MONSTERS BLOG
OFFICIAL ONLINE BLOG OF MONSTERS FOR BREAKFAST
NEW YEAR, NEW ALBUM
in february, we recorded our next album... or ... we could also say... our "so-called" first album - where only our vocals are to be heard. in the sun-swimming LOFT in ehrenfled-cologne, we spent some hours improvising and using our texts, poems and new music influences. this album will have some very new colours, you might not have heard from us before. can´t wait to mix it
we also had a nice photo session with jean raclet. check him out!
we also had a nice photo session with jean raclet. check him out!
monsters portugal residency 2018
this summer, thea is spending her artistic residency in porto and invited mascha for some monstering, to sing, go to the beach, hang, enjoy some porto wine. originally, it was a social call, really, but turned out quite differently... hm. so this ended up to be much more than that. first: mike was also in porto... so they were actually already a trio. second: they met someone at the festival. joão - the love-drummer, who makes his own cymbals and such. wow!! so the events speeded up and sooooo much happened in such a short amount of time. but let´s break this down in photos and stories...
NO NOISE festival
sonoscopia organizes this festival yearly, to bring together creative artists with no borders whatsoever. this time, we were also invited to open and close the festival. something was slightly different though.
we played at this beautiful-inspiring festival, organized by sonoscopia. it is called "no noise" as an answer to an article in the 90´s stating that "there´s no noise - suggesting, no experimental music in porto". a revolutionary answer to a a journalist´s criticism, for sure.
sonoscopia is an artist collective in porto, specializing in experimental, improvised music and electr-acoustic sound art. they organize many monthly concerts and offer residency places, initiate collaborations across borders and bring together like-minded people.
sonoscopia is an artist collective in porto, specializing in experimental, improvised music and electr-acoustic sound art. they organize many monthly concerts and offer residency places, initiate collaborations across borders and bring together like-minded people.
every single person of the collective is a gem, still obviously gustavo is the heart and motor of the association. usually no noise takes place at the offices / terraces of sonoscopia, but this it was different. gustavo and his team found an old, abandoned monastery where nuns used to live till 2004 and decided to turn in into the stage for this year´s festival. well, the gardens around the monastery had grass till the top of my head - because, yes, i also did some cleaning, though not even comparable to the work of gustavo and the sonoscopia people, who invested weeks in the restauration. anyways, in company of goats, who didn´t seem to be disturbed by us, gustavo pulled it through. he did it! the craziest and most challenging thing ever - as he summarized it... the festival had over 250 guests and at least 100 helpers, more than 50 musicians.
when people come together and do something like this out of scratch, then it is only fair to minimum call it "magic".
when people come together and do something like this out of scratch, then it is only fair to minimum call it "magic".
the very final, silent set of NO NOISE festival was ours. having heard joão, the drummer, play twice during the day, we had no doubt that we have to brave and straight-forward. we asked him, if he wanted to join our set. and he said yes. and this ´yes´ was repeated many times afterwards. if we wanna jam, hang together, have a second beer, and to visit his cymbal atelier, do a new project? hahh.... and so it all just happened at once.
because good things just happen. no questions asked, no doubts, no waiting. we jammed and recorded some sounds. it felt like it was meant to be. we hope to play some contemporary - experimental festivals in the near future. the band photos are for sure capturing our spirit: not afraid of dirty oily things, hippie in the heart, classy in the sounds, engaging new lights and joy. yes!
aug 5, 2018
aug 5, 2018
magic porto project
photos by mónica baptista
time is a rare bird. black feathers save me from the night.
aug 4, 2018
aug 4, 2018
MIKE + MONSTERS
this is how it looks like when an oslo-based composer / laptop artist from canada merges with two porto-loving monsters. barefoot society. mike is sweating for sure, but also wears a wide smile.
this photo was taken at the headquarters of a super enthusiastic collective, a cultural centre for experimental and contemporary electro-acoustic music, called sonoscopia.
aug 3, 2018
this is how it looks like when an oslo-based composer / laptop artist from canada merges with two porto-loving monsters. barefoot society. mike is sweating for sure, but also wears a wide smile.
this photo was taken at the headquarters of a super enthusiastic collective, a cultural centre for experimental and contemporary electro-acoustic music, called sonoscopia.
aug 3, 2018
IN SITU ART SOCIETY
MONSTERS BONN
21 july, 2018
21 july, 2018
georges and pavel organize this lovely series of concerts in the church of "st.helena am kreuzung" in bonn. we were absolutely honored to have been featured as the july guests of the concert series. we did take our ideas inspired by faktor to a new level with mascha. we worked with the space and the stage. hope to do some performative stuff in the near future even more!
Monsters For Breakfast feat. Mike McCormick
- compositions for 4 microphones, 2 vocalists and 1 laptop
The Cologne-based vocal duo of "Monsters For Breakfast" goes electronic: Mascha Corman and Thea Soti will meet the Oslo-based, Canadian composer and laptop performer, Mike McCormick for 5 concerts throughout Germany. Monsters For Breakfast is best known for their undoubtedly brave and fragile line-up of two voices, performing without any accompanying instruments, using exclusively their vocal chords and doing it so pure and acoustic. This time the 2 vocalists go beyond naked and above wild: they will work with 4 microphones and here and there allow their voices to be processed, transformed, torn apart, turned into noise, get pitched up and down, etc by the realtime live programming of McCormick. Mike McCormick, originally from Canada, is a young up-and-coming composer and guitarist, currently finishing his Music Technology Masters in Oslo, who has recently dived into supercollider programming. He is active in the Scandinavian jazz and contemporary creative music scene with various projects, be it his improvising trio or his recent collaboration with a dance performance. His compositions often explore the various expressive qualities of the voice, combining the full range of non-traditional techniques with evocative texts in experimental and modern music instrumental settings.
Mascha Corman – Voice
Thea Soti – Voice
Mike McCormick – Laptop
21 June - Spektrum, Berlin
22 June - LOFT, Cologne
23 June - Onomato Art Space, Düsseldorf
24 June – Workshop + Mini-Concert, ON Neue Musik, Cologne
25 June - Büro für akustische Innenräumpflege, Essen
- compositions for 4 microphones, 2 vocalists and 1 laptop
The Cologne-based vocal duo of "Monsters For Breakfast" goes electronic: Mascha Corman and Thea Soti will meet the Oslo-based, Canadian composer and laptop performer, Mike McCormick for 5 concerts throughout Germany. Monsters For Breakfast is best known for their undoubtedly brave and fragile line-up of two voices, performing without any accompanying instruments, using exclusively their vocal chords and doing it so pure and acoustic. This time the 2 vocalists go beyond naked and above wild: they will work with 4 microphones and here and there allow their voices to be processed, transformed, torn apart, turned into noise, get pitched up and down, etc by the realtime live programming of McCormick. Mike McCormick, originally from Canada, is a young up-and-coming composer and guitarist, currently finishing his Music Technology Masters in Oslo, who has recently dived into supercollider programming. He is active in the Scandinavian jazz and contemporary creative music scene with various projects, be it his improvising trio or his recent collaboration with a dance performance. His compositions often explore the various expressive qualities of the voice, combining the full range of non-traditional techniques with evocative texts in experimental and modern music instrumental settings.
Mascha Corman – Voice
Thea Soti – Voice
Mike McCormick – Laptop
21 June - Spektrum, Berlin
22 June - LOFT, Cologne
23 June - Onomato Art Space, Düsseldorf
24 June – Workshop + Mini-Concert, ON Neue Musik, Cologne
25 June - Büro für akustische Innenräumpflege, Essen
monsters go electronic
monsters feat. mike mccormick (can / oslo)
monsters feat. mike mccormick (can / oslo)
SOUND INSTALLATION & PERFORMANCE CONCERTS
monsters goes performance
when we arrived to hamburg, it was obvious that we will have to use the space and integrate the characteristics of the light and whiteness of the walls into our concerts. this was not planned. it was just simply obvious as we stepped into the art space / künstlerhaus of FAKTOR. to tell the truth, we have never really done anything similar to that before, but we were working on some concepts and developing ideas how to go further with our projects. so it seemed like the perfect moment to try out things. we decided to work with the light circles created accidentally by the sound guy. and he was fixing the reflectors over our heads, so a metal ladder was standing there, too. we decided to keep the ladder too.
