Alpha-ville 2010, International Festival of Digital Arts & Culture under the theme of ‘Visionary Cities’.
Day 1- Friday 17th September @ The Whitechapel Gallery
Day 2- Saturday 18th September @ The Rich Mix
Festival programme:
DAY 1 @ the Whitechapel Gallery
Alpha-ville 2010 takes over 5 rooms at the Whitechapel Gallery presenting an evening of events including live electronic music, a selection of cutting edge digital moving image screenings alongside interactive media installations and 3D audio-visual performances.
Room 1: Zilkha Auditorium (Digital Screenings, 18:30pm to 1am)
Bartlett’s Unit 15 Showcase: Talk & Screening, 18:30 to 19:30
Showcase of work by the Bartlett School of Architecture (UCL) final year students curated and presented by Nic Clear – course Director. Unit 15 is a postgraduate design unit that specialises in the use of film, CGI, animation and motion graphics to explore and investigate new forms of architecture. *Highly recommended.
Moving Image Competition – “Visionary Cities” 20:00 to 21:30
Alpha-ville Festival presents an online driven competition in partnership with video leading site Vimeo. Alpha-ville wants to initiate a discourse about the city and society of tomorrow and invite digital artists to present and share their vision of the future city. “Visionary cities” is an international competition open to artists working across digital animation (2D and 3D), short film, stop-frame animation, CGI and motion graphics.
Alpha-ville Screening Programme 21:30 until 1:00am
Alpha-ville presents a stunning curated compilation of screenings, featuring groundbreaking talents from across digital formats. Among these include:
Seide, Tränensalz, 2009, Germany.
Kaamos Trilogy, Mia Makela, 2008, Finland.
Occupation: Movement I, Eric Schockmel, 2009, United Kingdom.
The Formula, SubBlue, 2010, United Kingdom.
Recursion, Maxim Zhestkov, 2010, Russia.
Augmented Sculpture, Grosse8 and Lichfront, 2010, Germany.
Rooms 2 & 3: Creative Studio & Bar (Live Electronic Music, 20:00 to 1am)
A celebration of live advanced electronic music showcasing pioneers and up-and-coming talents, illustrating a selection of some of the most innovative electronic music artists from the UK.
– Actress (Werk Disks, UK)
Darren Cunningham is one of the most singular techno producers of today. He mixes techno, dubstep and house elements to create an exciting journey into electronic music.
– Bola (Skam, UK)
http://www.myspace.com/darrelfitton
A rare live appearance by IDM pioneer Bola (aka Darrell Fitton) who has recorded under various pseudonyms including Bola and Jello. Bola has collaborated with Autechre and Gescom. His music is equally informed by the expansive emotions of electronica together with sensible melodies and cinematic atmospheres. *Highly recommended.
– Scanner (Bine, UK)
http://www.myspace.com/scanner
Scanner (Robin Rimbaud) is a electronic musician, writer and media critic that has earned a reputation as boundary pushing experimentalist. Rimbaud has collaborated with Michael Nyman, Carsten Nicolai, Radiohead and Michelangelo Antonioni amongst others.
– Subeena (Planet Mu, UK)
http://www.myspace.com/subeena
One of the UK’s most up and coming talents that has received support from UK’s pioneering electronic critics such us BBC’s Mary Anne Hobbs. Young producer embarked in an exciting musical venture called ‘Hyperdub’. Subeena combines elements of nu-Soul R’n’B, techno, electronica and dubstep with beautiful melodies. *Highly Recommended.
– The Boats (Home Normal, UK)
http://www.myspace.com/bepputheboats
The Boats are the prolific duo Craig Tattersall and Andrew Hargreaves. They have previously recorded under Hood, the Archivist and The Remote Viewer. Innovative experiment in modern classical music exploring new areas of creation with influences from Michael Nyman & Ryuichi Sakamoto.
– Soundhacker (Smallfish, UK)
http://www.myspace.com/soundhackeraudio
Soundhacker is an electronic music duo producing deeply atmospheric digital noise and melodic tones.Their debut album entitled ‘Spiked’ is due for release in the summer of 2010 on AMP BIT IF GO Recordings.
– Uniform (Planet Mu, UK)
http://www.myspace.com/uniformuk
Uniform is a multi discliplinary project formed by 3 sound artists who create a dark blend of fractured electronic soundscapes. They are also involved in various sound-art installations such us Ear Cinema.
