Amirtha Kidambi and Luke Stewart + Beast Nest

In the underexplored combination of bass and voice, Luke Stewart and Amirtha Kidambi mine maximal possibilities, from pure acoustic intimate interactions, to harsh electronic walls of sound. In various configurations of upright bass, amplifier feedback, effects pedals and looping, the duo explores dichotomies, with a side of pristine acoustic duets and another of visceral noise, where the sonic boundaries between the instruments dissolve and obscure. Kidambi employs a distinct vocal effects pedal, meeting Stewart in his amplifier-centered sonic universe. Combining their unique improvised vocabularies which draw from free jazz, noise, rock, Indian music and Black music, their raw chemistry is apparent in their shape-shifting improvisations.

Sharmi Basu (they/them) is a multimedia performance artist, curator, composer, and arts organizer born and based in the unceded territories of the Chochenyo Ohlone peoples (Oakland, CA). They create expansive textural sound and performance pieces investigating resistance and organizing strategies through decolonial worldbuilding and interactive sculpture. Sharmi's performance project, Beast Nest, transmutes experiences of trauma through complex sonic textural layering. Sharmi received their MFA from Mills College and hosts workshops internationally that center on sound, somatics, decolonization, and conflict & accountability.