entundra ii: gig journal
I attended e n t u n d r a #2 last Thu. That evening, I was fighting anxiety, existential dread, and my relationship with new emotions. I decided to fight them against abrasion, friction, discomfort, and total disregard for anything familiar. This might seem counter-intuitive. But this worked for me. Even if it is temporary. I wrenched my emotions into the medium of sound that embodied pain, the ethereal and bewildering, the uplifting, and then the raw screaming pain.
table of pain
grandpa abela
It is so beautiful to hear the sound of sounds being manually crushed and melded through a series of wires. These sounds filled the night in between sets. A way to remain in the otherworldly.
needlemouth (marcus whale)
Captivating. The room was divided into two as the performance moved across the room. Climbing on chairs, meeting the audience eye to eye, stretching the rope as far is it goes; the boundary between audience and performance blurred. The voice of the artist audibly and visibly strained under the weight of the entire space, collective existences.
sina
I felt like floating. I remember feeling so warm and at ease as layers of soft sounds, textures, and ethereal voice filled the room. This brought me back to myself more and I really appreciated it. For a lot of this set, I had my eyes closed and thought of how things might be ok after all.
simon barker, mitch elliot
I adored this set. I followed the emotive drumming, the glacial noise, and I let it guide me. Upon reflection, I think it felt like I was transported into a tundra, perhaps matching this program's namesake. I think I smiled during this set. Just because I think it gave me a release that I was looking for through movement and dissonant rhythm.
kae takahashi
I remember my face contorting to the visceral pain that Kae displayed on stage, on her face, in her screams, and in the way she moved and played the instrument. I felt these screams are what people hear on the worst days of their lives. Or worse, what people cry out when they are in uncountable pain. I channeled my pain through Kae's screams. To be human is to be able to share our pain with others.
Thank you so much to everyone that makes this happen throughout this city and country - I feel so grateful to be able to be a small part of it and be present for it. It is a very priceless gift to be able to experience people's art. If anyone is interested, photo and film details below:
camera: nikon f4
lens: samyang 85mm f1.4
film: kodak motion 500t ahu, push +3
metering: metered for as much light as possible
at 1600-3200 ISO, all wide open at f1.4.
dev & scan by: do film lab
adjustments made: black point
software used: gimp