Embark on tonal expeditions into the realms of ambient and electronic music at the ADV3NT concert series. Surrounded by cacti and agaves, attendees can immerse themselves in unfamiliar soundscapes on four Sundays in Advent. The concerts take place from 5:30 PM in the Succulent House. Culinary delights from the ‘Naschmarkt’ will be served starting at 5:00 PM.
ADV3NT 2023 #1 – 03.12.
Pivophone – Jen Morris & Michael Egger
ADV3NT 2023 #2 – 10.12.
OUT Session – Werner Hasler & Carlo Niederhauser
ADV3NT 2023 #3 – 17.12.
Superorganismus – Luz González & Trio Tramontana
ADV3NT 2023 #4 – 24.12.
Everest – Black Box Bricolage & Meienberg
Concerts start at 5:30 PM
Price: CHF 10
Delights from ‘Naschmarkt’
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Sukkulentenhaus
Botanischer Garten der Universität Bern
Altenbergrain 21,
3013 Bern, Schweiz
ADV3NT 2023 #1 - 03.12.Pivophone - Jen Morris & Michael Egger
Jen Morris is a sound artist specializing in electronic, radical, and disturbing performances. Morris, also internationally recognized under the pseudonym [sic], rarely communicates with the human species. But when she does – through videos, installations, film soundtracks, or the label Squirrelgirl – it is direct and bewildering. In the Botanical Garden, she will perform alongside Michael Egger (Anyma, Fribourg) with their jointly developed Pivophone. This new machine, buzzing around in Jen Morris’s mind for ages, could become the icing on the cake in the history of noise machines. The Pivophone questions what was considered an authority in the art of sound until its arrival. So, is the goal to hear the Pivophone as John Cage wished to hear the souls of ashtrays? No, but you get closer, you have to approach. We find ourselves in the art of miniatures. Miniatures of a grand TV show where pop stars are peonies. Miniatures of a mirrored stage. Miniatures of Holidays on Ice, where dancers become hockey players. Have you ever seen a ballet of majestic peaches on speed? Listened to the noise of two cones colliding? Come closer to the sound of the Pivophone.
ADV3NT 2023 #2 - 10.12.OUT Session - Werner Hasler & Carlo Niederhauser
Exceptional music in extraordinary places in surround quality. For over four years, Werner Hasler and Carlo Niederhauser have been on the road with their “OUT Session”: on a bus, in the Alps, between the tracks, on a solar ship, on the roof of a skyscraper, by the lakeside. The live-created sound bubbles represent a surprising, non-hermetic, acoustically new reality in each unique context. Each “OUT Session” has its own electronica setup and is a one-of-a-kind experience. The setup includes cello, prepared cello, and spatialized input electronics. Every session tells a musical story that generates a connection with the venue. Selected OUT Sessions will be released in a digital EP series on Everest Records. The complete series will be available on triple vinyl as “OUT Session [recordings]” at the end of 2023.
ADV3NT 2023 #3 - 17.12.Superorganismus - Luz González & Trio Tramontana
“Superorganismus” – an electroacoustic piece for flute, viola, harp, and live electronics.
This spectacle is built upon the idea of collaboration, drawing inspiration from other species such as bees or ants. How can we collectively develop a compositional method that surpasses our individual abilities? William Morton defines a superorganism as a living community of many individuals of the same species that develop capabilities beyond those of the individuals. We merge flute, viola, harp, and electronics into a new entity, revealing, exploring, and capable of developing its own independent character and possibilities. It’s about creating music in a cooperative and horizontal manner. There isn’t a composer writing a score for the performers; the four musicians compose together.
How can we ensure that all four musicians are equal, and the electronics don’t dominate the three acoustic instruments like a queen? An example is creating a fifth immaterial instrument that must be manipulated simultaneously by all of us to produce sound. The sound of the “super-instrument” is then blended with the sounds of the quartet’s instruments, appearing and disappearing based on the manipulation of the musicians, creating the concept of a collective yet independent organism that we pursue, the Superorganism.
Another approach involves dividing the sonic range among the different instruments to form a drone. Simultaneously, it merges with the electronics, subtly accumulating, repeating, and playing with the density of sound. The electronics serve as a link between the instruments and as a disruptor, preventing a clear distinction between where the acoustic ends and the digital begins.
A final example is the exchange of instruments among us and the inclusion of the voice, intending to shift the focus from the individuality of the instrumentalists to the collective outcome.
ADV3NT 2023 #4 - 24.12.Everest - Black Box Bricolage & Meienberg
In 2011, “Everest” performed their last concert together at the Botanical Garden Bern. Twelve years later, now laden with a backpack full of musical experiences, the two label owners of Everest Records come together for a joint revival, offering a glimpse into their current musical endeavors.
