Three Ways of Averting the Evil Eye

Frédéric Gies / Fiedel / Johanna Knutsson / Rivet

En koreograf och tre elektroniska musikartister går samman i en triptyk som poetiskt frammanar relationen mellan dans och protest.

Relationen mellan musik och dans står i centrum för denna dansföreställning i tre kapitel. Koreografen och dansaren Frédéric Gies konfronterar sin dans med de respektive musikaliska universumen hos tre elektroniska musikartister: Fiedel, Johanna Knutsson och Rivet, som har komponerat originalsoundtrack för varje del av denna triptyk. Föreställningen lyfter fram dansens och musikens förmåga att samverka och skapa nya känslor, bilder, intensitet och mening. Föreställningen är mer än bara en dialog mellan musik och dans, den betraktar också den dansande kroppen som en plats för motstånd och dess förmåga att motsätta sig kontroll och förtryck. Föreställningen frammanar på ett poetiskt sätt relationen mellan dans och protest och förvandlar ilska och raseri till magiska besvärjelser mot de många onda krafter som hänsynslöst attackerar livet självt.

English

One choreographer and three electronic music artists join forces in a tryptic that poetically evokes the relationship between dance and protest.

The relationship between music and dance is at the center of this dance performance in three chapters. Choreographer and dancer Frédéric Gies confronts their dance to the respective musical universes of three electronic music artists: Fiedel, Johanna Knutsson and Rivet, who composed original soundtracks for each part of this tryptic. The performance puts to the forefront the capacity of dance and music to come together and create new emotions, images, intensities and meaning. More than a mere dialogue between music and dance, the performance also looks at the dancing body as a site of resistance and at its capacity to oppose control and oppression. Poetically evoking the relationship between dance and protest, the performance transforms anger and rage into magical spells against the many evils who recklessly attack life itself.

Credits:

Choreography and dance: Frédéric Gies

Music: Fiedel, Johanna Knutsson and Rivet

Costumes: Grzegorz Matlag

Lighting design: Thomas Zamolo

Coproduced by Inkonst, Weld and Skogen / Residence support by MARC / With the support of Kulturrådet, Region Skåne and Malmö stad.

JOHANNA KNUTSSON

Johanna Knutsson debuted as a DJ on the vivid nightlife scene of Berlin towards the end of the 00’s. Built on a foundation of techno, her sets are on the emotive side of the spectrum. Johanna moves around effortlessly between genres; riding on rhythms, drums and sounds; incorporating hard-hitting house, acid, breakbeat and electro - a fantasy of spacey, deep, hard uncompromising music sans aggression. She creates a landscape for you to travel into with her, whether it is a soaring BPM-trip or a soothing private carpet ride, she wants you to feel comfortable and grounded. She connects with you and sees her set as a wordless interaction where energy and motion fluxes freely.

The mood Johanna creates as a DJ translates seamlessly into her studio work: she has released on labels such as Kontra Musik, Klasse and Oscillate Tracks - the latter is the eponymous label of ://about blank’s long-running Oscillate-party where she also holds a residency. When not performing her ambient project as a solo act, she frequently appears with renowned live-act Circle Of Live; a network consisting of roughly 20 different producers, forming a unique constellation for nearly every show. To make room for her ever-growing touring schedule and label work, she in 2019 aired the final episode of her monthly “Hi Power/Low Power FM”-show (with Kate Miller) broadcasted on Cashmere Radio since 2016. In 2014 Johanna unveiled two record labels: UFO Station Recordings (with long-time production partner Hans Berg) and ZODIAC 44 (with Luca Lozano), here she gets to share her eclectic taste by releasing work not only from her peers, but also showcasing her own brain massaging playful techno.

RIVET

Mika Hallbäck has a long credible history in the Swedish underground. First recognised for his industrial techno works under the Grovskopa moniker he worked privately on more experimental works that eventually came out as On Feather and Wire, an album released on Editions Mego in 2020. Hallbäck defines his approach as not being married to any particular machine, instrument, process or genre. However he holds a particular affinity to sampling, of which, he says, provides the dirt and grit amongst what would otherwise be pristine, generic machine music. The contemporary crate digging method of scouring obscure download music bogs for unique sounds was his preferred research practice.

FIEDEL

Some see the world as a mere chaos of antagonistic shapes and concepts, but that is not how Fiedel views things. He is prone to seeing rather connections than divisions and finding space for new opportunities where others perceive but emptiness. Mixing styles and moods without losing the storyline is what makes out Fiedel's characteristic sound.

His first DJ gigs in Berlin can be traced back to the early 90's, soon after the Wall fell. He started spinning records at Subversiv's weekly Monday events. MMM, a collaboration with his friend Errorsmith, was initiated shortly after he moved to Berlin.

Later on, he also worked at the record store Hard Wax to which he is still connected, having been in charge of the Killasan sound system since 2001. Fiedel's residency at OstGut began in 2000 and was carried on to his current home base - Berghain.

Fiedel is also in an ongoing collaboration with choreographer Frédéric Gies since 2014, producing the soundtracks for almost all their performances.

Frédéric Gies

Drawing from their former training in ballet, their encounter with specific trends of contemporary dance at the beginning of the 90s, their dance floor experiences in techno clubs and raves and their study of somatic practices, Frédéric Gies approaches form as possibilities rather than constraints. Their dances weld forms seemingly foreign to each other, recycle and pervert dance history and heritages. They playfully collapse the distinction and hierarchies between erudite and popular forms of dance.

They started their career as a dancer beginning of the 90s in France, where they danced with choreographers such as Daniel Larrieu, Olivia Grandville, Jean-François Duroure, Bernard Glandier and Christophe Haleb. Since 1996, they have created more than 30 performances, including commissions by Weld Company, DDSKS and Corpus. They present their works locally, regionally, nationally and internationally in various contexts, including dance venues and festivals, music festivals and museums (amongst others: Weld, Inkonst, Skogen, Dansens Hus, Impulstanz, CTM festival, Sophiensaele, Serralves, Roskilde festival, RAS, Moving in November, Wanås, Zürich Moves, La Casa Encendida, Art Stations Foundation...)

Efter föreställningen serverar vi middag. Stanna gärna och äta med oss och konstnärerna.

After the performance, we will serve dinner. Please feel free to stay and dine with us and the artists.