University Of Canterbury's “Bunker” Studio celebrates silver jubilee

The University of Canterbury’s electro-acoustic music studio, dubbed the “Bunker”, is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a special concert on 21 August.

The concert, part of the University of Canterbury arts festival Platform, will feature work by some of the main personalities who have worked in the studio, including John Cousins, Chris Cree Brown, John Young, Tom Philpotts and Nikos Fairburn.

“All of the pieces in the concert are very different from each other,” says acting Head of Music and Theatre and Film Studies Chris Cree Brown.

“But that’s good because it shows the variety of work we make here and that we work and practice art that is of ourselves. The music will be challenging but, for the listener who listens, it will be a rewarding experience.”

Electro-acoustic music, or sound art, is created using computers and digitally recorded environmental sound.

The Bunker was set up 25 years ago by John Cousins, who was on the academic staff at the University’s School of Music until 2004.

Dr Cree Brown said the Bunker Studio was established after Mr Cousins held a concert at the University and it was discovered that his “studio” was little more than a cupboard full of mixers, tape recorders, synthesisers and analogue equipment. Today’s studio is a stand-alone space attached to the School of Music simply containing a desk and two computer screens.

“The art form has progressed dramatically with the development of technology. It’s now a lot easier to put things together with computers but making and composing the music is just as hard,” said Dr Cree Brown.

The 25th anniversary concert of the Bunker Studio will be held at 1.10pm, 21 August, in the University of Canterbury School of Music recital room (room 205), Christchurch. Tickets are $15 (students $8) from Ticketek.

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