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LULLABY MOVEMENT: a song cycle (2018)

Posted on February 8, 2016
in
by Sophia Brous

Lullaby Movement is a song cycle exploring lullaby ritual from around the world. Performed in over 18 languages, the piece was created by Sophia Brous with celebrated British musicians Leo Abrahams (Brian Eno, Jon Hopkins) and David Coulter (Kronos Quartet, Laurie Anderson).

 

Originally commissioned by Urbantheatre Projects for the Sydney Festival, Brous created the work learning lullaby repertoire from migrant and refugee communities from across the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia, working in community centres and refugee camps through Europe and the UK with BBC documentarian and activist Katie Barlow, before developing the material with Abrahams and Coulter into a full-length song cycle as artist-in-resident at Robert Wilson’s Watermill Center, New York.

“Mesmeric.” – The Music
“The emotion Brous summons needs no interpretation.” – The Monthly

 

Composed by Sophia Brous, Leo Abrahams and David Coulter
Performed by Sophia Brous, Leo Abrahams, David Coulter, Mauro Refosco, Cleek Schrey and Grey McMurray.
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SUPERSENSE: FESTIVAL OF THE ECSTATIC

Posted on January 1, 2016
in
by Sophia Brous

“The only Festival that matters” – Sydney Morning Herald

“Wondrous, hilarious and magnificent” – The Age

“A life-changing experience” – The AU Review

“Supersense’s success had less to do with the pleasures of individual performance than the festival’s overall curation and concept. I wouldn’t have changed a thing.” – Resident Advisor

 

Supersense is a contemporary music and performing arts festival exploring intersecting states of ecstatic experience. Founded by Sophia Brous with the Arts Centre Melbourne in 2015, the Festival brings together contemporary and traditional contexts of ecstatic ritual and experience, featuring distinguished performers and companies across music, dance, film, visual art and design in world premiere collaborations  in a rich program of major that explore the realms of the ecstatic, the extreme and the transformative.

Past artists

Robert Wilson / Lecture on Nothing (USA) | John Cale: Signal to Noise featuring Lisa Gerrard + Laurel Halo (UK) | Spiritualized (UK) | Aldous Harding (NZ) | Moor Mother (USA) | John Maus (USA) | Merce Cunningham Centennial Solos (USA) | The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda (USA) | Pussy Riot Theatre (Russia) | Kuda Lumping: Ritual Trance from Indonesia | The Master Musicians of Jajouka led by Bachir Attar (Morocco) | Discreet + Oblique: The Music of Brian Eno featuring The Necks (UK) | Gurrumul: The Gospel Songs (AUS) |Mohammad Reza Mortazavi (IRAN) | Kimbra (NZ) | Nazoranai (Keiji Haino/Stephen O’Malley/Oren Ambarchi) (Japan/USA/AUS) | Ariel Pink (USA) | Lydia Lunch Retrovirus (USA) | The Legendary Ash Ra Tempel w Ariel Pink (USA) | Acid Mothers Temple Official & The Melting Paraiso U.F.O. (Japan) | Pavarthy Baul: Ecstatic Voice (INDIA) | The Master Yoiker of Norway: Ande Somby (Norway) | Zeena Parkins (USA) | The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion (USA) | Oliver Coates (UK) | HTRK x Chunky Move Dance Company | Grouper + Paul Clipson Present Hypnosis Display (USA) | Tao Dance CHINA | Oren Ambarchi (AUS) | Senyawa (Indo) | JG Thirlwell: Cholera Nesbo (USA/AUS) | Marc Ribot (USA) | Makino Takashi: Phantom Nebula (JPN) | Cleek Schrey: Mountain Verses: Appalachian Hardanger d’amore (USA) | Lullaby Movement: a song cycle (AUS/UK) | Arrington de Dyoniso (USA) | Memory Field: Waangenga Blanco + Laurence Pike (AUS) | Chris Abrahams (The Necks) (AUS) | Matthias Schack-Arnott: Dyplopia (AUS)| Disappearing Musics: Golden Fur (AUS) | Shamanic Song: Noreum Machi (KOREA) + more
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IN DREAMS: DAVID LYNCH REVISITED

Posted on December 27, 2015
in
by Sophia Brous

Produced by The Barbican

From the romantic songs of Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, to the violence of iconic scenes in Blue Velvet, Wild At Heart or Lost Highway, sound is a vital component of David Lynch’s films – it’s in the wind, in the air, and in the people’s thoughts; his carefully chosen songs conveying his characters’ mental states.

His partnership with composer Angelo Badalamenti gave birth to one of the most celebrated soundtracks ever created for television – as viewers around the globe asked themselves ‘who killed Laura Palmer?’ to the ethereal tones of Julee Cruise’s voice.

In Dreams immerses the audience into the mood and atmosphere of Lynch’s universe, with landmark instrumental tracks and exciting new versions of songs from his films, performed by a superb band assembled and led by musical director David Coulter.

David Coulter musical direction and original concept.

With special guests:
Stuart Staples (Tindersticks)
Jehnny Beth (Savages)
Conor O’Brien (Villagers)
Mick Harvey (ex-Bad Seeds)
Cibo Matto
Stealing Sheep
Sophia Brous
Kirin J Callinan
David Coulter musical director, saw, guitar, violectra, percussion
Terry Edwards flute, trumpet, alto sax, tenor sax
David Okumu electric guitar, vocals
Tom Herbert  electric bass, double bass
Seb Rochford drums, percussion
Sound Design Lee Evans
Lighting Design Nick Gray & Nathan Prince
Sonic interludes Daniel Knox
Producers Marc Cardonnel & Bryn Ormrod

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