Dada Strain x Present Sounds, Thurs. October 5th @ Light and Sound Design, Greenpoint
Dada Strain's latest live-show collaboration with the "intimate listening" series, Present Sounds, features electronic improvisations by trombonist Kalia Vandever and Warp Duo
The first one turned out great, so let’s do it again!
Dada Strain is continuing its association with the “deep listening” series Present Sounds, to present another live performance which mixes electronics and improvisation in a private intimate setting. The next show will take place on Thursday, October 5th, and feature a solo set by the trombonist/composer Kalia Vandever, and a set by Warp Duo, the multi-instrumentalist pairing of Scott Li and Levi Lu. Piotr Orlov (that’s me) will play selections before and in-between — and after, should people choose to keep hanging out at Light and Sound Design studio in Greenpoint, which is actually a pretty nice place to do that. RSVP /Tickets Here.
About the musicians playing this evening:
Kalia Vandever is an American trombonist and composer living in Brooklyn. Her approach to the trombone is distinctive and defined by her sonorous tone and lyrical improvisational voice. She leans into the challenges of the instrument and allows patience and melody to guide her process. In her compositional practice, Kalia draws from her love of songs and improvisation, creating a landscape of sounds that resonate in the body and hold the listener. Released in March, her debut solo album, We Fell In Turn, features her works for trombone, voice and electronics, and is one of my favorite records of the year. Kalia is also active in the tilt collective, alongside Isabel Crespo Pardo and Carmen Q Rothwell. She’s played alongside numerous great improvisors, and in the touring ensembles of global pop superstars. Closer to home, Kalia recently opened for Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer and Shahzad Ismaily’s Love In Exile trio at Town Hall, and will have a residency at The Stone in mid-November.
Warp Duo is the collaborative project between sound artists Scott Li and Levi Lu. It focuses on electroacoustic improvisation, utilizing acoustic instruments such as the voice and violin in combination with live electronic systems, including live processing in Max/MSP, digital feedback, modular synthesis modules, and various other systems. Wails, visceral violin scratching, and broken bow hairs accompany ethereal, reverberant soundscapes and simple melodies, all guided, above all, by pure feeling.
Present Sounds is a deep listening series that takes place every Thursday at the Light and Sound Design studio. Other Present Sounds hosts include Camilla Padgitt-Coles, Ka Baird, Loum and Jared Proudfoot of Piquenique Recordings. Light and Sound Design Studio is a private Greenpoint loft, featuring a vintage 4-point Klipsch sound system, comfortable seating arrangements and a relaxed social environment, which hosts all it’s events on an RSVP basis. It’s in short walking distance from a G-train station. The exact location is shared with ticket holders in the RSVP-confirmation email.
Dada Strain proud to start regularly producing shows at the Light and Sound Design loft because it is a marvelous space to chill and listen to heady music. In addition to the excellent soundsystem, the space includes an outdoor space and other smart DIY amenities conducive to a top-notch musicking environment. That’s one reason the evening begins at 6p. It’s a nice place to unwind, small and comfortable; and to keep it as such, the audience is limited to 40-50 people. I truly can’t wait for y’all to check this spot out, or speak highly enough about it. So if you do want to come, please RSVP relatively soon.
Here’s the RSVP/Ticket link. As always, paid Dada Strain subscribers will receive a discount code shortly.
Thank you to Kalia, Levi and Scott for doing the show — and to Felicia Updyke for helping set it up. Thank you to KG and Benji at Light and Sound Design. Thank you to Kate for the visuals. And thank you to all of you for for your support, for reading and for listening. I look forward to seeing you next Thursday.