Soundwaves festival takes place in various venues from July 14-17th. Performing specially commissioned shows, the 2011 line up includes David Thomas (Pere Ubu), Scanner, Leafcutter John, Kaffe Mathews, Anat Ben-Davis (Chicks on Speed), The Letter Piece Company, The NKR, Lucia Tong, Shila Anaraki, Andre Borges, Sound Intermedia, CHROMA, Gazelle Twin, Mikhail Karikis, Amy Cunningham, Lost Parade, Martin Parker, Mira Calix, Me and Machine
Step out of the ordinary and into a fun and endlessly fascinating world, a world which is created when artists begin to work without constraints when experimentation becomes the norm for both audience and artist alike, always pioneering, always something that bit different, Soundwaves Festival is totally unique in Brighton and in 2011 returns with an ambitious and hugely entertaining programme of events, exhibitions and experiences.
Thursday 14th July
COMMENT! – Lighthouse. 7:00PM – 8:00PM
Join us to celebrate the opening night of Soundwaves Festival 2011 with an evening of collaboration and experimentation with The Wire Magazine at Lighthouse. A new work will be created throughout the day and premiered in the evening with post-performance discussion. Featuring Anat Ben-David
Admission Free to holders of any Soundwaves Festival ticket / confirmation of on-line purchase or £3 at the door.
Friday 15th July
AN EVENING OF MUSIC, MOVEMENT AND DANCE AT THE SALLIS BENNEY THEATRE
LEAFCUTTER JOHN & LUCIA TONG – Tipping Point / 7pm – 7:40pm
Tipping Point is the product of a unique collaboration between musician and dancer from two of the consistently most inventive and genre defying artists currently hanging out in the hinterland of the avant garde.
LETTER PIECE COMPANY (MATTHEW SHLOMOWITZ & SHILA ANARAKI) – 8: 10pm – 8:50pm
Described as “duet-Tourettes”, “arty farty charades” and “irresistibly humoristic character pieces”, the work of composer Matthew Shlomowitz’s Letter Piece Company is a sublime melting of sound, movement and performance. Expect a shifting combination of sound, text and physical action with vampires, cowboys and guitar gods all thrown in for good measure.
THE NKR & ANDRE BORGES – 9:20pm – 10pm
The NKR are quite unlike anything else! Imagine Stéphane Grappelli & Throbbing Gristle illicitly meeting up in Weimar-era Germany to play Euro Pop, effortlessly shifting from cabaret tunes to beat-heavy IDM tied together with the virtuoso musicianship of violinist Minski providing a totally unforgettable live experience. Joined by Brighton-based experimentalist Andre Borges triggering sounds with his heartbeat.
QUAD EVENTS @ THE SALLIS BENNEY THEATRE:
LOST PARADE 7:50pm – 8:05pm
OUTDOOR SCREENINGS 8:50pm & 10pm
Throughout the evening there will be a retrospective of the films of Hilary Harris
Saturday 16th July
THE INFINITE POSSIBILITIES OF VOICE. BRIGHTON TOWN HALL.
5:45PM – 10:30PM
CHROMA/SOUND INTERMEDIA (IN CONJUNCTION WITH SOUND AND MUSIC) – Location: Atrium
Sound Intermedia’s trail-blazing initiatives and artistic collaborations continually push past the accepted boundaries of composition, sound design, live sound, music technology and interactive multimedia. This special collaboration sees them performing with CHROMA, one of the UK’s foremost chamber ensembles.
GAZELLE TWIN – ‘COLOSSUS’ – Location: Atrium
(Devised exclusively for Soundwaves Festival)
Brighton’s very own Gazelle Twin performs a new improvisatory piece exploring the dialogue between human and machine. Voice, electronics and a specially created artificial intelligence Max MSP module made by artist and musician Ed Briggs, are coupled with darkly theatric sensibilities to create an atmospheric, electrifying and wholly unique experience.
MIKHAIL KARIKIS – Location: The Council Chamber
Discovered by Bjork, described by Le Monde as a “sound alchemist” and lauded by The Wire for his “sumptuous experimentalism”, Mikhail Karikis’s work is hard to categorise. Constantly evolving, innovative and at times even wondrous, he creates complex sound collages totally engaging the listener.
DAVID THOMAS (Pere Ubu) – Location: Atrium
Founder and iconic front man of legendary avant-rock band Pere Ubu, David Thomas has been at the vanguard of sonic experimentalism for 3 decades. Frequently unpredictable, often hilarious and always captivating, this ultra-rare performance exclusive to Soundwaves Festival will see David exploring his unique vocal style in his own upfront and inimitable way.
INSTALLATIONS AND PERFORMANCES
Throughout the evening the fantastically emotive setting of Brighton’s old police cells will play host to installations and performances. Some of these performances will be available for families to view free of charge (donations invited) during the afternoon – please check website nearer the time.
AMY CUNNINGHAM ‘Personal Wireless’
Location: Police Cells
Personal Wireless is part of an ongoing work “Echo Aviatrix”, using sound and image. The piece will question our need to over romanticise the limits of communication technology.
LOST PARADE PRESENT ‘Words in Silence’
Location: Police Cells
Silence is not necessarily emptiness but may express that which cannot be transmitted through sound or put into words. In this installation, artist Claudia Kappenberg explores the emotional subtext of a silence.
Sunday 17th July
AN EVENING OF ‘SILENT PERFORMANCES’ FILM SCREENINGS, INSTALLATIONS, EXHIBITIONS AND HEADPHONE MUSIC AT THE SALLIS BENNEY THEATRE.
DOORS OPEN 6:45PM
Bring your own music, download new tracks from the festival website, hear new tracks by Martin Parker, Mira Calix or explore what participating sound artists have sent us for you to listen to on your headphones whilst you wander around the space watching ‘silent performances’ by Me and The Machine, Lost Parade, movement artist Scott Smith, silent film screenings by Kayla Parker & Stuart Moore, Max Hattler, Julian Hand, Naren Wilks, and Artist Book display by Jamie Crofts and Duncan Bullen.
SCANNER ‘BORDER UNTO THE EDGES’ – 9pm
At 9pm take off your headphones and be swept up by the all-consuming audio-visual experience that is witnessing a live gig by one of the world’s foremost musical innovators, Scanner. Having collaborated with everyone from Antonioni and Derek Jarman to Brian Ferry and Peter Sellers, Scanner, AKA Robin Rimbaud, remains at the forefront of new music making, tirelessly breaking boundaries, remarkably influential and constantly relevant, this performance is a full audio-visual show and a fitting way to close Soundwaves Festival 2011.
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TICKET DETAILS
WEEKEND PASS: £25 (earlybird* price £20) Admission to all festival events.
EVENING PASS: £10 (earlybird* price £8) Admission to all events for one day and to Comment! On Thursday 14th July & Friday 15th July.
All tickets, including taster tickets for individual performances on Friday 15th July, are available online at www.soundwaves-festival.org.uk (no booking fee). You can also purchase tickets from Rounder Records OR Resident Records.
http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/soundwaves
