Intimate posthuman pop and beatbox based improvised music – the 14th edition of the ELECTRIFY series focuses on the exploration of human voice as an instrument. Holly Herndon, the American singer-producer at the height of her artistic career will present her forthcoming full length album with a large choir, while her choir’s member Stine Janvin will perform her latest live show for voice, echo, lights and spatial distribution entitled Fake Synthetic Music and Hungarian composer Márk Bartha is also preparing a new performance for ELECTRIFY.
Holly Herndon is one of the most important, most ambitious voice of the younger generation. Her art effortlessly bridges the gap between dance music, pop and the academic styles while also taking huge responsibility by discussing issues like privacy, activism, and power structures. The most essential part of her music is Holly Herndon’s own voice which she usually transforms into an instrument with a number of custom designed effects. Her songs apply highly complex compositional techniques where the crystalline voice is usually accompanied by beautifully sculpted, deformed samples. Rhythms often stumble and stutter, melodies are interrupted or even cut by various noises, still, her music sounds much more like a richly ornamented pop song than say an atmospheric piece by Mika Vainio. However, it is not only due to her pioneering sound design that she is often mentioned alongside artists like Oneohtrix Point Never, Meredith Monk, Laurel Halo, Arca or FKA Twigs.
Her debut album Movement came out in 2012 with the Brooklyn independent label RVNG Intl and grabbed the attention of the critics right away but it was her recent album, Platform that really reached a greater audience with much success. Platform for Holly Herndon was a way to communicate the importance of conversation and collaboration. It was also her first album that really perfected the uncanny juxtaposition of a deeply personal artistic voice with a posthuman performer’s character. At that time, Herndon was already the PhD student at Stanford’s composition faculy, toured as a support act with Radiohead, gave lecture at Red Bull Music Academy and regularly exhibited collaborative works dealing with subjects like surveillance and paranoia.
First and foremost, Holly Herndon’s art is about facing forward and moving on from the present with the help of open conversation. For that reason, it has always been an important part of her work to surround herself with progressive individuals and to take a multidisciplinary approach. As a result, her projects draw upon a multitude of academic, aesthetic and technological sources. Among others Herndon has collaborated with musicians (Amnesia Scanner, Jlin, Hieroglyphic Being etc), writers, sculptors, theoreticians, ASMR performers and design studios (Metaheaven).
Holly Herndon’s show will be a special occasion not only because it will be her first time performing in Hungary but also because she will be presenting her upcoming album set for release in 2018. On stage Holly Herndon’s heavily treated and fragmented angelic voices will be performed by Mat Dryhurst, Colin Self and a large choir. The production also has a very strong theatrical aspect so the concert will definitely show us every aspect of Holly Herndon’s all encompassing, dazzling art. Expect the concert to evoke monumental, magical and intensely moving scenes through transcendental inside out pop music structures.
Vocalist, performer and sound artist Stine Janvin is interested in the flexibility of her instrument, the voice, and how it can be disconnected from its natural, human features: can the voice be detached from emotions? Through her projects, created for music theatres, clubs and galleries, Janvin focuses on the physical aspects of sound, and potential dualities of natural/artificial, organic/synthetic, and minimal/dramatic. With her forthcoming double LP release on PAN records, introducing a recorded version of her fake synthetic material, and with her ongoing live performances, she continues working between the music and art scene, developing further her methodology of imitation and resonance through audio visual concepts. Besides taking part in Holly Herndon’s performance as a member of the choir, she will also present her latest live performance for voice, echo, lights and spatial distribution entitled Fake Synthetic Music. Inspired by past and present producers of architectural electronic music, Janvin presents a new take on ”deconstructed rave” by exploring sonic and optical illusions with smoke and mirrors, otoacoustic emissions and minimal melodic sequences referring to pop, techno and trance.
