Seismographic Sounds – Visions of a New World

Exhibition and event programme by Norient at the CTM Festival

The accelerated processes of globalisation and digitalisation are revolutionising the production and reception of music at many levels. Music used to be almost exclusively propagated through concerts and recording mediums – but no longer. For quite some time, the Internet and social media have been shaping the lives and activities of musicians and producers around the world. For example, artists from Accra, Beirut and Jakarta are setting new standards in our globalised pop and club culture. They use almost every imaginable acoustic material and process these into samples, sound collages and video clips. Based on this music, these rhythms and sounds, they create artworks of everyday life which communicate cultural, political and social messages.
The touring exhibition “Seismographic Sounds – Visions of a New World” revealed how the Internet has given rise to unprecedented artistic diversity. It presented the latest popular and experimental music styles and trends, e.g. Reggaeton, Baile Funk, Musique Concrète and Bruitism. The project was organised by the DISK Association of Berlin in close collaboration with the Swiss-based Norient network which has produced all the tracks, clips, podcasts, interviews and texts through its international network of musicians, experts and bloggers.
An accompanying programme at the CTM Festival in Berlin in 2016 highlighted the themes of the exhibition and examined them further in podium discussions, music films and clip sessions with international musicians, curators and journalists.

Artistic directors: Thomas Burkhalter (CH), Theresa Beyer (CH), Hannes Liechti
Dramaturges: Julien McHardy (NL), Carlotta Werner, Nils Volkmann
Musical directors: Jan Paul Herzer, Max Kullmann
Curators: Oliver Baurhenn, Jan Rohlf
Research associates: Nadav Appel (IL), Cande Sánchez Olmos (ES), Lucia Udvardyova (CZ), Wendy Hsu (US), Jesse Weaver Shipley (US)
Musicians, filmmakers: FOKN Bois (GH), James Costello (IE), Xuman (SN)
Director: King Luu (GH)