octurn/mira calix

OCTURN / MIRA CALIX / BORIS VAN DER AVOORT

‘melodies from my mother's knees’
(working title)

(belgian première 9 october 2010, concertgebouw, brugge )

watch the promo trailer here

Jozef Dumoulin : fender rhodes, keyboards
Gilbert Nouno : live electronics
Mira Calix : live electronics
Fabian Fiorini : piano
Bo Van der Werf : baritone saxophone, ewi
Boris van der Avoort : film + live visuals

(for english text scroll down)

Kinderliedjes vormen de soundtrack van onze jongste jaren. Wanneer ze in een flits opdoemen uit ons verleden, roepen ze vaak heftige en complexe emoties op. Het jazzensemble Octurn – gespecialiseerd in onvoorspelbaarheid – maakt slapende herinneringen wakker. Samen met elektronicawizard Mira Calix en visueel kunstenaar Boris van der Avoort laten de musici zich inspireren door kinderliedjes uit verschillende culturen. Een opname van deze liedjes, door kinderen ingezongen, vormt de kern van een performance waarin muziek en beeld versmelten tot audiovisueel contrapunt van de meest beklijvende soort. De rijke sound van Octurn en de hoogstpersoonlijke live-electronics van Mira Calix versmelten met een impressionistische beeldenwereld die een kaleidoscopische blik op de realiteit werpt. Een artistiek verhaal vol nostalgie, (vergeten) zorgeloosheid en (verloren) onschuld.

 

'Melodies From My Mother's Knees’ originated from a desire to explore different musical approaches through children songs. The project is a collaboration between sOcturn, electronic artists Mira Calix and Gilbert Nouno and the visual artist Boris Van der Avoort. It arose from a mutual desire to create both an imaginary landscape and an overt kind of music in which listeners could feel at home and rediscover some familiar songs from childhood. These songs are often the first music we are exposed to, and therefore the emotions that they invoke in us can be varied and complex (themes of innocence, of oblivion, of the past, of loss, of carefreeness and nostalgia). These often buried and dormant memories will be explored and reflected both musically and visually, during performance

 

'Melodies From My Mother's Knees' evolves the process undertaken by Octurn with the ‘7 eyes’ project. This stemmed from the desire to look for new sound and free musical landscapes that are based on the principles of balance; where harmonic or rhythmic complexity can be a firm foundation below clear melodies and where extreme sounds are being guided by randomness and abstraction. With this project the artists aim to explore how primordial languages or innocent songs can be sublimated by radical sonic spectra or 'treated silence' and create a music where the most extreme substances can coexist peacefully. The focus of 'Melodies From My Mother's Knees' lies in this quest for balance and symbiosis between acoustics, electronics and their visual counterpoints.

music
 "Melodies From My Mother's Knees" is primarily based on children’s' songs. Working around lullabies, soothing songs, nursery rhymes, round dances, etc.. from different cultures and in different languages, performed and pre-recorded by a small childrens choir, the collaborators plan to create new music. The arrangements and the improvisational and structural parameters will be constructed in such a way that the interpretation of the pieces can differ for each performance and that the instrumentation can be consistantly be redefined.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6UD2Byw-h0

visuals
Boris Van der Avoort is mainly known for his collaboration with Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker / ROSAS and for his installations/performances. Music and movement have always been central elements of his work, and childhood is a recurrent theme in his filmic work.
The songs will be recorded especially for this project. During the recording session the children will be filmed (B/W portrayed in a sober manner), which will later allow the videast to project the children’s images live while the band accompanies their songs, or to use the images in his visual manipulations. He will link the singing with other images that recall the idea of memory, traces, and footprints. In order to enhance this impression, he will adopt an impressionist technique using a camera with a reduced exposure rate (6 frames per second instead of 24). The idea behind it is to work in an non-linear relation with time so as to recall the flowing and organic spatiality of ‘7 eyes’. »

scenography
One big screen divided as a triptych above the heads of the musicians. Through these three separate image sources we can simultaneously show multiple spaces, timeframes, or perspectives. The idea behind it is to provide a kaleidoscopic and suggestive vision of reality. This set-up also allows for an amplification of the editing rhythms. The rhythmic variations between the screens create kinaesthetic sensations. The body standing in the middle of this network of images becomes the receptacle of multiple impressions which intensify the inward voyage and the woozy state of mind brought about by the music.


