Two Days of Electricity at Filmpodium: Audiovisions from Morocco

Description

Since 2013, the Zurich Biennale Festival Two Days of Electricity explores the diverse expressions of electroacoustic music. The focus is on positions that open new ways of listening and make sound practices visible, which risk being lost in the dense noise of the music world. We are pleased that the festival is visiting us for the second time; this time with new music from Morocco. Two live concerts and two films are on the program. Thu 29.10. Filmpodium Zurich Fri 30.10. – Sat 31.10. Walcheturm Art Space, Zurich Detailed program information: 2tagestrom.ch The opening evening is a co-production of Filmpodium and "Two Days of Electricity." Ticket for the opening evening program at Filmpodium: CHF 27.— The music and film program highlights the fusion of traditional with Western-influenced new music in Morocco: The electroacoustic compositions of Moroccan music pioneer Ahmed Essyad (*1938), created in the 1970s, draw from the sounds of folk music as heard in Moroccan villages at the end of the 1950s. Swiss sound artist and researcher Gilles Aubry, on the other hand, works with modular synthesizers and AI-based sound sources, referencing a Moroccan song about machines from the 1930s. Both artists address cultural, technical, and political questions in different ways, opening fascinating independent sound perspectives. A visual counterpart is found in the films by artist and cultural activist Laila Hida. Her work is dedicated to traces of memory and longing, which live on in fragments, images, objects, and gestures, moving between fact and fiction. Opening evening at Filmpodium 19:30 Concert ELECTROACOUSTIC WORKS BY AHMED ESSYAD Ahmed Essyad (Electronics) "Toubkal," 1972, 12' "Sultane," 1973, 14' "Toubkal" refers to the mountain of the same name, which towers over the High Atlas Mountains, the cradle of Amazigh culture. The title is a gesture of solidarity with this stigmatized and endangered culture. "Sultane" is the result of a reflection on earth and soil. Inspiration for this composition was a war song recorded in Taza in the 1950s. Afterwards: DISCUSSION WITH AHMED ESSYAD AND GILLES AUBRY The musicians and composers Ahmed Essyad and Gilles Aubry provide insights into their work. Questions about cultural identity, musical roots, and the dialogue between different traditions are at the center. 21:00 Concert SET BY GILLES AUBRY WITH MODULAR SYNTHESIZER AND COMPUTER Gilles Aubry (Synthesizer, Computer) "L’Makina," 2023, 30' The piece explores the possibilities of a virtual sound model developed in collaboration with musicians from Morocco. "L'Makina" refers to a song by Amazigh musician L’Haj Belaid from the 1930s. In it, he marvels at the phonograph's ability to reproduce speech and music, and as a poet, questions whether it still makes sense to continue composing verses. This reflection is surprisingly current and touches on central questions about the relationship between humans, machines, and artificial intelligence. Afterwards: Sangeh Khara (Hard Stone) 10' Salam Godzilla 40'