Gustavo Matamoros is a Miami-based sound artist and curator who is the artistic director of the Subtropics Biennial of Music and Sound Art, which is happens in Miami till March 20th. Recently I spoke with Matamoros about his influences and his ongoing projects. 

Godston: What is an early memory you have of doing something in the arts?

Matamoros: Discovering shortwave radios at age 7. I remember having the kind of attitude toward that exploration as I have towards the work I do today. In fact, turning the synthesizer knobs ever-so-slightly in my electronic music classes often brought about in me a strong sense of Deja vu. I'd tell myself, "Haven't I done this before?"

Godston: How did you first get interested in the arts?

Matamoros: I don't really know when I got interested in art. I have been toeing this line rather intuitively all along. I began to take steps towards a life in the arts when I was about 19 years old when I quit computers for music school.

Godston: Who are some of your influences?

Matamoros: Sound artist/composer Russell Frehling (who lived in Miami until the mid nineties), and many of the usual suspects such as Tudor, Lucier, Cage, Lewis ...

Godston: How did you come up with the idea to found iSAW? What would you say are some highlights of iSAW’s early years?

Matamoros: Subtropics was already a few years old when Russell Frehling decided to move to New York and he didn't want to take all of his equipment. It was offered to me and I thought it would be nice to start an interdisciplinary project to facilitate artists to work with sound. The equipment became match for other grants, and isaw was born. Since isaw's founding, we have helped many artists with their work, but we have also organized large-scale commissioning projects with Robert Ashley (Balseros), Trimpin (M.I.A.M.I. Klangflotte), and others. The project keeps transforming -- not much that stays the same here in Miami actually survives).  

     To find out more about the 21st Subtropics Biennial of Music and Sound Art, visit http://subtropics.org. Please check back shortly for updates with this interview.