KAMAMALuca Marini (drums/percussion)
Audrey Chen (cello/voice/electronics)
Kamama in cherokee means both elephant and butterfly. There is no overlap in meaning other than the supposed resemblance of the long trunk and flapping ears to the proboscis and wings of that insect. This duo loosely embodies elements of this kind of disparate pairing. chen and marini combine the raw energies resultant from and continuously growing out of their respective histories and experiences. Since their first encounter early this year in 2010, they have been forming a new language which steadily deepens, evolves, converges and exposes their inherent similarities and striking differences. it is ecstatic music. It is contrary music. And at times, they depart completely from one another as two distinct creatures, but then are drawn back into the fold of an undeniable tenderness and comprehension.
Andrea Neumann (inside piano), Bonnie Jones (electronics/mics/cassettes), Christine Sehnaoui (alto saxophone)
Andrea Neumann, Bonnie Jones en Christine Sehnaoui are improvising musicians based in Berlin, Baltimore, and Paris respectively. In their musical collaborations and projects, they have performed extensively in Europe, Asia, and the United States, notably the Whitney Museum (NYC), Ars Electronica (Linz), Trondheim Museum (Trondheim). Neumann, Jones and Sehnaoui bring a unique and singular approach to their instruments, exploring non-traditional approaches in form, timbre, and technique. Neumann’s exploration of the piano for new sound possibilities has led her to reduce the instrument to its strings, its resonance board and the cast-iron frame. Playing this un-mounted ‘leftover’ of a piano, with the help of electronics to amplify and manipulate the sound, she has developed several of her own playing techniques, sounds, and ways for preparing the instrument. Exploring the indeterminate nature of circuit bent electronics; Jones works plays the circuit boards of digital delay pedals. The instruments are manipulated and played through direct contact with her hands and instrument cables. She also uses found sounds, field recordings, and cassettes to layer the real and imagined sonic spaces we inhabit. Sehnaoui is a self-taught alto saxophonist who employs unusual and innovative extended playing techniques to develop a singular, compelling musical language. The Q-O2 residency will be the first time the musicians will work together as a trio.