14 may, 2018
© all photos by jan piccard
14 may, 2018
© all photos by jan piccard
| NaabtalDeath in the Tonhalle ebi invited us to monster with him around. i love playing in the tonhalle in hannover. always very nice people come to listen and they really do appreciate new sounds and readily enter new territories. this time the 2 voices of monsters met the electrified, prepared zither of eberhard meisel, whose artist name is naabtalDeath. the slightly electrified sounds mixed beautifully with our voices and the "ugly monsters sounds" were perfectly supported by ebi´s creative sounds made by spoons, forks and further little metal objects used on the zither. a very special set! 12 may, 2018 |
monsters go performance
new perspectives
playing in hamburg and hannover
studiobühne cologne PREMIERE NIGHT of "türken-feuer"
we were so excited to work together with other creative young people all around the country: we met authors, writers, poets, dramaturgists, set designers, actors, dancers, fashonistas, theatre teachers and so on. we were divided into groups and worked intensively on a selected text to put it onto stage.
we were super happy to work together with the amazingly inspiring Özlem Özgül Dündar, who brought her text "türken. feuer" to put to stage. we did a lot of brainstorming and try-outs, rehearsed the text and worked it through its dramaturgical turning points. we, the monsters ended up almost only using our spoken word voice and hardly singing...
then came the presentation day, where all the groups made an appearance and presented their work in front of the audience. this was a huge evening for us. monsters being on the theatre stage. huge hurraaaaa!!!!! what a thrill!
| auftakt festival working with theatre, performance and dramaturgy monsters have been selected as artists to re-interpret texts from contemporary authors and work together with actors, stage designers, etc. the final performance will be presented at studiobühne köln. this is gonna be so much fun! for instant stories follow our instagram account. 9-12 may, 2018 |
featuring jonas vollmer (drums)
inspire sessions
monsters can conquer and inspire a church again. this is a very special one though... KGH cologne
5 may, 2018
5 may, 2018
tin festival
no, we didn´t become priestesses, we sang in düsseldorf at the tin festival.
festival-opener act before one of the most well-known acapella vocalists of europe.
festival-opener act before one of the most well-known acapella vocalists of europe.
 |  |  |
mascha had some days of solo residency in norway and invited thea to visit her. here´s a small collage of their cold cold f+cking cold trip in oslo.
hello oslo!
this is how we started the new year!!! monsters mini-residency in norway.
singing with the minus-10-degrees air, mountain crooks and northern lights. snow for breakfast.
singing with the minus-10-degrees air, mountain crooks and northern lights. snow for breakfast.
MONSTERS XMAS SPECIAL
the real story behind our xmas special concerts
good things in life are extremely simple. they don´t need money or big plans. just an honest wish, a creative heart and a decision. we wanna sing and we wanna bring people together. we called some people we knew had a big kitchen or living room and they agreed to host a xmas party at their homes with their friends. they lent us their kitchen for micro improvisations. they brought the people we didn´t know (friends´ friends), we brought the music. there was glühwein (hot spicy wine) and soup and waffles. that´s all! this is how our new series of home-made concerts started and it couldn´t have had a better timing than christmas. it was definitely one of our best ideas in 2017 and we hope to spread the initiative and start a "pop-up-concert revolution" in 2018!!! :)
on both evenings, we got to know a bunch of new people, who have never or rarely heard free improvised vocal music before. they wouldn´t necessarily have found time and the thrill to visit such a concert, but when at a friends´place in a lovely atmosphere and as part of a sweet get-together, nobody would say "no" to some live music. so if the people don´t know where to find the music, the music will find the people. it turned out to be true xmas magic. you could see people being challenged, disturbed, mesmerized, surprised, enchanted, opening up, falling in love, falling asleep (!!!). this was an open-heart surgery.
thank your carolina and claus for sharing your home and friends with us. it was magic!
on both evenings, we got to know a bunch of new people, who have never or rarely heard free improvised vocal music before. they wouldn´t necessarily have found time and the thrill to visit such a concert, but when at a friends´place in a lovely atmosphere and as part of a sweet get-together, nobody would say "no" to some live music. so if the people don´t know where to find the music, the music will find the people. it turned out to be true xmas magic. you could see people being challenged, disturbed, mesmerized, surprised, enchanted, opening up, falling in love, falling asleep (!!!). this was an open-heart surgery.
thank your carolina and claus for sharing your home and friends with us. it was magic!
| TWO EXTRA MONSTER STORIES xmas story #1 there was this immaculate and good-looking guy dressed like a "deutsche bank officer" in blue suits at our saturdays´pop-up. i observed him during singing and could feel that he hates every breathe i take, but even more the sounds we create with this air. haha. he came up to me after the concert. i couldn´t even imagine what he´s gonna say to me... he grabbed my arm and the most unexpected thing happened: he confessed his love for human sounds. he just loved it. he even told me that he himself - secretly - practises and explores different sounds made my his mouth and tongue when taking a shower. WTF???!!! what a story! i hugged him so tight xmas story #2 at our sunday concert, we got two presents. besides the amazing atmosphere and the sweet people who gathered for our micro-impros, something special happened. in a totally unexpected moment "santa claus" knocked on the door. but like for real!!! he was all dressed up, unbelievably funny and well-prepared with songs and stories and his voice was melting our hearts. yes, of course, it was our host, claus, but he played it sooooooooooo well that i believed he was the real one! LOL! the last time i had contact with a santa claus was maybe at age 6. i could feel my child-heart jumping around in the room. to top it all, he even read a whole book of xmas stories for hours, which we listened to lying on pillows on the ground sipping soup and wine. whoooohoho. more xmas is not possible!!! |
"this is in-between, far-away,
almost and always.
a parachute into the white
rain (whispering insane)
farewell to all the truths i believed to hide away"
almost and always.
a parachute into the white
rain (whispering insane)
farewell to all the truths i believed to hide away"
**WINTER SPECIAL**
we believe xmas time is about cinnamon-scented get-togethers and crispy cookies
we believe you should stop whatsapp, chat or facebook and actually meet people in person.
we believe in home-made xmas, so bring something delicious you baked or cooked
this weekend, we will do a micro-impro concert in the living rooms / kitchens of kind people who share our passion about bringing people together
9th of December ** SÜDSTADT EDITION
10th of December ** ZOLLSTOCK EDITION
meet-up 18.00
micro-concert start 20.00
PM us for address. limited places. more infos on facebook
we believe you should stop whatsapp, chat or facebook and actually meet people in person.
we believe in home-made xmas, so bring something delicious you baked or cooked
this weekend, we will do a micro-impro concert in the living rooms / kitchens of kind people who share our passion about bringing people together
9th of December ** SÜDSTADT EDITION
10th of December ** ZOLLSTOCK EDITION
meet-up 18.00
micro-concert start 20.00
PM us for address. limited places. more infos on facebook
BLURRED REALITIES
a contemporary performance with spoken word, voices, video art and live electronics about our modern in-between existance
we were kind of totally unsure how this performance is gonna be received by the audience. we were not even sure how the whole thing looked like from their perspectives as we were never "allowed" to look up at the screens above our heads, since playing robots / androids.
each show had a very different athmosphere. mostly felt like we enter a capsule of constructed realities: a reality that we zoomed into and are forced to face through our own mirror images - the performers. this is how i imagined, must have felt like for the audience watching us, laying on the ground, inside of a black box, experiencing every single sound on their skin and back, very close, very loud. in-your-face-dynamics.
each show had a very different athmosphere. mostly felt like we enter a capsule of constructed realities: a reality that we zoomed into and are forced to face through our own mirror images - the performers. this is how i imagined, must have felt like for the audience watching us, laying on the ground, inside of a black box, experiencing every single sound on their skin and back, very close, very loud. in-your-face-dynamics.
the concept and topic of the performance is so present in our society and soooo fucking important to talk about this. i love the idea that "unsharpness" will be investigated through different systems - photography, politics, logic, economics, etc. as this is the point when we really realize the complexity of this topic, when applied to various social systems.
the binary system of "zero and one"/ "yes or no" results in fast and limited decisions creating a very solid and secure logical base. but at the same time, undoubtedly losing the edges, the shades, the in-betweens. we are so living in a world of mixed creatures and structures, trans-sexuality, cross-cultures, hyper-realities and such. fuzzy logic sounds very post-modern, but it is soooo real and in the here-and-now! fuzzy logic interweaves our daily lives and we use it through our ipads and iphones. but when everything is blurred, possible, interchangeable, cross-variable, how are the real realities to be recognized. don´t we then lose the edge again to our human sides? the fuzziness is then produced by machines. so at the end pops up the question: now blur or not to blur?
5 December 2017
the binary system of "zero and one"/ "yes or no" results in fast and limited decisions creating a very solid and secure logical base. but at the same time, undoubtedly losing the edges, the shades, the in-betweens. we are so living in a world of mixed creatures and structures, trans-sexuality, cross-cultures, hyper-realities and such. fuzzy logic sounds very post-modern, but it is soooo real and in the here-and-now! fuzzy logic interweaves our daily lives and we use it through our ipads and iphones. but when everything is blurred, possible, interchangeable, cross-variable, how are the real realities to be recognized. don´t we then lose the edge again to our human sides? the fuzziness is then produced by machines. so at the end pops up the question: now blur or not to blur?
