Thu 3/27 @ 8PM
Percussionist Weston Olencki and Jennifer Torrence has devised a new long-form piece for massed marching percussion, dubbed BATTERY. It draws on parts of a traditional drumline, including snares, tenor and bass drums, two pairs of feedback-induced crash cymbals, and an array of robotic woodblocks. They tell us that “BATTERY imagines an alternative drum culture pushed to its algorithmic limits, using electromechanical attachments, intertwined feedback loops, and multichannel synthesis to reanimate source material from the rudiments, virtuosity, and athletic bravado of the drumline, forging new connections between musicians, listeners, and the instruments themselves.”
Wow. Both musicians, however, have deep roots in the experimental music scene and can deliver on their promises. Both are from the American South, but both are now based in Europe, Olencki in Berlin, Torrence in Oslo.
They’ll perform BATTERY for a concert presented by Cleveland Uncommon Sound Project (CUSP) at Calicchia Gallery Studio (formerly Convivium 33). They’ll be joined by Aurie Hsu and Steven Kemper, who will offer a series of pieces blending dance, sound and robotic musical instruments. Both teach at Oberlin Conservatory.
Go here for more information and tickets.
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