Now I'm in Auckland I finally get to go to AudioFoundation! I've been following this place with interest from afar.
They put on interesting events, workshops, sounds, publish Soundbleed journal, and generally push the frontiers. Also they have supported some of my music on AFM 🍻
Modfest, now in its fifth year, is a collective of modular synth nerds, with an afternoon workshop and an evening performance.
Modern Chair kicked off the night perfectly.
They played a dense, heavy drone set. At times it sounded like distorted, feeding back guitar amps, but it was constantly evolving and kept your ears engaged, and surprised.
I love that his kid (?) is part of the act, wielding the modular.
Octagram Sessions by Modern Chair
aBraille was up next. His setup had a few levels to it.
l liked his "observational" performance style – start something up, stand back, listen, then intervene with a cable or knob-tweak.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBT6-lwqjkc
Shalom BK had a more minimalist setup.
His set was built around field recordings of Gisborne ocean, fed and manipulated to an organic amorphous soundscape.
In the centre of the piece, a poem / spoken word part was really effective.
drones of gallipoli by SHALOM BK
Peter Hobbs played a beautiful, dubby, mesmerising set with special guest Misako improvising dance.
Really inspiring to see two performers bouncing off each other and collaborating live. This was a highlight for me.
UPDATE: here's an excerpt from the performance, now up on Hobbs' YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuxM5ZKMwrg
Side note – Mind and Body is exactly 4:20 long, as is my dubby tune Redline Train. Sometimes things are neat like that.
Gotal Bournier was another standout.
The sounds were very retro, squelchy, and perfectly suited to the retro cinema visual track.
Modal Komodo closed the night perfectly. His blissful ambient melodic set echoed the supportive vibe in the room.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxPYyRpGCtE
I wish I'd taken some photos of the stairwell. This is a sub-basement venue, so there are a lot of stairs, and they are beautifully industrial with primary colour murals on the concrete blocks.
I didn't get the names of the visuals performers – if you know, send me details. UPDATE – visuals were by Vero Manchego and Roy Blackmore.
There are speaker cones in the toilets.