Mariam Rezaei • Maria Chavez • Evicshen (trio) + On Yee Lo

The festival starts with a bang, with the world premiere of new work by three radical and key artists in new turntablism – Mariam Rezaei, Maria Chavez and Victoria Shen – commissioned by Counterflows and Rewire (The Hague). Bringing together their wildly different approaches to their instrument, including idiosyncratic instrument builds and modifications, they will show that New Turntablism is beyond technique, genre or compositional theory; it’s about the unknown.

Opening proceedings London-based multidisciplinary artist and cook On Yee Lo (b. Hong Kong), who creates and constructs ‘Cooking Instruments’ – physical systems where common meals are prepared and consumed in ways that encompass gestures, labour and hospitality. The festival starts, and we make something.

Maria Chavez, Evichsen and Mariam Rezaei premiere ground-breaking turntable trio this April.

Pioneers of New Turntablism, Maria Chavez, Evicshen (aka Victoria Chen) and Mariam Rezaei come together to compose and perform as a trio this April. Co-commissioned by Counterflows festival in Glasgow and Rewire in The Hague, the project represents the first time three female turntablists of colour have come together in this way. The trio bring together elements of musique concrète, free improvisation, noise, techno and hip-hop with instrument building and modification. Each artist has a wildly different approach to turntablism. Among the techniques deployed will be skratching, beatjuggling, sampling and looping, while the technologies will include double needle head shells and acrylic needle nails. The trio’s compositional aesthetics weave through sound sculpture, maximalism/minimalism and sonic destruction. Together, they will show that New Turntablism is beyond technique, genre or compositional theory; it’s about the unknown.

Maria Chavez says, “I keep thinking about how historical this trio really is. We all come from such different backgrounds but have ended up here, together, sharing a love for a device that is older than we are. And we have all interacted with it in such varying ways. So to have the opportunity to combine all of our experiences into one is really important to the history of sound art and music. I hope the industry will respect it as such.”

Evichsen comments, “I’m thrilled to be making history by joining forces with two other turntablist innovators. I look forward to building, learning, and producing some radical sounds the likes of which have never been heard before!”

Mariam Rezaei adds, “This is the first time three turntablists with such different experimental approaches have come together this way. I can’t wait to find out what we get up to in the rehearsal room and on stage. Whatever the result, I know it will be vibrant, colourful and completely wild.”