work with Mira Calix 
From the start the ‘7 eyes’ project has been woven into a musical tissue where electronics have always had a structural and organic functionality. This project, which Octurn and Gilbert Nouno have been developing for several years also shares some subtle similarities with the composing process of Mira Calix. Mira uses electronics in a very organic manner, recording and manipulating nature (stones, twigs, insects,..) and making innovative instruments. This approach gives her music a very soft and personal touch. Mira’s music seems to be brought about by a complete openness to her environemnt and today’s musical realities, along with a clear concept and a great sensibility. Her music is very personal, and cannot be labelled stylistically. Her obsession for details results in a constant search for balance between extremes. In the middle of sonic chaos, an everlasting music comes to terms with the fragility of its hidden corners or hardly visible edges, and puts it in a meticulously selected place. Octurn’s music could also be characterised by these constructions and manipulations of contrasting layers. Although they come from a different heritage the musicians share the desire to explore the various potential ways of listening.
Mira Calix and Gilbert Nouno will occupy a central place in this project. Their real-time electronic manipulations will actively structure the music, accentuating the different musical layers in a configuration in 5.1 that allows for an optimal valorisation of the multiple musical details.



 
Mira Calix 

Mira Calix, composes and produces music and is signed to Warp Records on which she has released five albums, the most recent being ‘3 commissions: the elephant in the room ‘- the sequel to 2005’s 3 commissions. LP. She began her musical journey as a DJ, performing at club nights, and as support on several tours, playing a variety of slots with a diverse selection of artists from Radiohead to Boards of Canada. Her work fuses electronics, organic matter and classical instruments in a unique way.

Early in 2004, Mira was commissioned to write a site-specific piece of music for an installation in the conservatory of the Barbican in London for the re-opening of the art gallery. In September of that year, this piece was released along with ‘Nunu’, collaboration with the London Sinfonietta, and some willing insects. (3 commissions LP) Nunu premiered at The Royal Festival Hall. Her relationship with the London Sinfonietta has continued to develop and in 2008 she collaborated with them and the Ugandan Dance Academy , writing two new pieces. The Sinfoinietta also commissioned ‘Ort-Oard’ , a short to commemorate their 40th Birthday. Nunu has continued to be performed by the Sinfonietta , most recently in Singapore in the summer of 2008.

As well as performing and releasing her own material, she has been commissioned to write many, installation pieces, compositions and film soundtracks, often in collaboration with other musicians and visual artists.

In 2005, Mira Calix formed a new ensemble called Alexander’s Annexe with pianist Sarah Nicholls and David Sheppard, whose live debut was at the Ravello Festival. The ensemble released an EP on Warp Record, Push Door To Exit in late 2006 and are currently working and will tour in 2009. She also regularly performs and collaborates with cellist Oliver Coates, most recently on Natures, an installation piece with video artist Quayola commissioned by the Faster Than Sound Festival.

In 2007 she completed a very modern opera, Elephant And Castle, in partnership with composer Tansy Davies, with a libretto by Blake Morrison and directed by Tim Hopkins for the Aldeburgh Festival. Later that year Opera North commissioned her to compose the soundtrack to renowned puppeteers Faulty Optic’s take on Monteverdi’s Orpheu for the Manchester International Festival. This theatrical production; ‘Dead Wedding’, was later performed at the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, the Sage, and the Barbican.
Following the success of ‘Dead Wedding’, Mira was again commissioned by Opera North, creating a soundtrack for small ensemble and electronics to accompany ‘Onibus’, a documentary on Brazilian Life by acclaimed director Augusto Contento.
In 2008 she created a new hour- long piece, which has since received a Royal Philharmonic Award, based Allegri’s Misere for Streetwise Opera. The installation, ‘My Secret Heart’, which involves a purpose built structure, film by Flat-e, a 100 strong choir and surround sound design by David Sheppard, had a live premier at the Southbank Centre in December 2008 .It will continue to tour worldwide during the course of 2009/2010.

In February 2009 she created an installation with United Visual Artists. ‘Choru’s comprises of 8, specifically constructed pendulums with fibre optic lights . It was commissioned by Opera North to celebrate the opening of the Howard Assembly Rooms, to the public.
www.miracalix.com www.warprecords.com



Gilbert Nouno  

Composer, live electronic music designer and performer. Combining the fields of music, science and technology he joins the French contemporary music and research center Ircam. He is involved in creative projects with composers and musicians to achieve new works with computers and recent interactive technologies. He has teamed up with Jonathan Harvey, Susan Buirge, Jose-Luis Campana, Philippe Schoeller, Kajia Saariaho, Michael Jarrell, Michael Levinas, Brian Ferneyhough, Steve Coleman, Magic Malik and the jazz collective Octurn. Kyoto Villa Kujoyama artist-in-residence in 2007.