19August2016 Ouroboros

Ouroboros is an instrument developed by Espen Sommer Eide for the Bergen Assembly triennial instrument/performance program 'Within'. 

The instrument is developed in cooperation with deaf performers or with different levels of hearing. The instrument is comprised of custom made microphones, pedals and speakers. Through vibrations in the instrument, feedback sounds/vibrations are generated and shaped in the mouth cavity of the performer. This is in turn shaped by a construction of tubes to be tuned to various scales. In this way the performer "sings" without making any sounds by his/her own vocal chords. The instrument investigates language, communication and learning processes.

Opening performance will be at Bergen Assembly 2. September 2016. 

23June2016 Documents from the hills

A collection of photos from Altitude and History event in the hills behind Nikel. Around 70 local people participated and played the instruments together with us to make this a very lively event! Photos by Michael Miller and Rosa Menkman. 

read more – link to full post

23April2016 Dark Microphone

Some new dark ecology microphones...

12April2016 Upcoming activity

Upcoming: 

21. May - Only Connect Festival, Oslo - I will perform the 'dead language poetry' solo performance.

24.-25. May - Stamsund International Theatre Festival - Verdensteatret 'Broen over gjørme'.

10. June - new work: 'Altitude and History', commission by Dark Ecology, Nikel, Russia. More info about this soon!

Hope to see you there!

14December2015 Interview at radio France

Check out this interview I did with François Bonnet, with lots of old Phonophani and Alog tracks interspersed and go down memory lane. 

14December2015 Live at Landmark with HC Gilje

A couple of photos from Phonophani Live at Landmark, Bergen Friday 11. December. Visuals by HC Gilje and his magical 360 degree camera construction. Photos by Eivind Senneset

13November2015 The distribution of the Audible @ Amalie Skram

This week I installed and played various versions of the piece in and around Amalie Skram high school in Bergen, as part of their temporary art in public spaces program. Got some funny looks from other early birds, moving all the speakers into postion at 6 in the morning!

27September2015 Dates

In Moscow this week: 

I am performing with Verdensteatret Bridge over Mud at 16 and 19 o'clock monday-wednesday at NCCA. 

At DOM, playing a short solo set on monday 28. Info

In Copenhagen: Nordic Music Days screening of "Material Vision – Silent Reading" video work until 30. September. 

Verdensteatret on Russia K TV:

13September2015 Nikel sound history club

As part 1 of my contribution together with Signe Lidén for the Dark Ecology Journey 3, we went to Nikel, Russia last week to organize the first edition of the Nikel sound history club, discussing sound and memory with local residents of Nikel.

read more – link to full post

Tweets

Tweets by @esomm

05September2015 Longread about the material vision project on medium

Material Vision — Silent Reading

04September2015 The remarkable features of mosquito hearing

I made a new composition for the Ultima festival 2015, to be performed and spatialized live on the acousmonium of GRM/Ina at Vulkan arena, Oslo 16. September. 

The piece is inspired by the my experiences with mosquitoes and salmon across the Sør-Varanger Peninsula. It is in part also an investigation into animal sensory biology. Both animals have a very unique way of hearing. The mosquito has vibrating antennas that is tuned to certain frequencies, in particular the ones connected to the "flight tone" of the female mosquito. The salmon has a more deep listening ability, being able to hear infrasound and using it to navigate the ocean back to its origin river.

03September2015 Bridge over Mosow

24.-30. September Verdensteatret is going to Moscow, building and performing our piece Bridge over Mud at NCCA. You will find me sweating behind the faders and knobs. We have been working the last month in Oslo growing the piece further (out of control and out of proportion some might argue, since it now takes one week to assemble the "room-instrument" with 10 people working day and night...). 

Recently the piece won an Hedda Award for "best audiovisual design" and is also nominated for the "Critics Award 2015". Also great reviews all around for our Oslo show, so our hard work developing it over the last 4 years (starting in Kolkata in 2011 !) is not a complete secret anymore.

Now keeping fingers crossed for the containers to go through customs smoothly!

26June2015 Kvien & Sommer video by Piotr Paichel

07June2015 Debut mini album from Kvien & Sommer released

07June2015 Language in Time

BEK has released this ebook I wrote for apple iBooks. 

Download here

This text is based on a lecture for the Platform series at Bergen Kunsthall 10. February 2013. Doing research for my exhibition “Dead Language Poetry”, first installed at Bergen Kunsthall /No. 5 in 2013, I sifted through a vast range of subjects regarding language, some of which made it into the works of the exhibition – others fell into the background web of inspiration. Included is also sounds from the playlist intervention and the video of the performance of the work: Structural metaphors recited in the vedic style.