AUDIUM is the only theatre of its kind in the world, pioneering the exploration of space in music. The theatre's 176 speakers bathe listeners in sounds that move past, over, and under them. "Sound sculptures" are performed in darkness in the 49-seat theatre.
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Audium, the world's only theater pioneering the exploration of space in music for over 50 years, proudly presents the third edition of its annual sound residency show, NEW VOICES III. This immersive experience, featuring live performances by Bay Area artists Roco Córdova, Makana Muanga and Danishta Rivero, pushes the boundaries of the human voice. The new show includes voices of all kinds, from the bedside whispers of loved ones to blood curdling screams in Gaza.
The artists, each disillusioned with the state of the world in 2024, have created an ode to current times that is both haunting and hopeful. Live improvisational vocals soar over electronic and natural sounds, immersing the listener in a tapestry of humanity that is at times real, and at times quite abstract. The show extends beyond the speaker space, spilling out into the lobby, as sea shells with hidden microphones, speakers with teeth, and light filterings surround the audience from the moment they enter the building.
Roco Córdova (they/them) confronts the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, using sounds of their voice, field recordings of daily life in Gaza, and samples collected from online media as a means for sonically experiencing the unfolding tragedy. Cordova, originally from Puerto Rico, embraces the coincidences and divergences between life in occupied Palestine, and their own homeland. Throughout the sonic intensity of their piece, Córdova's live singing shines through, providing a glimmer of hope amidst the unfolding tragedy.
In "Heretical Voicings," Danishta Rivero (she/her) uses technology that attempts to fuse her voice with Audium itself, to have a call and response with the theater's 176 speakers. Inspired by the "gut punch after gut punch" of post-pandemic life, Rivero uses the theater's sound system as an instrument. The whole building resonates and reacts to her whispers, laughs and screams; the listener will be enfolded by environments made solely of her voice.
Deeply alarmed by the direction of an increasingly-divided world, Makana Muanga (he/him) invites audiences to find connection and empathy with each other. In "Kukusanyika Pamoja," interviews with friends and family populate densely synthesized landscapes, as Muanga encourages audiences to hear one another and celebrate themselves for being present in community. He will also conduct group interactions each performance, holding space for attendees to have a collective sonic experience.
AUDIUM is the only theatre of its kind in the world, pioneering the exploration of space in music. The theatre's 176 speakers bathe listeners in sounds that move past, over, and under them. "Sound sculptures" are performed in darkness in the 49-seat theatre.
~~~~~~~~~
Audium, the world's only theater pioneering the exploration of space in music for over 50 years, proudly presents the third edition of its annual sound residency show, NEW VOICES III. This immersive experience, featuring live performances by Bay Area artists Roco Córdova, Makana Muanga and Danishta Rivero, pushes the boundaries of the human voice. The new show includes voices of all kinds, from the bedside whispers of loved ones to blood curdling screams in Gaza.
The artists, each disillusioned with the state of the world in 2024, have created an ode to current times that is both haunting and hopeful. Live improvisational vocals soar over electronic and natural sounds, immersing the listener in a tapestry of humanity that is at times real, and at times quite abstract. The show extends beyond the speaker space, spilling out into the lobby, as sea shells with hidden microphones, speakers with teeth, and light filterings surround the audience from the moment they enter the building.
Roco Córdova (they/them) confronts the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, using sounds of their voice, field recordings of daily life in Gaza, and samples collected from online media as a means for sonically experiencing the unfolding tragedy. Cordova, originally from Puerto Rico, embraces the coincidences and divergences between life in occupied Palestine, and their own homeland. Throughout the sonic intensity of their piece, Córdova's live singing shines through, providing a glimmer of hope amidst the unfolding tragedy.
In "Heretical Voicings," Danishta Rivero (she/her) uses technology that attempts to fuse her voice with Audium itself, to have a call and response with the theater's 176 speakers. Inspired by the "gut punch after gut punch" of post-pandemic life, Rivero uses the theater's sound system as an instrument. The whole building resonates and reacts to her whispers, laughs and screams; the listener will be enfolded by environments made solely of her voice.
Deeply alarmed by the direction of an increasingly-divided world, Makana Muanga (he/him) invites audiences to find connection and empathy with each other. In "Kukusanyika Pamoja," interviews with friends and family populate densely synthesized landscapes, as Muanga encourages audiences to hear one another and celebrate themselves for being present in community. He will also conduct group interactions each performance, holding space for attendees to have a collective sonic experience.
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