporary Arts:

'I presented a series of projects I have developed over the last few years that examine the boundaries between what are perceived to be two divided musical worlds. Many of my works have attempted to dissolve the margins that we create around genres and offer up an alternative vision through a form of seductive exploration.' DJ Scanner

On 16 May, the Scanner Concert: SCanner.SCans.SCiarrino featured the music of Salvatore Sciarrino. This concert was part of the British Council project SoundBites-New Music from Britain that aims to present contemporary music from UK artists, groups and ensembles that have not performed in Poland before.

More information on the Turning Sounds conference and concerts can be found at http://www.dj-composer.terra.pl or email: festival@warsaw-autumn.art.pl.