Simon Berz, (CH) Basaltstones Electronics Imprositions
Kazuya Matsumoto, (J) Percussion
Lilu Herlambang, (ID) Visuals
TECTONIC
Opening show at gift_lab Tokyo
Exhibition Opening
ImproSitions by Simon Berz:
A fusion of improvisation and notation and a
Memorial Ceremony for the LP „Breath Versus Beats“ featuring the late trumpet player Toshinori Kondo, Bill Laswell, and Simon Berz
November 17, 2024 1:30 PM Door 1:00 PM
– Memorial Ceremony for the LP „Breath Versus Beats“ featuring the late trumpet player Toshinori Kondo, Bill Laswell, and Simon Berz
– Live Performance: Simon Berz will create 20 Imprositions using the stone instrument TECTONIC
The show will begin with a special Memorial Ceremony honoring the collaborative work „Breath versus Beats“ featuring the late Toshinori Kondo, Bill Laswell, and Simon Berz. This tribute celebrates the artistic legacy of these remarkable musicians.
Following the ceremony, Simon Berz will present a captivating live performance, creating 20 Imprositions on his innovative stone instrument, TECTONIC. This performance promises to be a unique exploration of sound, improvisation, and visual art.
The Imprositions created during this live performance will be exhibited in the gallery until December 15, 2024, alongside the LP and the Video of Andi Hofmann to the song WATER „Breath Versus Beats.“ This extended exhibition offers visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the visual and auditory world of Simon Berz’s artistic vision.
November 17 – December 15, 2024
Join us for an evening of avant-garde music, visual art, and a celebration of cross-cultural artistic collaboration. We look forward to welcoming you to this extraordinary event.
TECTONIC Simon Berz Tour 2024
Schedule
11/17(Sun) Exhibition at gift _lab, Tokyo (Exhibition will run until 12/15)
11/18(Mon) at DOMMUNE, Tokyo
11/19 (Tue) Tokyo POLARIS Tokyo
11/ 20(Wed) Tokyo permian w. Ryuichi Ohgami(gu)
11/22 (Fri) Tokyo Otooto w. Naoto Yamasato (ds)
11/23 (sat) Niigata Yui Port Planning : experimental rooms
11/24 (Sun) Ishikawa Shirasagi Bijutsu w. San-chan(ds)
11/25 (Mon) Wakayama Okaerinasai Kikakuten w. Kin leonn
11/27 (Wed) Kyoto UrBANGUILD w. Kota Yamauchi (gu), etc.
11/29 (Fri) Osaka T-BONE w. TBD
11/30 (Sat) Hyogo Kobe Motomachi Space eauuu w. Masashi Yonago, Takahiro Yamamoto
12/ 1(Sun) Hyogo Tobira Records w. TBA
12/ 2(Mon) Okayama Higashiyama Building w. nensow
12/3 (Tue) noquoi_coffee w. TBA
12/4(Wed) Hiroshima Haraiso Coffee w. Takeo Toyama(key/per)
12/5(Thu)Ehime Corp. Shimizu Yudoi 1F event space w. Mineo Kawasaki (ds)
12/6(Fri) Hiroshima venue TBA w. stabilo
12/8(Sun) Nagasaki The Former Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Nagasaki Branch Memorial Hall w. Tetsu Nagasawads)
12/9 (Mon) Fukuoka Kieth Flack w. vvekapipo, etc.
12/10(Tue) Oita AT HALL w. TBA
12/11 (Wed) Yame, Fukuoka w. Yame County Office, w. TBA
12/12 (Thu) Mojiko, Fukuoka, Seitaro Kuroda Atelier 2F w. TBA 12/14(Sat) Tokyo gift_lab *Tour final 2days 1st day http://www.giftlab.jp/# 12/15(Sun) Tokyo gift_lab. *Tour final 2days2nd day http://www.giftlab.jp/#
TECTONIC Japan Tour 2024
The TECTONIC Japan Tour 2024 is more than just a series of performances; it is a journey of artistic and cultural exchange. At its core is the creative trio consisting of Simon Berz, Kazuya Matsumoto, and Lilu Herlambang, who bring their unique talents and perspectives to this multidisciplinary project.
