Dissonanze is the electronic music and digital art festival of Rome and 2007 marks its seventh year. As well as the main event taking place on 1st and 2nd June, there will also be three associated PREVIEW EVENTS in May leading up to the weekend of Dissonanze 7.
The first of these is the Italian (for the first) and World (for the second performance) premiere of two recent compositions by legendary German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen . The first, entitled ‘Wednesday Greeting’, is his last work in the WDR studio (1996-98), is the Electronic Music of ‘Michaelion’, and is part of the cycle LICHT (LIGHT), Die 7 Tage der Woche (The 7 Days of the Week) . The second one, entitled ’13th Hour: cosmic pulses’, is a special work commissioned by Dissonanze Festival, and is part of KLANG (SOUND), Die 24 Stunden des Tages (The 24 Hours of the Day).
On May 16th folktronica duo The Books (Nick Zammuto & Paul De Jong) entertain the Italian capital with a combination of homemade electro-acoustic sound sculptures, found sounds and video, whilst the final Dissonanze preview event on 25 May features the independent and no-profit record label/publishing house Die Schachtel . The aim of Die Schachtel is to publish both archival and unreleased material from some of the most interesting (and often unknown) names of both the electronic avant-garde music and the sound-art scene, of the period 1960-1980. Special attention is given to those artists who, although recognised as pioneers and masters of their own genre, seldom had the possibility to publish their music, and consequently never gained a wider recognition for their work.
The FESTIVAL experiments with the relationship between creativity and technology whilst researching the unusual connections between sight and sound in a fantastic and unique setting in the historic city of Rome. As well as famous artists and successful art works, the festival presents emerging artists, previews, original collaborations and site-specific productions, commissioned by Dissonanze for the different and unusual spaces to host it.
Dissonanze 7 continues the journey through new sound and visual art which will be presented in the architecture of the magnificent Palazzo dei Congressi. Experimentation will be as much a part of Dissonanze as prime time dancefloor entertainment. Split into three rooms, the massive domed Hall of Culture, the more intimate Aula Magna and the roof-top Terrace Dissonanze 7 will once again put Rome at the centre of the electronic universe at the beginning of June.
HALL OF CULTURE
The hall of culture is dedicated to the more dance-oriented live and DJ sets. Among the guest artists are some of the most acclaimed DJs and producers of electro and techno. Headlining on the Friday night will be the queen of Bpitch Control, Ellen Allien, with her hypnotic mix of melodic and twisted techno whilst the Saturday night sees the mighty Chris Liebing close the show with his blitzkrieg of tough driving beats and hard hitting techno.
Playing alongside Ellen on the Friday night will also be Daniel Meteo DJing music from his and T.Raumschmiere’s esteemed Shitkatapult label, the UK’s Spektrum with a full live show , Gabriel Ananda and Minilogue with further live minimalism and a DJ set from Switzerland’s finest, Luciano.
Saturday night also includes DJ sets from the Italoboyz (well, we are in Roma!) and France’s Sebastien Leger and further live shows from rock’n’rave emerging stars Para One, Digitalism and Franz & Shape to round off an amazing main room line-up for Dissonanze’s seventh year.
AULA MAGNA
The Aula Magna area will hold a mixture of live multimedia performances and original rock-and-electronics collaborations across the weekend. On Friday 1st June there will be the new live performance from Germany’s Carsten Nicolai / Alva Noto, and the FM3 plays Buddha Machine just before the Modified Toy Orchestra shows, which will be providing unique experiences, whilst Lorenzo Oggiano hits us with a multimedia barrage. Finally KTL feat. Pita/Peter Rehberg and Stephen O’Malley from Sunn O))) close the night with their foray into noise/computer music and black metal. Saturday sees live performances from Fennesz and Mike Patton (sharing the stage) and italian post rock heroes Giardini di Miro with a/v performances from Scott Arford and Planningtorock ‘progressive pop opera’, plus a sound installation/live performance show from Pe Lang & Zimoun.
THE TERRACE
Some more experimental artists and performances will literally invade the terrace. On Friday 1st Apparat will be performing live, with further live sets from Boder Community’s Nathan Fake and Warp signed math rock idols Battles, whilst Orbital’s Phil Hartnoll takes to the decks playing classic Orbital tracks and new material from his Long Range project. Saturday sees us rejoice with Germany’s digital dub master, Pole, playing live alongside Playhouse’s Isolee and dubstep misterious crew Various Production from the UK with DJ intervention from Claudio Fabrianesi playing music from Citymorb.
DISSONANZE 7: PROGRAM
PREVIEWS
7 MAY
location: AUDITORIUM PARCO DELLA MUSICA
KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN (D) WORLD PREMIERE
16 MAY
location: TEATRO PALLADIUM
THE BOOKS (USA)
25 MAY
location: CHIOSTRO DEL BRAMANTE
DIE SCHACHTEL (I) feat. MARIO BERTONCINI & ANGELO PETRONELLA
(FREE ENTRANCE)
FESTIVAL
ALVA NOTO (I)
APPARAT (D)
BATTLES (USA)
CHRIS LIEBING (D)
CLAUDIO FABRIANESI (I)
DANIEL MATEO (D)
DIGITALISM (D)
ELLEN ALLIEN (D)
FENNESZ & MIKE PATTON (A/USA)
FM3 (RC)
FRANZ & SHAPE (I)
GABRIEL ANANDA (D)
GIARDINI DI MIRO (I)
ISOLEE (D)
ITALOBOYZ (I)
KTL FEAT. PITA & STEPHEN O’MALLEY (A/USA)
LORENZO OGGIANO (I)
LUCIANO (CH)
MINILOGUE (S)
MODIFIED TOY ORCHESTRA (GB)
NATHAN FAKE (GB)
PARA ONE (F)
PE LANG & ZIMOUN (CH)
PHIL HARTNOLL (GB)
PLANNINGTOROCK (GB)
POLE (D)
SCOTT ARFORD (USA)
SEBASTIEN LEGER (F)
SPEKTRUM (GB)
VARIOUS PRODUCTION (GB)