5 December 2017
BLUR. team
™3.6]HypeReal_FOTOGRAFIE
™4.6]UND:ODER:NICHT_FUZZY LOGIC
Artistic Director, Concept & Composition: Sergej Maingardt
Concept / Dramaturgy: Rosi Ulrich
Video Art: Jens Standke
Stage Direction: Andrea Bleikamp
Voices: Mascha Corman, Karin Kettling, Fabian Ringel, Thea Soti
Music: Fukio Ensemble (Saxophone Quartet)
Production Management: Hannah Greve
Technical Supervisor: Jens Kuklik
Costumes: Claus Stump / Andrea Uebel / Katrin Gemünd
B L U R. B L A S T!
thank you beautiful people! this was really a cool final show
COOPERATION
w/ Katrin Gemünd fashion designer
monsters are so happy when we can bring creative people together. this time, the young and talented Kate agreed to enter the cooperation with the performance production. very last-minute. but still! she lent us two pieces of her collection called "darling i see..." to wear during the performance "BLUR".
we are in LOVE with these black costumes which are cozy and comfortable, stylish, super elegant and yet come with an unexpected touch of textiles and forms. edgy and twisted. dark sisters. dark ladies - as fabian, our actor colleague called us :)))
thank you, kate! check her out here:
https://www.katringemuend.com
w/ Katrin Gemünd fashion designer
monsters are so happy when we can bring creative people together. this time, the young and talented Kate agreed to enter the cooperation with the performance production. very last-minute. but still! she lent us two pieces of her collection called "darling i see..." to wear during the performance "BLUR".
we are in LOVE with these black costumes which are cozy and comfortable, stylish, super elegant and yet come with an unexpected touch of textiles and forms. edgy and twisted. dark sisters. dark ladies - as fabian, our actor colleague called us :)))
thank you, kate! check her out here:
https://www.katringemuend.com
B L U R
PREMIERE - 30th of november
FURTHER SHOWS - 1st, 2nd and 3rd of december
LOCATION - orangerie theatre, cologne
START - 20.00
PREMIERE - 30th of november
FURTHER SHOWS - 1st, 2nd and 3rd of december
LOCATION - orangerie theatre, cologne
START - 20.00
© all photos by MEYER ORIGINALS
BLUR - 4.6 UND:ODER:NICHT
the rehearsals are going on and the piece is taking form. so we are also getting closer to understanding what our actual role is on the stage. the complete piece consists of 6 miniatures which all investigate the unsharpness in different social systems like politics, logic, photography, economics, etc. we were invited with mascha to be part of the the miniture no.4 as a vocal art duo.
we are representing the binary system and it´s - in a way - perfect and limited logic. this will be then contrasted with "fuzzy logic" as the piece move forwards. our world of avatars, hybrids, smartphones and machines make decisions and create selections based on our way of living and reactions in the cyber world. dangerous and dramatic as it sounds, they do use elements of fuzzy logic to determine our wishes and make the best possible decisions. but we move out of our binary systems, where only yes or no, one or zero, man or woman exist.
we enter the spheres of mixed forms, where the limitations are lifted, yet thus the dividing lines get less defined and more blurred. our score is full of texts and sprechgesang-style passages which then will be completed through live electronics and samples. the audience will be seated onto the ground so that they can lay back and watch the ceiling which functions as a screening surface. i am totally into this topic and find it superb interesting and edgy. can´t wait to see how it grows and will be received by the audience. 2 days to go till premiere!!!
29 Nov, 2017
29 Nov, 2017
BLUR
the rehearsals for the theatre-music sculpture performance started today
we are so excited what it is really going to be like. first only reading the score and practising talking and singing together with the great actors, fabian and katrin
© meyer originals
27 Nov, 2017
MONSTERS IN DECEMBER
we have been invited to do a cooperation with the electronic music composer "sergej maingardt" and the "51-grad theater" in cologne. this is going to be a contemporary piece with spoken word and performance elements, acting and video art. exciting!!! more news coming soon.
CONCERTS, WORKSHOPS, LABS
essen / cologne / düsseldorf / bonn
4.10 - 9.10.2017
4.10 - 9.10.2017
DOUBLE VOCALS TOUR
© taya chernyshova
THANK YOU!
© Taya Chernyshova
we would love to thank all the wonderful and creative people who made this double vocals tour possible. sound engineers, video team, concert technicians, graphic designers, light operaters, musicians, dancers, photographers. thank you for your passion and commitment. thank you to the supporters and to the venues for believing in us. thank you audience for coming and workshop participants your trust and curiosity.
Maschinenhaus Essen, Fabian Sattler, Simon Knöß, Christian Scheer, Leonie Strecker, Yannick Benavides, ON Cologne, Daniel Mennicken, Helene Heuser, Manuel Schwiertz, LOFT Köln, Peter Tümmers, Barbara Beckmann, Bergerkirche Düsseldorf, St. Nikolaus Kirche Bonn, Sue Schlotte, Bernd Wendt, Peter Tümmers, Taya Chernyshova, Kinga Rofusz, Florian Herzog, Maika Dübler, Netzwerk der Hochschulen, Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, Stadt Köln, STIMMUNGEN, Zentrum für Zeitgenössischen Tanz, Prof. Vera Sander, Jazz Danmark
LIQUID FEARS
our video teaser is online. a big thank you goes out to our dedicated creative team: cameras by yannick & leonie, sound by christian and light by simon.
TOUR FINALE EXTRA
our photo was taken by a huge polaroid camera. artists after their concerts. a photograph just asked us to stand their and don´t blink. there´s going to be an exhibition with this title in bonn. how could that evening have been more enchanted?
our photo was taken by a huge polaroid camera. artists after their concerts. a photograph just asked us to stand their and don´t blink. there´s going to be an exhibition with this title in bonn. how could that evening have been more enchanted?
double vocals tour BONN
w/ the art of escapism + monsters for breakfast feat. sue schlotte (cello)
© bernd wendt
w/ the art of escapism + monsters for breakfast feat. sue schlotte (cello)
© bernd wendt
a huge giant wanted to pray
but he didn´t fit into the church
bells were ringing, people gathered
the hair of the giant was green
he walked into the church yard
over the flowers
the flowers died one by one as he got closer to the door
he just wanted to pray
then all the people left the church
lit candles around the giant and prayed
outside of the church
the giant got so happy, he started to jump around
he even killed the last living flowers
as the giant started to pray, his hair started to change
all the colours of the flowers he killed flew up to his head
the church yard turned grey
but the giant got rainbow-coloured hair
but he didn´t fit into the church
bells were ringing, people gathered
the hair of the giant was green
he walked into the church yard
over the flowers
the flowers died one by one as he got closer to the door
he just wanted to pray
then all the people left the church
lit candles around the giant and prayed
outside of the church
the giant got so happy, he started to jump around
he even killed the last living flowers
as the giant started to pray, his hair started to change
all the colours of the flowers he killed flew up to his head
the church yard turned grey
but the giant got rainbow-coloured hair
ALTE KIRCHE, BONN
DOUBLE CONCERT
this was the last concert of this "double vocals tour", which originally started as a real double-tour of two vocal duos. it turned out as a new project. kinda... so we never really stopped singing together all the four of us. of course, the duos (monsters for breakfast + the art of escapism) are an important part of this cooperation, yet we keep singing simultaneously and not seperately after one and other. as usually it is, by double bills...
we arrived to an enchanted church yard in bonn, where probably dwarfs and giants lived once with rainbow-coloured hair. but today it was calm, grey-green and empty. the trees were moved by the october-wind and felt like they were forgotten under a veil of fog. we played there in candle-light. four voices and a cello. intimate tour-ending with magic audience in the dark.
- 9 October 2017
we arrived to an enchanted church yard in bonn, where probably dwarfs and giants lived once with rainbow-coloured hair. but today it was calm, grey-green and empty. the trees were moved by the october-wind and felt like they were forgotten under a veil of fog. we played there in candle-light. four voices and a cello. intimate tour-ending with magic audience in the dark.
- 9 October 2017
BERGERKIRCHE, DÜSSELDORF
DOUBLE CONCERT
singing in churches is something very special for vocalists. the acoustics is treating the voice as if nothing could happen to it. you feel so safe, so comfortable, so easy. but at the same time, it is also very challenging not to lose yourself in the room of reverbing sounds and silky waves. you have to give the voice a precise existance within the space. plus, go beyond the usual soundscape of the vocals within church walls.
with "the art of escapism" we did a long, uninterrupted set of instant soundscape compositions. our set was sooo much different from yesterdays. amazing, how the location can influence the music. i wonder, how limited it must be with fixed compositions, where you cannot change based on the feeling and flair of the venue...
