The lab is designed as an open toolbox for artists studying their heritage, intended to help them navigate their practice outside of (self-)exoticisation and the uneven power dynamics created by mass-cultural and other stereotypes. Evoking resynthesis—a processing method in computer music that analyzes sounds to extract their fundamental components—as a guiding metaphor, the lab also invites participants to confront conservative views of culture as something frozen, solidified, and generally untouchable, thus resistant to any transformative practices.
By recognising the »traditional« as a dynamic phenomenon and treating it with proper care and respect, the lab will offer a triangular approach to »resynthesis« presenting it as a tool for the aesthetic, technological, and political transformation of cultures and societies. The first two aspects aim to encourage participants to experiment with various technologies and methods of music and sound production, composition, and performance, reflecting on how this exploratory perspective can unlock the emancipatory potential of sonic practices. The sociopolitical approach will oppose exoticisation, appropriation, tokenism, and the overall colonial gaze, while also inviting participants to consider how their practice can drive political imagination, avoiding the simplification of cultures into stereotypes and acknowledging their complexities and realities.
Carefully addressing the commonly manifested antagonism between the imaginary East and West (or imaginary South and North), this framework is not bound by specific geographical locations but rather by critical methodologies for engaging with the concept of tradition. Within it, reflections on, for example, the highly asymmetrical power relations in what is called »world music« can conceptually coexist with a thorough examination of the increasing connections between folklore and nationalist or essentialist concepts. The lab will also focus on the issues of distance and belonging, exploring various artistic and research strategies to engage with tradition for those who are disconnected from their roots due to assimilation, migration, or both.
The lab will take place in the radialsystem studios over the course of six days and will include inputs from other specialists (eg. sociologists, sound scholars, technologists) to be defined based on the participating group. A public output will take place on Sunday 2 February in radialsystem Saal.
Following an intensive work week at radialsystem studios, a group of six fellows selected via open call will participate in a public programme on Sunday 2 February at radialsystem Saal.
Fellows 2025
Participants of the lab’s inaugural edition bring diverse cultural and creative perspectives.
Through a practice of »de-composition,« Anna Jurkiewicz engages with vocal music archives, reviving rural songs from Polish and Ukrainian traditions to blend old and new meanings. Her practice, which she describes as a »cyberfeminist re-embodying of sonic archives,« explores the emancipatory power of traditional singing which can facilitate the un-forgetting of peasant herstory.«
The vocalist, performer, and producer bela recontextualizes Korean folk music, pungmul, through beat-driven electronic production, combining influences from metal, industrial, and DIY genres. They question the assimilation of traditional rhythms into Western club music, rather exploring how diverse sonic influences can reshape Korean musical codes.
Bilawa Respati’s work seeks new expressions for gamelan music beyond its traditional and academic contexts, navigating between exotic expectations and strict traditions. He reimagines gamelan's path in the technological era, tracing its mythical origins to propose a future-oriented approach.
Marie Yevkiné Tirard seeks connection with her distant Armenian heritage as she digs into ancient Armenian modal music through explorations using voice and instruments like the Saz. Tirard questions what it means for traditions to »belong« and uses her art to connect past roots with future possibilities.
Medina Bazarğali merges themes of decolonization with live coding, creating modern algorithmic soundscapes inspired by aytis, a traditional Kazakh form of freestyle storytelling. Her practice transforms ancient cultural expressions using contemporary technology to explore identity and politics.
Nakul Krishnamurthy reconfigures Indian Classical music using electronic and experimental techniques, challenging Western aesthetic interpretations and Indian nationalist hegemonies. His work seeks to carve out new listening modes that resist caste-based and colonial frameworks while maintaining his cultural identity.
The voice and the face are pivotal aspects in the work of Shoty Ndjoli. Examining the relationship between technology, masks, sound, and identity, the Democratic Republic of the Congo artist tries to take a step back from traditions in order to better understand them, and even »respectfully destroy them.«
A sound artist rooted in improvisation, trē seguritan abalos uses improv to explore the lost intricacies of her Filipino heritage, engaging with themes of cultural memory and reconceptualization. She navigates between absence and abundance of ancestral knowledge, using sound to bridge the gaps left by migration.
Resynthesising the Traditional is supported by tekhnē, a network initiative that is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.