Márk Bartha, a Hungarian composer, electronic musician, sound designer and performer will be opening the night. Based in Budapest, he is a composer for visual media and also works with various theatre- and dance groups. Graduating at the Electronic Music faculty at the University of Pécs gave him an experimental approach in musical composition, while his background as a two-time beatbox champion of Hungary means he’s still especially interested in vocal music. As a performer he combines electronic music and his voice in an improvised electroacoustic live set.
Holly Herndon is one of the most important, most ambitious voice of the younger generation. Her art effortlessly bridges the gap between dance music, pop and the academic styles while also taking huge responsibility by discussing issues like privacy, activism, and power structures. The most essential part of her music is Holly Herndon’s own voice which she usually transforms into an instrument with a number of custom designed effects. Her songs apply highly complex compositional techniques where the crystalline voice is usually accompanied by beautifully sculpted, deformed samples. Rhythms often stumble and stutter, melodies are interrupted or even cut by various noises, still, her music sounds much more like a richly ornamented pop song than say an atmospheric piece by Mika Vainio. However, it is not only due to her pioneering sound design that she is often mentioned alongside artists like Oneohtrix Point Never, Meredith Monk, Laurel Halo, Arca or FKA Twigs.
Her debut album Movement came out in 2012 with the Brooklyn independent label RVNG Intl and grabbed the attention of the critics right away but it was her recent album, Platform that really reached a greater audience with much success. Platform for Holly Herndon was a way to communicate the importance of conversation and collaboration. It was also her first album that really perfected the uncanny juxtaposition of a deeply personal artistic voice with a posthuman performer’s character. At that time, Herndon was already the PhD student at Stanford’s composition faculy, toured as a support act with Radiohead, gave lecture at Red Bull Music Academy and regularly exhibited collaborative works dealing with subjects like surveillance and paranoia.
First and foremost, Holly Herndon’s art is about facing forward and moving on from the present with the help of open conversation. For that reason, it has always been an important part of her work to surround herself with progressive individuals and to take a multidisciplinary approach. As a result, her projects draw upon a multitude of academic, aesthetic and technological sources. Among others Herndon has collaborated with musicians (Amnesia Scanner, Jlin, Hieroglyphic Being etc), writers, sculptors, theoreticians, ASMR performers and design studios (Metaheaven).
Holly Herndon’s show will be a special occasion not only because it will be her first time performing in Hungary but also because she will be presenting her upcoming album set for release in 2018. On stage Holly Herndon’s heavily treated and fragmented angelic voices will be performed by Mat Dryhurst, Colin Self and a large choir. The production also has a very strong theatrical aspect so the concert will definitely show us every aspect of Holly Herndon’s all encompassing, dazzling art. Expect the concert to evoke monumental, magical and intensely moving scenes through transcendental inside out pop music structures.
Vocalist, performer and sound artist Stine Janvin is interested in the flexibility of her instrument, the voice, and how it can be disconnected from its natural, human features: can the voice be detached from emotions? Through her projects, created for music theatres, clubs and galleries, Janvin focuses on the physical aspects of sound, and potential dualities of natural/artificial, organic/synthetic, and minimal/dramatic. With her forthcoming double LP release on PAN records, introducing a recorded version of her fake synthetic material, and with her ongoing live performances, she continues working between the music and art scene, developing further her methodology of imitation and resonance through audio visual concepts. Besides taking part in Holly Herndon’s performance as a member of the choir, she will also present her latest live performance for voice, echo, lights and spatial distribution entitled Fake Synthetic Music. Inspired by past and present producers of architectural electronic music, Janvin presents a new take on ”deconstructed rave” by exploring sonic and optical illusions with smoke and mirrors, otoacoustic emissions and minimal melodic sequences referring to pop, techno and trance.
Márk Bartha, a Hungarian composer, electronic musician, sound designer and performer will be opening the night. Based in Budapest, he is a composer for visual media and also works with various theatre- and dance groups. Graduating at the Electronic Music faculty at the University of Pécs gave him an experimental approach in musical composition, while his background as a two-time beatbox champion of Hungary means he’s still especially interested in vocal music. As a performer he combines electronic music and his voice in an improvised electroacoustic live set.