- 8 October 2017
with "the art of escapism" we did a long, uninterrupted set of instant soundscape compositions. our set was sooo much different from yesterdays. amazing, how the location can influence the music. i wonder, how limited it must be with fixed compositions, where you cannot change based on the feeling and flair of the venue...
- 8 October 2017
4 voices. 1 church. bergerkirche - düsseldorf
BACKSTAGE FUN
sometimes the queen has to enter to make the princesses glow.
tayacska arrived, jumped and ruled the image.
but before that, she told us to act and be "baroque".
© peter tümmers
© Peter Tümmers
LOFT, COLOGNE
STIMMUNGEN CONCERT
there were not a lot of people, that´s true. this hurt us a bit, as STIMMUNGEN is our baby with mascha. it felt like nobody helps our baby grow and walk. but anyway, all the people who came found a magic exit to another world, an escape to another space.
as lo and ania like to put it: for them the name of the band (the art of escapism) doesn´t necessarily mean to escape from the real world for two hours and rest, but to build an active way back to themselves and escape to the inner world. thus strenghtening it at the same time. i think, we did contribute to this journey of the audience tonight.
- 7 October 2017
as lo and ania like to put it: for them the name of the band (the art of escapism) doesn´t necessarily mean to escape from the real world for two hours and rest, but to build an active way back to themselves and escape to the inner world. thus strenghtening it at the same time. i think, we did contribute to this journey of the audience tonight.
- 7 October 2017
impro workshop
Centre for Contemporary Dance, Cologne (ZZT)
VOICE & DANCE WORKSHOP
as ania and lo both worked with dancers and theatre on several occasions - and me and mascha also share a past of interdisciplinary projects with dance - it was clear to us that we should do a workshop for dance students at the academy of music and dance in cologne. our focus was to investigate the connection between improvised music and movement: we were researching the common elements and the possible points of interactivity. it is obvious, that voice and dance both operates with the same point of origin - with the body. however, translating the improvisation techniques from one discipline to the other was not that obvious. we did a short warming up impro circle with the voice, to raise awareness of the sounds of our bodies and then tried to translate the same exercieses into movement. it was truly an honour to work with the young talented contemporary dancers of cologne. it is never a one-way teaching. always goes both ways: we learned so much, as well!! at least, we discovered, how much we enjoyed doing these workshops. in the future, i guess, a lot of them are coming up during a concert tour. yay!!
- 6 October 2017
- 6 October 2017
warm-up impro at the vocal lab
ON büro köln
CREATIVE VOCAL LAB
today several vocalists gathered in the office building of "ON neue musik" in cologne to share their passion about improvised vocal music. we were so lucky to have an amazingly diverse and colourful group of singers with different experience and background. this is how we improvised with opera singers, inspired young pupils (16-18 years old) to open up in a free-impro singing circle, created improvised textures to a persian folksong and talked about how to practice improvised music. the most beautiful part was, however, opening up about our fears and ego-disturbed expectancies during drinking coffee and tea in the kitchen. of course, all the deepest conversations take place in the kitchen... we really enjoyed being together. so inspiring! so beautiful! let´s do it more often!
- 5 October 2017
- 5 October 2017
FEARLESS ZONE
definitely in a fearless zone with these girls after the amazing performance
Maschinenhaus Essen
VOICE & DANCE PERFORMANCE
it was a long-time dream to bring together 4 vocalists and 4 dancers for a performance. as it was sure that the girls from the art of escapism are coming to germany for a tour, we immediately knew, this was the right moment to invite our dancer colleagues for an evening show. we met magda and toni in montepulciano as working there for two weeks with the interdisciplinary project of kunstkolleg montepulciano-cologne. they are two lovely girls with that unmistakeable sparkle in their eyes that makes you crazy to work with them. anne-lene and elsa were part of the artistic research project in marocco, we met in agdz. two hard-working girls, with passion for detail and conceptual understanding. the most amazing thing about these kinds of projects is, that you never know how it´s gonna turn out as you meet, rehearse and perform almost on the same day. you just select the team of performers and hope the best. is the team gonna fit? are they gonna fancy the idea? can they work together at all? and then the magic happens. it CAN and it DOES. what´s more, it does work wonderfully! the amazing location of maschinenhaus essen was just an extra bonus. sahne at the top!! stay tuned for videos and more.
- 4 October 2017
- 4 October 2017
"one night i dreamt that i was a cloud
i was above your head
you couldn´t touch me
was not lost, nor found
white and soft
you could squeeze me if you dared to step up
i move slow, without a sound
suddenly i find myself in a closed place
above me is the ceiling
i don´t know the rules of a room
i cannot move
stuck behind walls
i start dripping
silky rain leaves my body
as i wake up, the room is full of me
you have to walk in water
through me
i am not sure if i wanna swim with you"
i was above your head
you couldn´t touch me
was not lost, nor found
white and soft
you could squeeze me if you dared to step up
i move slow, without a sound
suddenly i find myself in a closed place
above me is the ceiling
i don´t know the rules of a room
i cannot move
stuck behind walls
i start dripping
silky rain leaves my body
as i wake up, the room is full of me
you have to walk in water
through me
i am not sure if i wanna swim with you"
maschinenhaus essen
we are rehearsing. discovering the space.
our dance performance about fear - that can be made liquid - opens tonight.
LIQUID FEARS - 20.00 - essen
our dance performance about fear - that can be made liquid - opens tonight.
LIQUID FEARS - 20.00 - essen
what are you afraid of?
that it will not work
that the touch won´t be the same
that our realities collide?
your dark is not the same dark as mine
that you will love more - or take more?
that you´ll eat life with a bigger spoon?
are you afraid that it will be over too soon?
afraid of me or you?
barking dogs? unexpected snowstorms?
too loud explosions? getting old?
speeding cars? or maybe mice?
narrow spaces?
that it will not work
that the touch won´t be the same
that our realities collide?
your dark is not the same dark as mine
that you will love more - or take more?
that you´ll eat life with a bigger spoon?
are you afraid that it will be over too soon?
afraid of me or you?
barking dogs? unexpected snowstorms?
too loud explosions? getting old?
speeding cars? or maybe mice?
narrow spaces?
are you afraid of anything, you can´t define?
death or the dark? impossible races?
when and how death arrives?
how love suddenly stops?
illusions of all kinds?
small hairy animals or seven-headed spiders?
wrong decisions?
missed hours?
are you afraid of everything you can´t repeat
or bring back?
me touching you and not feeling a thing?
of ascending hands? loud words? heavy hearts?
of lying adults? invisible caves? rejection? or guns?
are you afraid of me becoming something else as we walk past our lives?
death or the dark? impossible races?
when and how death arrives?
how love suddenly stops?
illusions of all kinds?
small hairy animals or seven-headed spiders?
wrong decisions?
missed hours?
are you afraid of everything you can´t repeat
or bring back?
me touching you and not feeling a thing?
of ascending hands? loud words? heavy hearts?
of lying adults? invisible caves? rejection? or guns?
are you afraid of me becoming something else as we walk past our lives?
where did you put your keys yesterday?
are you afraid of anything you could forget? hide?
afraid of things that are bigger than me
disappearing in front of me
loneliness? getting lost? pride?
where do all these fears come from?
did we draw them? carefully colour them?
or grow them as trees?
craddle them as babies? cuddle them as sweet things?
we cannot control the lights
or the storm or the anger of nature
yet we cannot control the warmth and the sun either
still it comes exactly as it should
would we still be humans if all our fears were dropped?
are you afraid of anything you could forget? hide?
afraid of things that are bigger than me
disappearing in front of me
loneliness? getting lost? pride?
where do all these fears come from?
did we draw them? carefully colour them?
or grow them as trees?
craddle them as babies? cuddle them as sweet things?
we cannot control the lights
or the storm or the anger of nature
yet we cannot control the warmth and the sun either
still it comes exactly as it should
would we still be humans if all our fears were dropped?
discovering the space
voice / dance / spoken word performance in the making
SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH
the voice & dance performance was based on a mini social-media research where we asked people through instagram, facebook, whatsapp, what their fears of today are. we integrated the answers and created a performance about this topic: "LIQUID FEARS"
the voice & dance performance was based on a mini social-media research where we asked people through instagram, facebook, whatsapp, what their fears of today are. we integrated the answers and created a performance about this topic: "LIQUID FEARS"
w/ the art of escapism (DK)
DOUBLE VOCALS TOUR
this tour is dedicated to the celebration of improvised vocal music. we don´t only want to sing concerts but to talk about it with you, listent to what you think about the music, exchange ideas, inspire, sing together with you. please, check out all the meeting points where you can catch us: creative artist talks, workshops, performances that strive to open up a space off the stage. this is a space where everybody you can join us - as audience, as part of the performance, as a workshop participant.
