Trevor Mathison’s live debut in Norway, a new trans-Atlantic musical partnership, and a rare chance to hear Circuit des Yeux perform solo on September 22 at Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival. Extending his exhibition From Signal to Decay: Volume 6 at Atelier Nord into the live arena, British sound artist Trevor Mathison (Black Audio Film Collective, Hallucinator, Dubmorphology) performs a solo set drawing on his extensive explorations of the hidden acoustics and colonial traces of urban spaces.
Haley Fohr, also known as Circuit des Yeux is a Chicago-based vocalist, composer and singer songwriter known for her enormous vocal range, distinctive guitar style and the deeply existential fictions woven into her songs.
This special evening starts with Mathison solo, followed by a common set in which Fohr’s improvised vocals melt with Mathison’s soundscapes, adding an emotional dimension to his atmospheres and drones.
Afterwards she will play a set of her own solo material. Previewing work in progress for her next album, she will present a stark performance, utilising moving images and acoustic sound to create a delicate conversation pertaining to secrets and persona.
In relation to this, on September 17 Trevor Mathison will discuss his sound art exhibition, part of an acclaimed ongoing series of artworks and LP releases. In conversation with author and curator Rob Young, Mathison will talk about the development of the project in different spaces, and how he incorporates various sculptural elements that refer to the local cultural landscape, such as here dried tree bark and forest soil, and filmic and sculptural elements that replicate natural rhythms and cycles in a mesmerising mixed-media presentation. He also integrates artefacts from his own past as a musician and soundtrack composer such as graphic scores, cassettes and reels of tape.
In this artist talk, we will also hear about his fascinating background as an underground electronica producer with Berlin’s Chain Reaction label, and the soundtracks he has created for video artist/film maker John Akomfrah and the Black Audio Film Collective.
The talk is in English.
More info on the Ultima website