Simon Berz, with his basalt stones, electronics, and IMPROSITIONEN, embodies the fusion of nature and technology. His work serves as a bridge between primordial geology and contemporary sound art.
Kazuya Matsumoto, deeply rooted in Japan’s experimental music scene, brings his expertise in percussion and his connections to the local art community.
Lilu Herlambang complements the acoustic experience with her captivating visual interpretations, creating a holistic, synaesthetic experience.
This collaboration is not just an encounter between different artistic disciplines, but also a dialogue between cultures. The tour offers a unique opportunity to interweave Western experimental approaches with Japanese traditions and contemporary practices. At each performance venue, the trio will interact with local artists, improvise, and create new soundscapes that capture the essence of cultural exchange. By incorporating Japanese elements – be it in the form of traditional instruments, local soundscapes, or cultural concepts – TECTONIC becomes a vivid example of intercultural understanding and artistic synergy. Simon Berz hopes not only to expand the boundaries of sound art but also to build bridges between Switzerland and Japan by creating shared creative spaces and opening up new perspectives on sound, culture, and collaboration.
gift_lab Tokyo
The opening concert of the TECTONIC Japan Tour 2024 will be a unique solo performance by Simon Berz. He will perform with his TECTONIC basalt stones from Iceland, presenting his innovative concept of „ImproSitions“.
ImproSitions are a fusion of improvisation and notation. While Berz plays on the resonating stones, he will simultaneously attempt to notate the improvised music with charcoal on paper. These papers will lie directly on the stones, creating an immediate connection between sound, movement, and visual representation.
This performance aims to place the coding of movement, sound, and notation in the cultural context of Japan and interact with it. It is an experiment that explores the boundaries between different forms of artistic expression and cultural perspectives.
The ImproSitions created during the performance will not just be fleeting moments. They will subsequently be exhibited in the gallery, forming an integral part of the vernissage. This exhibition will be on display for a month, offering visitors the opportunity to experience and interpret the visual manifestation of Berz’s improvised music.
The exhibition at gift_lab serves as both an opening and closing event for the tour. It provides a unique opportunity for visitors to experience the visual and sonic elements of TECTONIC in a gallery setting, offering a deeper understanding of the project’s artistic vision.
To bring the tour to a grand finale, two special closing performances will take place at gift_lab in Tokyo:
December 14th (Saturday): Tour final – Day 1 at gift_lab, Tokyo
December 15th (Sunday): Tour final – Day 2 at gift_lab, Tokyo
These final performances will encapsulate the experiences and collaborations gathered throughout the tour, presenting a culmination of the artistic journey across Japan. The events at gift_lab will not only showcase the TECTONIC project but also celebrate the cultural exchange and artistic connections forged during this month-long tour.
Supported by Pro Helvetia, Canton of Zug, Canton of Aargau, City of Zug, City of Zurich
Simon Berz improvised with found slate stones during morning rituals in the Swiss Alps during the pandemic. The recording NATURE documents the search for the infinite variety of sounds of these million-year-old stones.
The Sound of the Stones
In 2009, I found thin, ringing slate slabs in Haute-Provence in the south of France. This discovery led me to a new path in my work with found objects. The raw sound of the stones, combined with water droplets or electronics, has accompanied me ever since. The sound installation TROPF was awarded the 2011 work year of the Canton of Zug. Last year, I was able to present the new variant of the installation at Kunstraum Aarau 2023. The collected recording TROPF was released by DUMPF Edition Zurich. With the instrument TECTONIC (basalt stones from Iceland and electronics, 2015), I toured and performed concerts between Cuba and Japan.
Other new releases:
Our music is driven by the ongoing global disaster, expressing the last moments of human failure – a call to action for solidarity, for social and ecological responsibility