4 October
VOICE & DANCE PERFORMANCE "Liquid Fears"
w/ Elsa Artmann, Magdalena Öttl, Anne-Lene Nöldner, Antonia Stäcker (dance)
w/ Mascha Corman, Lo Ersare, Ania Rybacka, Thea Soti (voice)
20.00 - Maschinenhaus, Essen - Tickets 7/12 EUR
w/ Elsa Artmann, Magdalena Öttl, Anne-Lene Nöldner, Antonia Stäcker (dance)
w/ Mascha Corman, Lo Ersare, Ania Rybacka, Thea Soti (voice)
20.00 - Maschinenhaus, Essen - Tickets 7/12 EUR
5 October
CREATIVE VOCAL LAB
w/ The Art Of Escapism + Monsters For Breakfast
16.00 - 20.00 - ON Neue Musik Köln NEW OFFICE! - free admission
w/ The Art Of Escapism + Monsters For Breakfast
16.00 - 20.00 - ON Neue Musik Köln NEW OFFICE! - free admission
6 October
STIMMUNGEN CONCERT SERIES
w/ The Art Of Escapism + Monsters For Breakfast
20.30 - LOFT Köln - Tickets: 6/10 EUR
w/ The Art Of Escapism + Monsters For Breakfast
20.30 - LOFT Köln - Tickets: 6/10 EUR
7 October
VOICE & DANCE WORKSHOP
w/ The Art Of Escapism + Monsters For Breakfast
10.00 - 14.00 - ZZT - Zentrum für Zeitgenössischen Tanz, Köln
In cooperation with the Academy of Music and Dance Cologne
w/ The Art Of Escapism + Monsters For Breakfast
10.00 - 14.00 - ZZT - Zentrum für Zeitgenössischen Tanz, Köln
In cooperation with the Academy of Music and Dance Cologne
8 October
DOUBLE CONCERT
w/ The Art Of Escapism + Monsters For Breakfast
19.30 - Bergerkirche Düsseldorf - donation
w/ The Art Of Escapism + Monsters For Breakfast
19.30 - Bergerkirche Düsseldorf - donation
9 October
DOUBLE CONCERT FEAT. SUE SCHLOTTE (cello)
w/ The Art Of Escapism + Monsters For Breakfast
19.30 - St. Nikolaus Kirche, Bonn-Kessenich - donation
w/ The Art Of Escapism + Monsters For Breakfast
19.30 - St. Nikolaus Kirche, Bonn-Kessenich - donation
DOUBLE VOCALS TOUR
as it all began, we only wanted to sing - and if there are two vocal duos improvising, then why not multiply our powers and do double concerts? then we realized we can do so much more than just double-concerts. we worked with dancers, talked hours about improvisation concepts, compared our local scenes of vocal music, told anecdotes about our students and experiences with the audience. suddenly, we realized: we were creating a whole culture of improvised vocal music around us. this tour is dedicated to these super-inspirations and super-powers, when four girls just simply start to sing!
- 30 Sept, 2017
as it all began, we only wanted to sing - and if there are two vocal duos improvising, then why not multiply our powers and do double concerts? then we realized we can do so much more than just double-concerts. we worked with dancers, talked hours about improvisation concepts, compared our local scenes of vocal music, told anecdotes about our students and experiences with the audience. suddenly, we realized: we were creating a whole culture of improvised vocal music around us. this tour is dedicated to these super-inspirations and super-powers, when four girls just simply start to sing!
- 30 Sept, 2017
MICRO IMPRO SERIES #2
MICRO IMPRO SERIES #3
new videos series
MICRO IMPRO SERIES
we love to integrate the surrounding sounds and noises when we sing. improvise with them. improvise with a real life situation and thus create a spontenous sound installation. this micro impro series documents these very short and intimate improvisations with life.
coming up on the blog
BACK TO COLOGNE
we are back to cologne after a heart-warming release tour in portugal and can´t wait to host "the art of escapism" girls from copenhagen in october. we´re so gonna be singing, creating, sharing voices everywhere for more than a week. concerts, workshops, artist talks coming up... but till then, we will launch our new MICRO IMPRO SERIES that we prepared for you with mascha before leaving to portugal. the first series of videos have been recorded in thea´s stairway. we decided very spontaneously to do it there because of the acoustics. some street noise flows in, you can hear people talking in the streets, cars... and sometimes we will be surprised by entering neighbours... more videos and stories soon!
- 17 sept 2017
- 17 sept 2017
desert-like places
here the wind grows blue and kind
the sun flirty and fierce
playing tricks on my eyes
transparent, hot and moody
at night it leaves me wishing for the day
where the cold dissolves again
then i sweat and pray
it is too much or never enough
oh how long is this illusion of sand gonna last
here the wind grows blue and kind
the sun flirty and fierce
playing tricks on my eyes
transparent, hot and moody
at night it leaves me wishing for the day
where the cold dissolves again
then i sweat and pray
it is too much or never enough
oh how long is this illusion of sand gonna last
MONSTERS AT CASA BO
last concert of our release tour in porto. here at the mini-stage of the charmful casa bo. as the PA system didn´t work, we had to sing acoustically. this seemed first as the biggest challenged, as we were sooo tired with mascha. but turned out as magic. we were so lucky to have our girls from the workshop there. they sang with us 2 amazing finale pieces. goose bumps!
- 12 Sept 2017
Porto (PT)
last concert of our release tour in porto. here at the mini-stage of the charmful casa bo. as the PA system didn´t work, we had to sing acoustically. this seemed first as the biggest challenged, as we were sooo tired with mascha. but turned out as magic. we were so lucky to have our girls from the workshop there. they sang with us 2 amazing finale pieces. goose bumps!
- 12 Sept 2017
Porto (PT)
vocal impro workshop in porto
amazing workshop with the talented students of the music academy (ESMAE) and the music conservatory in porto. we had soooo much fun!!! big shout out goes to kiko for making this all happen! we will be back soon. monster-promise!
- 11 sept 2017
amazing workshop with the talented students of the music academy (ESMAE) and the music conservatory in porto. we had soooo much fun!!! big shout out goes to kiko for making this all happen! we will be back soon. monster-promise!
- 11 sept 2017
leaving caldas da rainha. portugal is not all about the flowers and patterns. behind the tourist walls are other stories. urban realities and rough lives. but with creative and willing hearts. how does that work anyway? how can we survive in this urban jungle and let our heart beat at the right place?
- 12 Sept
- 12 Sept
the first steps i climbed in lisbon after having arrived from the airport. it felt like stepping onto something liquid: the cultural heritage of lisbon melting into fast food. but still it shows a very truly honest dimension of us. we wanna see the flower patterns of the city and then grab a pommes frites. is it disrespectful or maybe it is also ok to be like that?
monsters inside. can we leave them on the road or wherever we go they will follow us and hide in our bags. or do we maybe need these monsters? do we need them to be mean to us so we can wake up to be good to others?
monsters in caldas da rainha © susana valadas
IMPRO UNDER THE GLASS SKY
in caldas da rainha we met ricardo from the creative collective "gremio caldense" - a beautiful person who started this series of improvised and contemporary music concerts throughout the city. each concert is at a different location exploiting the possibilities of interaction and space. we sang in a "glass house" near the park. sound-installation concert. and so much more than a concert. the people were literally full of grace and almost each of them kissed us "thank you".
- 10 sept 2017
- 10 sept 2017
moving between places, faces, phases. monsters are totally tired, but on the road and singing their hearts out. wherever they are. in staircases, old ball rooms, in the garden. doing micro impros. watch out for more videos!
- 10 sept 2017
- 10 sept 2017
LIVE in BAR IRREAL
BAR IRREAL is so making an unreal effort to create a creative space in the old town of lisbon. they just simply believe in offering a space for artists who have something to say, paint, sing. couldn´t be better for the monsters. really nice experience! thank you
- 9 Sept 2017
Lisbon (PT)
MONSTER QUESTION OF THE DAY
Q: what is a quick fix?
A: when portugese people improvise and create quick solutions in everyday life
A: when portugese people improvise and create quick solutions in everyday life
Illustration of our concert by the very talented Erica Andreina. Would be lovely to work with you on an animation film for MONSTERS. thank you for this after-concert surprise!!!
- Lisbon (PT)
- Lisbon (PT)
monsters in lisboa
lisbon is full of details. the small things are the ones that make this place so magical. like you have to look where you step, because maybe the floor is made of little ceramic gems which are pictures telling stories. look at that chain of never-ending flowers occupying the walls. it's repeating and flowing again, still every tile is different. differently damaged, polished, coloured or broken.
impro in a library
monsters improvising in ler devagar. doing a sound installation in the old town part of lisboa. mixing and recycling sounds of a book store, books, passers-by, children, bookworms, lonely visitors, tourists.
