A number of performances this year connect to the festival’s new multi-year project »Resynthesising the Traditional.« Evoking resynthesis—a processing method in computer music that analyzes sounds to extract their fundamental components—as a guiding metaphor, the thematic strand features performances, talks and an artistic lab that in various ways confront conservative views of culture as something frozen, solidified, and generally untouchable, thus resistant to any transformative practices.
A celebrated improviser and vocal artist, Saadet Türköz’s music is deeply rooted in the folk songs of her grandparents, intertwined with sounds from India, Central Asia, and the Arab world and blended seamlessly with blues, free jazz, and the European and American avant-garde. She’s joined by sound artist Eldar Tagi, whose intricate sonic landscapes bridge experimental techniques and personal narratives shaped by his mixed Central Asian heritage.
The SHAPE+ supported artist Adela Mede met Marta Forsberg through a shared interest in collective singing, either with acoustic voice or computer generated choirs. For CTM they come together with light artist Nindya Nareswari to explore these topics through a special new performance of Mede’s original compositions. Mede’s blend of traditional folk influences and contemporary electronic textures weave English, Slovak, and Hungarian into her music. Each language carries fragments of memory and emotion that shift with the sound of her voice, creating a deeply personal yet universal experience. Her songs will be enhanced by Forsberg's experience in sonic minimalism and immersive environments, and Nareswari’s work with the ephemeral and emotive qualities of light and perception.
Ganavya draws from a deep well of spiritual blueprints passed down through generations, letting the lines between past, present, and future blur into something beautifully unrecognisable. The commissioned work »Гільдеґарда« (Hildegarda) by Heilali & Andriana-Yaroslava Saienko places Ukrainian traditional culture in a broader European context, actualising Hildegard von Bingen's compositions to express their war-related experiences and a different, and challenging understanding of spirituality that arises from these.
Ganavya and the collaboration of Adela Mede, Marta Forsberg, and Nindya Nareswari will give artist talks within CTM's Discourse programme.
Led by Susie Ibarra and Stas Shärifullá, the Resynthesising the Traditional artistic lab regroups eight fellows selected via open call—Anna Jurkiewicz, bela, Bilawa Respati, Marie Yevkiné Tirard, Medina Bazargali, Nakul Krishnamurthy, Shoty Ndjoli, and trē seguritan abalos—to engage critically and in-depth with aesthetic, discursive, and technological approaches when connecting to musical and cultural heritage. It culminates in a public output on Sunday 2 February.