Unsound 2020: Intermission – Day 11 aka THE END
The Unsound simulator is running out of energy. We have just enough fuel left for one more day. What happens when the simulation ends? Does the festival evaporate into nothingness? Well, no – we will soon release the Intermission book and album, a key part of this year’s festival. Pre-order here, and stay tuned for info.
The day begins with MAZEUM Transmission: Tokyo 2020, taking place at 2pm CEST so that the audience from Japan can join. Curated by the festival MAZEUM, the session will explore the creative possibilities of online performance with highly original performers coming from wildly different backgrounds and styles in a format unlikely to be seen live on stage. Performers include: Fuyuki Yamakawa, Killer-Bong, KOM_I, Mahi To The People and Utena Kobayashi. You can watch here.
Anyone who was at Laraaji’s deep listening meditation session through Zoom a few days ago knows what a joy it was. The great news is that Laraaji is back for a laughter and meditation workshop, also through Zoom, starting at 4pm CEST. You can register or join for free here.
At 6pm CEST we’ll host a discussion exploring the complex present of streamed events and music, as well as ways the future might take shape. The session begins with a show by German artist Marcus Schmickler, in which he experiments with the idea of “streaming as an instrument”. A discussion then includes Schmickler himself, Mat Dryhurst, Niks Delanancy of Black Bandcamp, artist Sam Rolfes, and writer Nora Khan. Moderated by Lisa Blanning. Join the discussion on Zoom here.
8pm CEST sees the transmission of Antonina Nowacka’s 2857, recorded in analogue VHS, presenting a mystical and otherworldly atmosphere in the form of raw and dramatic mountainous spaces. At the same time, artists Bartek Zaskórski and Rafał Pietrowicz (rufus rufson) will launch their videogame Hum, set in 1987 in Postapoland, a strange “not-quite world”. Link here.
The closing performance of Unsound 2020 at 8.30pm is the much-anticipated HOBO UFO (v. The New World), by DeForrest Brown, Jr. and James Hoff. This commissioned audio visual project examines the tumultuous geographic history of race in America utilizing sound, field recordings, video, and detourned commercial mapping software. Brown, Jr.'s initiative of Black sonic warfare will merge with Hoff's use of the UFO as a metaphorical vehicle for traversing Google Street View, scored by synthesized GPS-signals, brass earworms, and mechanized jazz percussion. Afterwards, Brown, Jr. and Hoff will engage in an artist talk with moderator Terence Trouillot.
Finally, to end the 11 days in unpredictable style, join us at 10pm for the Intermission Quiz and Karaoke Afterparty. You can join via Zoom webinar, and the software needed to engage in the quiz is here.