"here are white bicycles
hanging from the skies
bicycles with wings
believing they could fly
yet they´re fixed to the ceiling - why?"
this somehow makes me think of tom waits and his song about broken bicycles.
maybe this is the place, which he is looking for. the orphanage for the old and the broken.
where things get a new beginning. like old books. they also have more lives.
hanging from the skies
bicycles with wings
believing they could fly
yet they´re fixed to the ceiling - why?"
this somehow makes me think of tom waits and his song about broken bicycles.
maybe this is the place, which he is looking for. the orphanage for the old and the broken.
where things get a new beginning. like old books. they also have more lives.
LER DEVAGAR - Lisboa
FIRST CONCERT IN LISBOA
our stage tonight is really different from the usual concert locations. we gonna be singing among books, words and illustrations and even more books. and white bicycles. hanging from the skies. bicycles that believe they can fly. in a modern-old bookstore / library where the old city centre of lisbon gets a new kick: they initiate a modern concept and treat bookshops as points of exchange, as meeting places. to hang around, have a coffee, read, talk, maybe sing. to monster. and that´s exactly what´s gonna happen tonight. we gonna "monster" this place and open it up to new endeavours for all who accidentally or on purpose drops in. 22.00 sharp.
- Ler Devagar, Lisboa (PT)
our stage tonight is really different from the usual concert locations. we gonna be singing among books, words and illustrations and even more books. and white bicycles. hanging from the skies. bicycles that believe they can fly. in a modern-old bookstore / library where the old city centre of lisbon gets a new kick: they initiate a modern concept and treat bookshops as points of exchange, as meeting places. to hang around, have a coffee, read, talk, maybe sing. to monster. and that´s exactly what´s gonna happen tonight. we gonna "monster" this place and open it up to new endeavours for all who accidentally or on purpose drops in. 22.00 sharp.
- Ler Devagar, Lisboa (PT)
LISBON STORY A LA MONSTERS
we arrived to the city of starfishes, old-style trams, flowers on walls and fado. lisbon is treating us well. 28 degrees. perfectly mixed soy galão. modern-style, not exaggarated hippie-forms. atlantic-coast spirit. warm hearts. here the wind is coloured blue. skies hold a transparent sun. long walks and tired eyes. those we are. still we cant stop as it is not our body which is driving us. everywhere loud and rough. diamonds would envy us!
- 8 sept 2017
- 8 sept 2017
our amazingly beautiful posters arrived today. this artwork by the very talented KINGA ROFUSZ from hungary is simply mesmerizing and still leaves us without words. it is a hand-made painting developed exclusively for our debut album cover. we love this design!!
ever since we had the idea of having a cd for monsters, we were thinking about a surreal image, kind of like a children´s book illustration, funny and weird, sweet but mean. by chance, we discovered a drawing of kinga in a women´s magazine. we immediately contacted her if she wanted to work with us. she passionately listened to our premix of the cd and said yes. this is a very special thing for us. two art forms meeting each other. beautiful! we can´t get enough of this artwork. simply perfect! perfectly MONSTERS!!!
artwork / illustration KINGA ROFUSZ
poster design FLORIAN HERZOG
supported by ON COLOGNE
ever since we had the idea of having a cd for monsters, we were thinking about a surreal image, kind of like a children´s book illustration, funny and weird, sweet but mean. by chance, we discovered a drawing of kinga in a women´s magazine. we immediately contacted her if she wanted to work with us. she passionately listened to our premix of the cd and said yes. this is a very special thing for us. two art forms meeting each other. beautiful! we can´t get enough of this artwork. simply perfect! perfectly MONSTERS!!!
artwork / illustration KINGA ROFUSZ
poster design FLORIAN HERZOG
supported by ON COLOGNE
THE STORY BEHIND OUR CD-COVER
WORKSHOP news!
we gonna do a spontaneous vocal impro workshop at the academy of music in porto. so excited to work with students of ESMAE - Escola Superior de Música, Artes do Espectáculo Porto. some surprises coming up!
kitchen series
soon we will launch our "micro impro series". it is an intimate and spontaneous live session telling short improvised stories and using the surrounding sounds.
this snippet was recorded in thea´s kitchen in cologne. we are eating gluten-free and vegan banana bread. hand-made and vegan. just like our music.
- 5 sept, 2017
this snippet was recorded in thea´s kitchen in cologne. we are eating gluten-free and vegan banana bread. hand-made and vegan. just like our music.
- 5 sept, 2017
many new ideas. new series of impro concerts in planning
while rehearsing for our portugal release tour, we came up with a lot of tiny and lovely ideas. we would love to do more and more spontaneous pop-performances, so-called sound installations, where the voice is integrated with the happenings and surroundings of the room. let it be a kitchen with espresso machine, a staircase with a neighbour or just a garden with bird sounds or toilet flush with open window. just improvise. as we do it in real life. not on a stage.
- 5 sept 2017
- 5 sept 2017
portugal release tour
8.9 - ler devagar, lisboa • 9.9 bar irreal, lisboa • 10.9 grémio caldense, caldas da rainha • 11.9 casa bô, porto
we both had a very refreshing and colour-fool summer with mascha, so more than ready to continue with our release tour. after denmark, germany and italy, we are headed to the land of the most beautiful floral patterns, ocean-air and the trashiest sweets. haha. i am crazy about pastel de nata. well... they are not vegan, so i have to kind-of break some rules in portugal, i guess... anyway, we´re flying to lisboa on the second september weekend and will be playing 3-4 concerts in portugal. tour blog about concerts and impressions - as usual - here, so be sure to check back later! monstery weeked to you all!
- 24 August
- 24 August
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
why are the monsters as happy as a big bowl of musli?
the exchange with "the art of escapism" in copenhagen was the best thing that could happen to our monsters. thanks to everyone who made this happen! reprise in october in cologne <3 <§> <3
we all rain
the sky over copenhagen broke. heaven and hell fell down that evening. we couldn´t even get to the venue from AHAA (best falafel place!!! approx. 11 meters from koncertkirken) without getting completely wet. cold and wet. dark and cold. our concert started quite late. at ten. obviously, only a few people were sitting there in the church. but it didn´t really matter. evey second of the concert was pure magic. we had some physical (belly ache) and psychological (heart ache) pain. it all turned into music. just like the tension of the skies outside, our pain broke: stroke rivers of sounds inside that beautifully sounding church (koncertkirken). how lucky we got to be able to let these waters flood our spaces. healing. pouring. we all were raining.
- 14 July
the sky over copenhagen broke. heaven and hell fell down that evening. we couldn´t even get to the venue from AHAA (best falafel place!!! approx. 11 meters from koncertkirken) without getting completely wet. cold and wet. dark and cold. our concert started quite late. at ten. obviously, only a few people were sitting there in the church. but it didn´t really matter. evey second of the concert was pure magic. we had some physical (belly ache) and psychological (heart ache) pain. it all turned into music. just like the tension of the skies outside, our pain broke: stroke rivers of sounds inside that beautifully sounding church (koncertkirken). how lucky we got to be able to let these waters flood our spaces. healing. pouring. we all were raining.
- 14 July
koncertkirken magic
last concert on friday. double vocal duo tour ends here.
northern lights. harbour winds. thick skin. three millimeters above the ground.
i love looking around. i love the style on the walls, in the streets, in the cafés, on posters. in people´s clothes. i love the signs on the road and how the language looks like when written. it has an elegance even in the letters. i feel kinda home. mascha doesn´t necessarily. she likes it how they dress, but she herself would never feel comfortable with this style and design. home or clothes. still - we find cafés and jewelleries that we both fancy. the long walks in the green and the "berlin-flair a lá scandinavia" is also capturing our hearts. when we walk to our apartment in the night, we are fascinated by the almost white-blue sky. you can see the edges of the sky even after midnight. this gives you the feeling that you are three millimeters above the ground. beautiful and unsecure at the same time. the island weather is definetaly something to get used to. the faces of the people living here has something very tough. we couldn´t find out if it is the thick skin fighting the harbour winds or the elegantly reserved northern mentality. or both.
- 14 July
i love looking around. i love the style on the walls, in the streets, in the cafés, on posters. in people´s clothes. i love the signs on the road and how the language looks like when written. it has an elegance even in the letters. i feel kinda home. mascha doesn´t necessarily. she likes it how they dress, but she herself would never feel comfortable with this style and design. home or clothes. still - we find cafés and jewelleries that we both fancy. the long walks in the green and the "berlin-flair a lá scandinavia" is also capturing our hearts. when we walk to our apartment in the night, we are fascinated by the almost white-blue sky. you can see the edges of the sky even after midnight. this gives you the feeling that you are three millimeters above the ground. beautiful and unsecure at the same time. the island weather is definetaly something to get used to. the faces of the people living here has something very tough. we couldn´t find out if it is the thick skin fighting the harbour winds or the elegantly reserved northern mentality. or both.
