Following in the footsteps of Bjork and The Terminator series of films, sound artist Robbie Thomson is set to bring sparks to music venue Kings Place in his live performance with a Tesla coil.
XFRMR will see Thomson “conduct” a spitting caged Tesla coil as part of Sonica, the weekend of visual sonic art at King’s Place 5-6 February 2016.
Produced by Cryptic, Sonica presents immersive sonic art installations and performances – a series of incredible, immersive experiences for audiences that will ravish the senses.
Thomson’s live performance work explores the sonic possibilities of the Tesla coil and uses the sounds of electromagnetic fields as source material for the composition.
Other highlights of this two-day event include VJ sessions by composer and visual artist Mark Lyken and Mongolian-born NORTH of X (Sisi Lu), and a performance and installation by Kathy Hinde.
Mark Lyken is a composer and film-maker inspired by the relationship between nature, culture and technology. In The Terrestrial Sea he explores the ever-changing environments of the Cromarty Firth, Scotland in a live performance of film and sound. Oscillon Response is Lyken’s latest composition and homage to Ben F. Laposky, the forefather of Electronic Art, a live set accompanied by Laposky’s original visuals together with Lyken’s own.
Kathy Hinde also draws inspiration from the natural world for her work. Tipping Point is both a sound sculpture and a musical instrument, which Hinde plays live, and explores the sonic complexities and possibilities of combining glass vessels with shifting water levels.
NORTH OF X uses elements of pop culture, music, film and sound design in his live set accompanied by visuals that examine the artist’s own relationship with Inner Mongolia and his adopted Europe, old and new industries and landscape. Sisi Lu was awarded a 2013 Sky Academy Arts Scholarship to create The Age of Digital / Analogue.
Finally, The New Alps is Robbie Thomson’s latest installation, an immersive dystopian landscape of motorized mechanical sculptures brought to life with machine-powered choreography - a soundscape for our time.
Key information
What is Sonica?
A taster of Glasgow’s cult sonic art festival in London for the first time, Sonica presents immersive sonic art installations and performances – a series of incredible, immersive experiences for audiences which will ravish the senses.
When is it?
Sonica runs Friday 5 February 6pm-10pm and Saturday 6 February, 2pm-10pm
Is it free?
Access to all the installations is free. Special offers for tickets for individual performances and festival passes are available online at http://www.kingsplace.co.uk/sonica
What will I see?
Seeing what you can hear is the point of Sonica. Sculptures make sound and artists VJ live against stunning visuals.
Who are the artists?
Mark Lyken, Robbie Thomson, Kathy Hinde, and North of X (Sisi Lu)
Five things to know about the Tesla Coil
· Invented 1891 by Croatian-born Nikola Tesla
· It’s an electrical resonant transformer circuit of the kind used in analogue radios
· Electrical effects in Terminator series were produced by Tesla coils
· Artists at Coachella and Burning Man festivals regularly use Tesla coils
· Bjork used a Tesla coil on her 2011 Biophilia tour during her performance of Thunderbolt.
Listings Information:
Kathy Hinde
Tipping Point
Installation: Fri 5 Feb, 6pm – 10pm // Sat 6 Feb, 2pm – 10pm
Performances: Fri 5 Feb, 7pm & 7.30pm // Sat 6 Feb, 3pm, 4pm, 7pm, 7.30pm & 9pm
Robbie Thomson
The New Alps: Fri 5 Feb, 6pm – 10pm // Sat 6 Feb, 2pm – 10pm
XFRMR Saturday, 6 February 2016 - 9:30pm / Hall One
Mark Lyken
The Terrestrial Sea: Friday, 5 February 2016 - 8:00pm / Hall One
Oscillon Response: Saturday, 6 February 2016 - 8:00pm / Hall One
NORTH OF X (Sisi Lu)
The Age of Digital / Analogue, 5 February 2016 - 9:30pm / Hall One
Tickets & Booking:
Free access to all installations
£9.50 Online Savers Rate: one evening performance + access to all installations
£16.50: one evening performance + access to all installations
£24.50 Day Pass: two evening performances + access to all installations
£36 Festival Pass: all performances on Fri/Sat + access to all installations
20% off group bookings of six and above
Special online ticket offers available http://www.kingsplace.co.uk/sonica or call: 020 7520 1490