– Michael Santos (Home Normal, UK)
http://www.myspace.com/listentomichaelsantos
Michael Santos is a talented young electronic music composer who uses audio software to carve out textured hazes of sound, layering them to build dynamic song structures. Structurally, Michael’s music is impulsive sometimes minimal and succinct while at others bustling with activity.
– Kettenkarussel (Giegling, DE)
The UK debut of the german duo whose name means “chain carousel”. With big mentions coming from the most followed blogs and commentators on the music scene, the duo will be playing completely live using Ableton software their particular of melodic yet minimal techno.
Room 4 & 5: Study Studio & Gallery 3 (Installation & Performance Space, 20:00 to 1am)
A creative laboratory of exploratory sound and visuals where participants will explore the modes and effects of interactivity, encouraging active participation and fostering creativity.
– Animetro by ESP Projections (Performance, every 30 mins)
A 3D mapping performance developed for Alpha-ville, inspired in the Visionary Cities theme.
DAY 2 @ the Rich Mix – 20:00 to 00:00
Unique evening dedicated to “live cinema” – a newly formed movement consisting of live electronic music and real time visual performances.
Performances
– Pixel + Graphset (FR + DE)
‘Visionary City’: Alpha-ville is proud to present an extraordinary collaboration in which Paris-based digital artist (Graphset) joins forces with Pixel (Jon Egeskov) a pioneer of the German electronic music label, Raster Noton. This innovative audio-visual performance will explore the construction of a 3D virtual city and its surrounding environment through the music played, creating intense sound and visual atmospheres, aural textures and landscapes. *Highly recommended.
Pixel (Raster Noton, DE)
http://pixelmusic.dk/
Danish talented composer and producer Jon Egeskov studied jazz at Copenhagen conservatory with saxophone as his main instrument. These studies allowed an unconventional approach to modern electronic music. His music represents the philosophy of Raster Noton, one of the world’s leading labels for experimental sound art and design.
Graphset (Alpha-ville, FR)
http://graphset.net
Graphset, Mikka Doczekalski, is responsible for Alpha-ville’s image and graphics. His work focuses on creating 3D landscapes and evocative environments using the latest video techniques. He has focused on research around print, motion designs and collaborative projects including photography & architecture.
– Gangpol und Mit (FR)
http://gangpol.free.fr
Gangpol & Mit are Sylvain Quément and Guillaume Castagne. This cutting edge audio-visual performance will present these international rising stars, formed by an electronic music composer and a digital & interactive artist working on a unique world of cartoon inhabited by colorful and geometrical creatures.
– Alba G. Corral + Nikka (ES)
‘The Space in Between’
Creative collaboration between two female artists working across different disciplines in which digital music and generative art embark upon a unique relationship. ‘The Space in Between’ is an impressive example of how visual compositions created with real time processing graphics and melancholic digital sounds can create complex new performance phenomena.
– Zan Lyons (UK)
http://www.myspace.com/zanlyons
Violinist, electronic composer and filmmaker, his live show fuses live viola looping with frenetic distorted beats and real-time remixing of his own stunning films, some of which have been screened at Cannes and Raindance.
Workshop:
A Digital Music Technology Workshop for girls aged 14-19. 10:30am to 14:30pm ( Study Studio).
Free admission, limited spaces, booking essential.
The workshop will provide participants with the opportunity to investigate the technology and processes used in the production and reproduction of sound in the context of the moving image, dance and mixed media installations. It will be delivered in partnership with Ableton and with local youth clubs.
The aim of this workshop is to engage young girls in music technology, sound design and music production, to provide general advice on career progression pathways and future employment, to foster creativity and improve skills.
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Tickets:
Day Pass: £18 in advance/ £20 at the door
Festival Pass: £32 in adv./£36 at the door
Bartlett Showcase only: £8/£6 concessions
Workshop: Free admission.
Alpha-ville 2010 was supported by Arts Council England, Whitechapel Gallery, Rich Mix, Ableton, Yamaha, PRS Foundation, Foster and Partners and the Embassy of Denmark. Media partners were Lastfm, Fact Magazine, Run Riot and Fluid Radio.
Thank you to everyone who participated in this event.