- 14 July
i am not the only one here. i cannot see you anywhere. but i can feel that you are all there. the weight of the air changes as you move. the cactus forgets its desire for water as you sweat. where the edges of your body end, that´s where i begin. i carry you eveywhere.
dance performance
kvartehuset
dance performance. kvartehuset. fever. yellow gazelles. folksongs. jelly fish.
imagine a box which is a house. a box with a lot of windows. the sun pouring into the jail-like small windows and creating textures on the floor. jeppe got sick and cancelled the performance. alex had to dance solo. this changed a lot. we had to be even more aware of everything around us. when alex started dancing, it looked like he was controlling the sun and the shadows with his movements. but maybe the sun was controlling him.
four vocalists and a dancer. a fully packed room with an amazing audience. we were out of space. amazingly beautiful. after the performance, having our salad in the backstage, we were talking about different improvisation experiences. mascha feels like she has fever, when she really gets into improvising. she starts seeing and feeling things getting huge and then suddenly change shape and size. lo and me agreed to have some similar experiences. lo even shared her improvising pictures popping into her mind some day on stage: yellow gazelles. we also realized that alex (dancers) work and think really similarly about improvising. we couldn´t find a stop of our exchange of experiences flowing out of us. the evening continued in a bar on a boat with aperol spritz. we ended up comparing folksongs and telling horror stories about jelly fish and ocean accidents.
- 13 July
imagine a box which is a house. a box with a lot of windows. the sun pouring into the jail-like small windows and creating textures on the floor. jeppe got sick and cancelled the performance. alex had to dance solo. this changed a lot. we had to be even more aware of everything around us. when alex started dancing, it looked like he was controlling the sun and the shadows with his movements. but maybe the sun was controlling him.
four vocalists and a dancer. a fully packed room with an amazing audience. we were out of space. amazingly beautiful. after the performance, having our salad in the backstage, we were talking about different improvisation experiences. mascha feels like she has fever, when she really gets into improvising. she starts seeing and feeling things getting huge and then suddenly change shape and size. lo and me agreed to have some similar experiences. lo even shared her improvising pictures popping into her mind some day on stage: yellow gazelles. we also realized that alex (dancers) work and think really similarly about improvising. we couldn´t find a stop of our exchange of experiences flowing out of us. the evening continued in a bar on a boat with aperol spritz. we ended up comparing folksongs and telling horror stories about jelly fish and ocean accidents.
- 13 July
SO RARE
monsters and spaces
it is so rare that i can look into my own eyes
it is so rare that i can touch your planets
it is so rare that i can walk barefoot on my own skin
it is so rare that i can escape to the end of the world
i wanna walk in your galaxy
monsters and spaces
it is so rare that i can look into my own eyes
it is so rare that i can touch your planets
it is so rare that i can walk barefoot on my own skin
it is so rare that i can escape to the end of the world
i wanna walk in your galaxy
kvartehuset performance
TONIGHT!
TONIGHT!
dancers. vocalists. togetherness
RMC jazz festival stage presented yesterday night the "all vocals maximum" concert with 4 + 3 vocalists. no other instruments. only vocals. only free improvised music. the church-like, weird-but-cool location with columns and thousand ceiling lamps was full! isn´t that mind-blowing???
we were also superbly happy to share the stage and got inspired by the amazing Zola Mennenöh, Natalie Sandtorv and Elina Silova, who are important vocalists of the copenhagen jazz scene
anyway. the gig was really fun! for sure, we are more free and relaxed in a rehearsal situation... you have to train yourself to be ready to be free and 100% music when showtime comes. that´s tough! looking forward how this develops with time.
- 13 July
we were also superbly happy to share the stage and got inspired by the amazing Zola Mennenöh, Natalie Sandtorv and Elina Silova, who are important vocalists of the copenhagen jazz scene
anyway. the gig was really fun! for sure, we are more free and relaxed in a rehearsal situation... you have to train yourself to be ready to be free and 100% music when showtime comes. that´s tough! looking forward how this develops with time.
- 13 July
danc. recycling
a lot of intense searching & finding. researching. recycling. challenging rehearsal with our dancers who decided to start a "dance-battle" for the new-generation glitter-planet. modern giants at work.
movement. voice. singing. dancing.
clusters. co-exsistence. dependence. break-out.
togetherness. two-level symbiosis. flexible fluidity.
clusters. co-exsistence. dependence. break-out.
togetherness. two-level symbiosis. flexible fluidity.
here a surreal-space-monsters-voices teaser for our copenhagen concerts. first double vocal impro concert kicks off on wednesday. now we´re off to a 5-hour rehearsal with dancers. yeah! so much fun, work. so much to try out, research, search and find. this is a way to go for monsters!!!!
PERSONALIZED POSTCARDS with SURREAL MONSTERS and HANDWRITING
we´ve got our beautiful postcards with us in copenhagen. they resemble our cd-cover and use the surreal childrenbook-illustration-style art of Kinga Rofusz. as we were having a coffee break at the RMC the other day, we asked everyone to complete the cards with infos about our upcoming jazz festival gigs. each card was individually written and having a different hand-writing on it. isn´t it what everybody wants? a personalized, hand-made, hand-written postcard. we are definitely fan of these flyers which come in limited numbers and are - in themself - a piece of art. you could hang them onto your postcard-wall.
- 11 July
we´ve got our beautiful postcards with us in copenhagen. they resemble our cd-cover and use the surreal childrenbook-illustration-style art of Kinga Rofusz. as we were having a coffee break at the RMC the other day, we asked everyone to complete the cards with infos about our upcoming jazz festival gigs. each card was individually written and having a different hand-writing on it. isn´t it what everybody wants? a personalized, hand-made, hand-written postcard. we are definitely fan of these flyers which come in limited numbers and are - in themself - a piece of art. you could hang them onto your postcard-wall.
- 11 July
copenhagen days
vocal impro paradise
working and rehearsing with the girls, ania and lo from "the art of escapism"
red and thick silence
warm hands caress my white shoulders
far-away lands throw their blue at me
still i know i am safe
still i black. then think of something soft
how thin
everything gets when i am the only sun
warm hands caress my white shoulders
far-away lands throw their blue at me
still i know i am safe
still i black. then think of something soft
how thin
everything gets when i am the only sun
IKI at literaturhaus
girls in airports at island brygge
nephilim ensemble w/ joel illerhag
vocal impro culture in scandinavia
shortly after landing, we went with mascha directly to the concert of IKI (vocal ensemble from copenhagen) to the beautifully lit literaturhaus. it was fully packed with people who really wanted to listen to the music which was happening there. 5 young creative and very much capable vocalists were performing. no instruments, no beats (other than their loops made by the sound of their own voives), no accompaniement, no lyrics. the audience was partying, dancing to the songs. they were really celebrating the wonders of the human voice. wow! i was deeply touched. how beautiful! on tuesday night, similar but yet totally different story at the night concert of koncertkirken with the nephilim ensemble led by the bassist joel illerhag. swedish folksongs mixed with spontaneous choir arrangements, vocal improvisations, songs flowing into noise. mesmerizing it was! how come that the audiences here are so absorbant towards improvised vocals? do they have a more daring singing / choir culture and thus more open to the experimental edges? can´t wait to sing to these people and see how they receive our monsters :)
sunny walk to our rehearsal at RMC (rhytmic music conservatory)
MONSTERS go COPENHAGEN
on monday we arrive in denmark. lo from "the art of escapism" is the loveliest and the most caring. she is a dynamic sunshine. she picked us up at the airport and took part in our first "monster selfie" - where you obviously have to show your teeth. not your tit, your teeth. maybe we´ll also do another series with bikini in a warmer country. :)
anyway. we are super happy and heading to the a concert right away. looking forward to many concerts during the jazz festival, vocal impro exchange, rehearsals, walks in the port, tuborg in the rain and the special nordic light. juhuuu!!
- 10 July 2017
on monday we arrive in denmark. lo from "the art of escapism" is the loveliest and the most caring. she is a dynamic sunshine. she picked us up at the airport and took part in our first "monster selfie" - where you obviously have to show your teeth. not your tit, your teeth. maybe we´ll also do another series with bikini in a warmer country. :)
anyway. we are super happy and heading to the a concert right away. looking forward to many concerts during the jazz festival, vocal impro exchange, rehearsals, walks in the port, tuborg in the rain and the special nordic light. juhuuu!!
- 10 July 2017
DOUBLE VOCAL TOUR
COPENHAGEN JAZZ FESTIVAL
w/ The Art Of Escapism
12 July - Metronomen, CPH
13 July - Kvartehuset, CPH + dancers
14 July - Koncertkirken, CPH
13 July - Kvartehuset, CPH + dancers
14 July - Koncertkirken, CPH
REHEARSALS // Kitchen Stories
the copenhagen jazz festival is approaching. we keep rehearsing with mascha almost every day. we sing in my kitchen! gather elements, try out different techniques and forms, create sound-landscapes, discuss our stories, drink coffee or tea, smoke a cigarette in the garden, then go back and analyze our sounds. it doesn´t only sound beautiful but also feels beautiful. down to our stomach and heart and bones. such an organic and satisfying working process. almost like a "pop-band". we decided to plan some "kitchen series" concerts next year: we would then sing in different kitchens (private or that of a café or bar) and use the sounds of the place as improv-inspiration :)
- 7 July
the copenhagen jazz festival is approaching. we keep rehearsing with mascha almost every day. we sing in my kitchen! gather elements, try out different techniques and forms, create sound-landscapes, discuss our stories, drink coffee or tea, smoke a cigarette in the garden, then go back and analyze our sounds. it doesn´t only sound beautiful but also feels beautiful. down to our stomach and heart and bones. such an organic and satisfying working process. almost like a "pop-band". we decided to plan some "kitchen series" concerts next year: we would then sing in different kitchens (private or that of a café or bar) and use the sounds of the place as improv-inspiration :)
- 7 July
monstering
the activity of not caring about anything, but singing like a monster. tiny, sweet or less sweet. but still singing.
DOUBLE-VOCAL TOUR WITH THE ART OF ESCAPISM
listen and look at these amazing ladies. they put a spell on us the first day we met them. ever since we were planning a cooperation (mainly by facebook chats and skype) to make a double-vocal-tour happen! now this dream has become real! wow! our double-tour starts next week in copenhagen. couldn´t be happier!!!! follow our coopenhagen adventures here on the blog!
- 3 july 2017
- 3 july 2017
NEW LIVE RECORDING!
here is a fresh monster song from our cd-release concert in loft, in cologne.
a free song
a song that frees itself from the known structures
freely improvised
in a free zone of songs
listen to it here:
https://soundcloud.com/theasoti/impro-4
recorded live by lukas lohner.
@ 2017
here is a fresh monster song from our cd-release concert in loft, in cologne.
a free song
a song that frees itself from the known structures
freely improvised
in a free zone of songs
listen to it here:
https://soundcloud.com/theasoti/impro-4
recorded live by lukas lohner.
@ 2017
photo by Peter Tümmers
MONSTERS RELEASED!!!
we are happy monsters. two beautiful and challenging duo concerts are behind us. we do celebrate the wonders of the human voice. explore, experiment and push ourselves to the edges. that is full of danger and unexpected twists and beauties.
 |  |  |
ALL PHOTOS BY RIAD NASSER
düsseldorf gave home to our second cd-release concert. amazing heat and unexpected encounter with locals. the most avantgard, funky, surreal church ever. chill and sing! a perfect combination for such a hot day. beautiful. thank you!
- 27 may 2017
- 27 may 2017
ALL PHOTOS BY PETER TÜMMERS
singing in LOFT feels like singing at home. cd-release in cologne in duo + special guest "carl-ludwig hübsch" with his tuba. real monsters sounds!!
thanks for the photos, lovely PETER TÜMMERS
- 26 may 2017
thanks for the photos, lovely PETER TÜMMERS
- 26 may 2017
26 + 27 MAY 2017 / KÖLN + DÜSSELDORF
CD-RELEASE COMING UP!!
we are going to present our debut album. but how to present an improvised music album?!! haha :) so exciting! special guests to be announced. are you coming?
last time "DREI"
today slightly differently. duisburg.
members of the nursing home are going to perform a small scene and we are going to improvise to that
duisburg innenhafen. come!
- 21 May 2017
© Riad Nasser
today slightly differently. duisburg.
members of the nursing home are going to perform a small scene and we are going to improvise to that
duisburg innenhafen. come!
- 21 May 2017
© Riad Nasser
fotofun
tayacska visited us by the performance of "drei". this is quite a weird place to sit.
meet
the drunk angel
the disabled aristocrat
the curly demon
the drunk angel
the disabled aristocrat
the curly demon
photos were taken on the set of the theatre performance "DREI"
stage design:
ulrike donat-erdinger
project:
friederike felbeck
stage design:
ulrike donat-erdinger
project:
friederike felbeck
photos by Roman Gorich
| "DREI" performances in the last few days, we´ve been intensively developing an integrative performance project connecting theatre, photography, room installation and improvised music. about how to live together. refugees, elderly people, jewish people, local residents. how to share life spaces, history and languages. how to connect through a public space as a park. all of the three performances were a great success. we had a lot of pleasure working with anna (violin) and creating miniatures to the performative music theatre. last performance on sunday (21st of may) in duisburg. © Riad Nasser - 15 May 2017 |
a short photo session before the second performance of "DREI - das ballhaus bewegt".
we are working with the excellent violinist, anna neubert.
photo by riad nasser
- 13 May 2017
we are working with the excellent violinist, anna neubert.
photo by riad nasser
- 13 May 2017
Ready for the party scene!
w/ Anna Neubert
Before soundcheck
- 12 May 2017
w/ Anna Neubert
Before soundcheck
- 12 May 2017
Final rehearsals for the integrative performance "DREI" in Düsseldorf. Premiere on Friday.
- 11 May 2017
- 11 May 2017
PERFORMANCE "DREI"
Das Ballhaus / Der Innenhofen bewegt - Düsseldorf / Duisburg
A project by Friederike Felbeck
MONSTERS go THEATRE -> performance "DREI"
today we are starting our rehearsals in düsseldorf.
an integrative project with amateur theatre, refugees and elderly people. stories going to be told and sung based on the texts and script of friederike felbeck. she conducted several interview in the past months with the neighbours and residents of the nursing home and refugee homes. we have no idea really what this very mixed-and-matched performance´s gonna be... but up for an adventure with mascha and anna! shaping it right now! 7 days to go!
- 5 May 2017
an integrative project with amateur theatre, refugees and elderly people. stories going to be told and sung based on the texts and script of friederike felbeck. she conducted several interview in the past months with the neighbours and residents of the nursing home and refugee homes. we have no idea really what this very mixed-and-matched performance´s gonna be... but up for an adventure with mascha and anna! shaping it right now! 7 days to go!
- 5 May 2017
here our very first "contemporary music" concert. john cage songbook. singing two miniatures written for solo voice by john cage. tomorrow we´re leaving monte... ;(
- 20 May 2017, Montepulciano
- 20 May 2017, Montepulciano
our workplace in montepulciano. the view from palazzo. ricci
- apr 2017
- apr 2017
April 2017
Planning our release tour
it´s really gonna be a european release tour.
as i look at these places where we gonna travel with our cd-baby.
yeah!
Montepulciano / ITALY
13 - 22 April 2017
Copenhagen / DENMARK
10 - 15 July 2017
Düsseldorf, Essen, Bonn, Köln / GERMANY
6 - 11 October 2017
Porto, Lisabon / PORTUGAL
tba
as i look at these places where we gonna travel with our cd-baby.
yeah!
Montepulciano / ITALY
13 - 22 April 2017
Copenhagen / DENMARK
10 - 15 July 2017
Düsseldorf, Essen, Bonn, Köln / GERMANY
6 - 11 October 2017
Porto, Lisabon / PORTUGAL
tba
Solo for Voice 54 (T)
Leave the stage by flying or through a trap door, and return the same way while wearing an animal head.
Leave the stage by flying or through a trap door, and return the same way while wearing an animal head.
Instructions by John Cage, Songbook, 1970.
starting out something unusual.
we are going to interpret the john cage songbook.
starting to work on it now! so exciting!!!!!
we could call it "monsters out of a cage"
- who knows, we might do a concert with these songs, as well
we are going to interpret the john cage songbook.
starting to work on it now! so exciting!!!!!
we could call it "monsters out of a cage"
- who knows, we might do a concert with these songs, as well
MONSTERS IN MONTEPULCIANO!!!
MONSTERS IN MONTEPULCIANO!!!
we´ve arrived into the sun!!!!!
MONSTERS MEMORIES
Avantgarde Church + Voices
MONSTERS meet SOFIA
The experimental concert series STIMMUNGEN presented Sofia Jernberg in Düsseldorf and Cologne. We sang a short set with this amazing lady. Wow!
CD Fun and Winter Time
Package from Portugal
Very cold winter selfie with the freshly arrived Monsters CDs. We are both sooo very ill! Haha!
claviernacht 2016
Interpreting the Ursonate
That was fun! Interpreting and improvising around the world-known Ursonate of Kurt Schwitters. With the improvising ensemble of Paulo Alvares.
